It came and went quickly. Over the weekend, the 2021 NFL Draft saw 259 former college players selected to the professional ranks. Among those were 10 Buckeyes, tying with Alabama for the most players selected.
While the 2022 NFL draft is almost a year off, Ohio State will certainly send more players to the League. And the 2022 numbers could be rather ridiculous with the draft-eligible talent on this upcoming season's roster.
Just days after the 2021 NFL Draft finished, Yahoo Sports' Derrik Klassen, released his "Way-Too-Early 2022 NFL Mock Draft." In it, Klassen has four current Scarlet and Gray players coming off the board in the draft.
The first of those is wide receiver Chris Olave. Many expected Olave to declare early and be selected in the 2021 NFL Draft, but the receiver wanted to come back to college for another season to get stronger and cement himself as a first-round pick. According to Klassen's early prediction, Olave will do that and be coached by a familiar face in Urban Meyer with the Jacksonville Jaguars with the No. 5 overall pick.
On Olave, Klassen wrote:
Olave sports a pretty average 6-foot-1, 190-pound build, but he is a dangerous wide receiver. Olave’s blend of speed, explosion out of breaks, and route-running savvy make him the kind of WR who can always work himself open, especially when not pressed. Olave also has exceptional hands and a good sense for how to adjust to the ball, making him more of a safety blanket type than his size may suggest, even if he is not the most physical guy around. Surrounding QB Trevor Lawrence with as many talented pass-catchers isn't too bad of a way to go about things.
According to Klassen, Olave will be the only top-10 pick for Ohio State but certainly not the only first-round pick. Twelve picks after the receiver is selected, a player who spent the two years prior to the draft covering him, cornerback Sevyn Banks, comes off the board. Klassen projects Banks to go to the Los Angeles Chargers with the No. 17 pick.
Here is what Klassen wrote about Banks:
The Chargers just took Asante Samuel Jr. in the second-round of 2021, but I’m skeptical that Samuel alone fixes the team’s need at CB. Samuel, Michael Davis, and Chris Harris Jr. could be a fine enough trio, but it would not be surprising if the Chargers believed they still needed a dog on the outside. Banks has impressive feet and good ball skills, which could be enough for him to fix the Chargers’ woes.
The next Buckeye off the board, according to Klassen, is another player who many expected to go in the 2021 NFL Draft. Klassen projected tackle Thayer Munford, who returned for a fifth year in Columbus, going to the Indianapolis Colts with the No. 21 overall pick. Munford is about to enter his fourth year as a starter for Scarlet and Gray, so he would bring plenty of experience to any NFL offensive line, even as a rookie.
Here is what Klassen had to say about Munford:
Many expected the Colts to address left tackle with this year’s draft. Instead, the Colts double-dipped at EDGE, leaving tackle to be an issue for 2022. Munford is heading into his fourth year starting for the Buckeyes. In each of his first three years starting, Munford has only gotten better and better, particularly with respect to his work in the run game. Munford probably could have been a top-50 pick in 2021, but returns to school with hopes to iron out his technique just enough to raise him into the first round here.
The final Ohio State player Klassen has coming off the board in the first round of next year's NFL Draft is defensive end Zach Harrison. The third-year player is already getting a lot of hype around the Woody Hayes Athletic Center and will need a good season to declare early for the draft. Klassen sees Harrison going to the New York Jets with the No. 23 overall pick.
Klassen had this to say on Harrison:
Signing Carl Lawson this offseason was a step in the right direction, but the Jets still need work on the edge. Harrison, though not terribly productive in a short season in 2020 (two sacks), has great size at 6-foot-6, 265-pounds and shows surprising bend for a dude his size. Harrison was also a former top-15 recruit back in 2019. This next season could be huge for Harrison and it would not be a shock to see him actually go higher than this.
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The Buckeye name surprisingly left off of Klassen's list is wide receiver Garrett Wilson. Despite only starting for one season, Wilson proved to be a top receiver for the Scarlet and Gray in 2020 and is expected to have an even bigger role in a full season in 2021.
To see the full first-round projections by Klassen, click here.
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Four Buckeyes projected in Yahoo Sports' 'Way-To-Early 2022 NFL Mock Draft' - 247Sports
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