Sensible landing spots for Ohio State’s possible first round draft picks

Even though the NFL Draft is still a little under three months away, there are plenty of mock drafts out there. Featuring prominently in those mock drafts are Ohio State Buckeyes.

The majority of first round projections currently feature five Ohio State players selected on the first night of the draft, with three of them being selected in the top-10.

A lot of these mock drafts are going to change many times between now and late April when the draft is held in Pittsburgh. The current NFL season hasn’t even ended yet, then we will see plenty of roster changes during free agency, which could change how teams approach this year’s draft.

Despite there being plenty of moving parts over the next few months, today I’m going to give my thoughts on where the most reasonable fits are for this year’s crop of projected first round picks from Ohio State.

I used reasonable because I’m trying to use common sense when it comes to the landing spots. While I’d love for my Buffalo Bills to draft Carnell Tate, I know Tate isn’t going to fall into their lap in the mid-20s.

Arvell Reese – New York Jets

I’ll be honest, seeing the Jets take a freak defensive player from Ohio State has me nervous after seeing what happened to Vernon Gholston years ago.

Then again not all Buckeyes taken in the first round by the Jets have been a failure, as Garrett Wilson has been great on the field when healthy despite playing with an eclectic collection of quarterbacks.

Despite the trepidation, Reese would be a dominant force in the Jets defense. We saw Reese’s freakish athleticism during his time at Ohio State, and defensive-minded head coach Aaron Glenn should be able to help Reese reach the next level in his evolution as a player.

One thing is for certain, Reese will get plenty time on the field as a rookie since the Jets don’t have much to work with on the defensive side of the football. Just go look at the depth chart for New York’s defense at the end of the season and it’s a struggle to even find a familiar name. There’s a reason why the Jets achieved the dubious feat of not intercepting a pass during the season.

While Reese doesn’t fix all of New York’s issues on defense, he is definitely a player Glenn and the Jets can build around for the future.

Carnell Tate – Tennessee Titans

The majority of the mock drafts have the Ohio State receiver heading to either Tennessee or the New York Giants. I think the Titans would be a better fit for Carnell Tate. In Nashville, Tate would be the unquestioned number one target for Cam Ward, who will be entering his second season as an NFL quarterback.

If Tate happened to be drafted by the Giants then he would have to share the spotlight with Malik Nabers, who will have a lot to prove after suffering a season-ending injury in 2025.

Ward showed improvement in the second half of his rookie season despite not having a true game-changer at receiver. If the Titans are smart enough to draft Tate they would give Ward the best receiver in this year’s draft class.

Add in the addition of former NFL head coach Brian Daboll as offensive coordinator in Tennessee and if the Titans do draft Tate then they could be a popular sleeper pick to contend for a playoff spot next season.

Caleb Downs – Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals have all they need on offense. The problem in Cincinnati is their defense has been one of the worst in the NFL over the last few seasons. How many games did the Bengals lose when they scored 30 points? If Cincinnati doesn’t upgrade their defense then they are going to end up wasting the prime years of Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins.

One player who could step in immediately and make an impact is safety Caleb Downs. Just look at what Downs did in three years in college, where each season he was in the conversation as one of the best defensive players in the country. Downs has the athleticism and intelligence to be the quarterback of a defense.

Plus, the Bengals drafting a Buckeye would be a huge PR hit. Imagine how much Downs gear Cincinnati would sell after announcing they are taking not only the best defensive player in the draft, but someone who played two years of college football a couple hours up I-71.

Sonny Styles – Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys are a lot like the Bengals. A lot of offense and no defense. Dallas traded away Micah Parsons before the season and they never were able to recover from missing out on one of the best defensive players in football.

While Sonny Styles isn’t going to have quite the same impact as Parsons, the linebacker can make plays at multiple levels.

After starting his career at safety, Styles moved to linebacker before his junior season. It was obvious that working closely with James Laurinaitis for two seasons had a huge impact, as Styles is projected to be selected in the top half of the first round of this year’s draft.

Styles has the speed and experience at safety to be an asset in pass protection, along with the pursuing skills to make a difference when opponents try to run the football.

If Styles can be successful in Dallas he could become a beloved figure. Even though we make fun of the Cowboys, they are still thought of as “America’s Team”. What a football career it would be for Styles if he could go from being a starter on Ohio State’s defense to being a central figure on the most popular NFL team.

Kayden McDonald – Chicago Bears

Trying to predict where Kayden McDonald goes is a little trickier. Teams are more likely to trade up in the second half of the first round to get a player they have targeted. I think a perfect landing spot for the Ohio State defensive tackle is with the Chicago Bears, who have to address some of their defensive issues.

McDonald can instantly step in and clog the middle, which is necessary in the NFC North where the Bears have to line up against the likes of Jahmyr Gibbs and Josh Jacobs twice a year.

Plus, McDonald in Chicago makes sense for PR reasons. He already played his football in Big Ten country, in a city where there are a ton of Ohio State alums. With how quickly McDonald became a fan favorite in Columbus, it shouldn’t take him too much time to earn the love of the Bears fans, especially if he can be at the center of a defense that helps bring Chicago their first Super Bowl in decades.

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