Former Ohio State Cornerback Shaun Wade Selected By The Baltimore Ravens With No. 160 Overall Pick In 2021 NFL Draft

Wade becomes the 10th Ohio State cornerback to hear his name called in the last eight drafts.

Author:
Andrew Lind
May 1, 2021 2:39 PM EDT

Former Ohio State cornerback Shaun Wade was selected by the Baltimore Ravens with the No. 160 overall pick in the fifth round of Saturday's NFL Draft.

A former five-star prospect from Jacksonville Trinity Christian Academy, Wade finished his college career with 91 tackles, 18 pass break ups, six interceptions, five tackles for loss, three forced fumbles and two sacks in 35 games. He has experience throughout the secondary, as he started in the slot during his redshirt sophomore season before moving outside last fall.

Wade, who was voted a team captain last fall, struggled with the move at times, as well as with a lingering turf toe injury. He still managed to record 35 tackles, four pass break ups and two interceptions, including one that he returned for a touchdown in a seven-point win over Indiana, and was named a consensus All-American and the Buckeyes’ first-ever Big Ten defensive back of the year as a result.

Wade was projected to be a first-round pick going into the season and his up-and-down play on the outside caused his stock to drop. But he bounced back by putting up impressive numbers during his pro day in mid-April, when he reportedly ran a 4.43-second 40-yard dash and posted a 37.5-inch vertical jump and a 10-foot-3 broad jump, the latter of which raised nearly $1,700 for single-parent and underprivileged families through his PledgeIt drive for Warrick Dunn Charities.

Wade becomes the 10th Ohio State cornerback to hear his name called in the last eight drafts, joining Bradley Roby in 2014; Doran Grant in 2015; Eli Apple in 2016; Marshon Lattimore and Gareon Conley in 2017; Denzel Ward in 2018; Kendall Sheffield in 2019; and Jeff Okudah and Damon Arnette in 2020.

He’s also the ninth former Buckeye to be selected in this year’s draft, joining new Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields, New Orleans Saints linebacker Pete Werner, Green Bay Packers center Josh Myers, Minnesota Vikings offensive guard Wyatt Davis, San Francisco 49ers running back Trey Sermon, Denver Broncos linebacker Baron Browning, Cleveland Browns defensive tackle Tommy Togiai and Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Luke Farrell.