Skip to main content

Seven Former Ohio State Buckeyes Ranked Among NFL’s Top 100 Players

The Buckeyes placed the second-most players of any school on CBS Sports' list.

Ohio State continues to churn out NFL-ready players year after year, so it should come as no surprise that CBS Sports' Pete Prisco put seven former Buckeyes in his list of the top 100 players in the league heading into the 2021 season.

The only program with more players on the list is LSU with nine, including quarterback Joe Burrow, who began his career in Columbus before transferring to the Baton Rouge.

Here’s what Prisco had to say about each of the former Ohio State players on his list:

  • No. 17 - DE Nick Bosa, San Francisco 49ers

“He missed 14 games last season after tearing his ACL in Week 2 against the Jets. He should be full-go this season, which means he will be back to wreaking havoc on quarterbacks.”

  • No. 25 - DE Joey Bosa, Los Angeles Chargers

“Injuries limited him to 10 starts last season, which is why his sack number dropped from 11.5 to 7.5. But he still remains a handful off the edge for any offensive tackle.

  • No. 40 - DE Chase Young, Washington Football Team

“He had 7.5 sacks as a rookie, but really came on late in the season. Look for his sack numbers to go way up in 2021 and for him to be much higher on this list next year.”

  • No. 55 - WR Michael Thomas, New Orleans Saints

“His 2020 season was a disappointment in a lot of ways. He was hurt for much of the year, suspended by the team for a game for a practice-field altercation, and had career lows in catches, touchdowns and yardage. He played just 10 regular-season games and was clearly not the same player he was the two prior seasons.

  • No. 57 - RB Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys

“Elliott is coming off a disappointing 2020 season that saw him rush for career lows in yards (979) and average (4.0). The line was banged up in front of him, but this is a big prove-it year for Elliott coming up in 2021.”

  • No. 65 - DE Cameron Heyward, Pittsburgh Steelers

“His sack numbers fell from nine to four last season, but he still had 19 quarterback hits. He is also a good run player, which is key in their scheme.”

  • No. 68 - C Corey Linsley, Los Angeles Chargers

“He was an important part of the Green Bay offense the past few seasons playing in front of Aaron Rodgers. Now he will fill the same role for Justin Herbert, which is an important thing for a young quarterback.”

Other former Buckeyes who just missed the top 100 include Washington wide receiver Terry McLaurin and New Orleans cornerback Marshon Lattimore.

-----

You may also like:

Ohio State Coach Ryan Day Not Dropping Hints About Quarterback Battle

Jim Tressel Hopes To Live Long Enough To See OSU Lead Michigan Series

Christen Miller Considers Larry Johnson The Lamborghini Of DL Coaches

Ohio State OT Target Tyler Booker Discusses Upcoming Official Visits

Ohio State Offers Five Prospects During First One-Day Camp Of Summer

Mike Doss, James Laurinaitis Named To 2022 College Football Hall Of Fame Ballot

Former Ohio State WR C.J. Saunders Signs With Carolina Panthers

Ohio State Sits Atop SI All-American's 2022 Class Rankings

Ohio State Aiming For Full Capacity As Season Tickets Go On Sale

Wave Of Visitors Descend Upon Columbus As Dead Period Ends

Ohio State Target Braylon James 'One Of The Best Receivers In His Class'

2022 Virginia OT Zach Rice Sets Official Visit To Ohio State

-----

Be sure to stay locked into BuckeyesNow all the time!

Join the BuckeyesNow community!
Subscribe to the BuckeyesNow YouTube channel
Follow Andrew on Twitter: @AndrewMLind
Follow BuckeyesNow on Twitter: @BuckeyesNowSI
Like and follow BuckeyesNow on Facebook