Projecting NFL Rookie Seasons of Former Ohio State Buckeyes - Part 3

The NFL season officially kicks off tonight in Kansas City as the defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs host the Houston Texans. That means today, we give you our final predictions for how the latest Buckeyes-turned-pros will perform during their first year in the league. We decided to break it down similar to the NFL Draft schedule. Two weeks ago, we reviewed the guys taken in the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh rounds of this year's draft. Last week, we broke down the second and third round picks. Today, a look at the three former Buckeyes who were picked in the first round last April.

Ohio State 2020 Rookie Season Projections: Part III

Round 1

Chase Young, DE, Washington Football Team

Chase Young tracking down Dwayne Haskins at Washington training camp.

Brendan Gulick: Count me among those not surprised when Chase Young was announced a starter on the defensive line ... I know there are other talented guys there, but you don't draft a franchise-changing player at No. 2 overall at an impact position like pass-rusher and not start him. I would also not be the least bit surprised if Young puts up numbers similar to Nick Bosa's rookie season last year out in the Bay Area (although Young's team isn't going to sniff the playoffs, let alone contend for a Super Bowl). I think Young is primed for a massive career in the NFL, and I believe he is one of three Buckeyes on the edge that are among the five best in the entire league. Absolutely can't wait to watch him tear up the NFC East!

Eddie Marotta: It was recently announced that former Buckeye and number-two overall pick Chase Young was named a starter over four-time Pro Bowler Ryan Kerrigan. This announcement was much to the chagrin of opponents league-wide, to say the least. The next-man-up in a string of outstanding Ohio State pass-rushers-turned-pro in the last five years, Young brings an athletic ability and speed off the edge that will have offensive tackles frustrated, no matter which side of the line he is attacking. Pair Young with former first-round pick Montez Sweat, and the Washington Football Team has a formidable edge rush that may stack up to the likes of the Chargers and others for years to come. I’m anticipating a big first year for Young in one of the easier positions to adjust to for a rookie in the big leagues.

Kyle Kelly: The sky's the limit for Chase Young and I expect him to produce fast. Coming out of the draft, Young was no doubt the best non-quarterback prospect and I fully expect him to play like that. Honestly, anything below a double-digit sack season (barring injury) would be a disappointment. I think by the end of this year, we’ll be talking about Young as one of the best pass rushers in the league.

Jeff Okudah, CB, Detroit Lions

Jeff Okudah working at Lions training camp.

BG: There are extremely high expectations for Okudah, considering he was the highest drafted defensive back since 1998. Okudah has a high ceiling and instantly makes the Lions secondary better, and he'll be expected to fill Darius Slay's shoes after he was traded to Philly. Back in April, he was drawing some extremely high praise from the NFL Network.

The Lions certainly think he deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as those other standout corners in the league. I expect Okudah to have a borderline-Pro Bowl caliber season, matching what former Buckeye Denzel Ward did in 2018

EM: Matt Patricia has pulled one from the hat of his mentor, Bill Belichick, and refused to name rookies as starters for any of his recent draft classes. That being said, spending a top-five pick on a corner after losing a guy like Darius Slay in the offseason almost assures that you want to have that guy on the field day one. Blanketing his entire half of the field for the vast majority of last season, Okudah is a threat to shut down any receiver he matches up with, and that likely won’t change in Detroit. He may have his early season struggles in a short offseason with a great group of receivers in the division, including Davante Adams in Green Bay and Adam Thielen in Minnesota, but I think Okudah will make the most of his opportunities and impress from the get-go. 

That’s been the trend for nearly all of the Ohio State DB's in the NFL over the past decade or so, and it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that Okudah has the potential to be the best out of a very impressive group.

KK: Throughout training camp, Okudah has plenty of ups and downs which should be expected for a rookie cornerback. However, for the Lions sake, they need Okudah to become a play-maker fast. Detroit drafted Okudah with the No. 3 pick to make him the star of the defense and on that side of the ball ... and they definitely need one. Expect some struggles early on, but at the end of the season, I think we will see a night-and-day difference in Okudah’s performance.

Damon Arnette, CB, Las Vegas Raiders

Arnette breaks up a pass in the 2019 College Football Playoff Semifinal against Clemson

BG: Arnette was the Raiders second first round pick last April, but as a first round pick for a franchise that is entering a new era, all eyes will be on the 24-year-old rookie to lock down his opponent's best wide receiver. It was a bit of a surprise that he was taken at No. 19 overall, but he's certainly NFL-ready. 

Arnette is sneaky fast - he plays much faster than his 40-time (4.56) because he anticipates and closes down so well. This will be his biggest test though - he was never even the No. 1 or No. 2 corner for the Buckeyes because the defensive backfield in Columbus has been so loaded. 

"If you love a redemption story, you respect Damon Arnette a lot, someone that had a lot of doubters his first four years at Ohio State," former teammate Jeff Okudah said at the combine in February. "A lot of guys like to cower, blame a lot of people, but he just put his head down and kept working. Through a broken wrist, he put his head down and kept working. I think he's really trying to reap the benefits of resiliency."

Arnette played the entire 2019 season with a broken wrist - nobody is questioning his toughness. He needed a screw put in his hand last October and still played at a high level - especially in man-coverage.

I expect him to have a solid season if he can stay on the field. He's been limited with a thumb and groin injury this week leading up to their opener against Carolina.

EM: Arnette struggled late in camp with a wrist/hand injury, but the guy that played with a club on his hand at OSU isn’t expected to miss any time at all. Shaking off the injury and pushing forward, Arnette impressed so much that head coach Jon Gruden has already named him a day one starter for the new-look Las Vegas Raiders. 

Similar to Okudah, I anticipate that Arnette will struggle early in the year before finding his stride. Unfortunately for him, the Raiders don’t have many notable impact players surrounding him in the secondary and play in a division with a Super Bowl favorite in the Chiefs, a Broncos team with a rising star in Courtland Sutton and one of the top rookie receivers in Jerry Jeudy, and another deep wideout corps in the Chargers. A tough division for any defense to play in, Arnette will be tested early and often.

KK: How about Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock! These guys aren’t afraid to take a chance on someone if they know he can be a ball-player. Arnette was hands down the biggest surprise pick of the first round this year. It will be trial by fire for Arnette as the divisional opponents each have stud wide receiver duos. Development will be key for Arnette in a division that has the best quarterback in the NFL for the next decade. 

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