Polarizing Ohio State Star's NFL Draft Stock Oddly Surging

One polarizing Ohio State Buckeyes star is seeing their NFL Draft stock oddly surge.

Jan 10, 2025; Arlington, TX, USA; A view of an Ohio State Buckeyes helmet and confetti after the Buckeyes defeat the Texas Longhorns at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Ohio State Buckeyes certainly enjoyed a spectacular season in 2024, winning their first national championship in a decade. But while most Ohio State players displayed vast improvement, this past year, there was one player in particular who was a massive disappointment.

That player was cornerback Denzel Burke.

Burke entered the season widely viewed as one of the best cornerbacks in the country and was even considered a first-round talent in the NFL Draft, but his performance slipped throughout the campaign to the point where some felt he would fall out of the second round.

Heck, it had even gotten to the point recently where most had Burke pegged as a Day 3 pick, going somewhere between the fourth and fifth rounds.

However, with the NFL Draft now less than a week away, Burke is beginning to gain some odd momentum in mock drafts, and most recently, Pro Football Network predicted the Buckeyes product to go 47th overall to the Arizona Cardinals.

"The Cardinals were the best defense in the league in 2023 in terms of limiting yards after the catch, but they were nothing more than average a year ago (17th), fueling the need for a player like Denzel Burke, who was a four-year starter and has the ability to be used across a variety of defensive formations," PFN wrote.

There is no doubt that Burke has talent, and perhaps a decline in confidence was what caused his underwhelming 2024 campaign.

That being said, it would actually be fairly surprising to see him fly off the board in the second round a this point, but maybe a team in desperate need of secondary help will try to nab him that early.

Read More Ohio State Buckeyes Coverage

MORE: Former Ohio State QB Gets Candid on Split from Buckeyes

MORE: Ohio State, Ryan Day Looking to Steal Defender from Bill Belichick

MORE: Ohio State Legend Slammed With Scathing Take After Landing Big NFL Contract

MORE: Urban Meyer Issues Bold Take About Tennessee, Nico Iamaleava Situation

MORE: Ohio State Star Earns NFL Comparison That Will Make Your Head Spin