3 Ohio State Defenders Who Rapidly Raised Their NFL Draft Stock

The Ohio State Buckeyes are national champions, and it's thanks much in part to the dominant effort of their defense.

Ohio State posted the No. 1-ranked defense in the country this season, boasting NFL-ready talent at every level.

The Buckeyes will see a whole bunch of their players get drafted in April, and many of them will be on the defensive side of the ball.

Ohio State's prospects had a phenomenal opportunity to showcase their talents throughout the College Football Playoff, and some of them took full advantage of the attention.

Here are three Buckeyes defenders who rapidly increased their NFL Draft stock over the last several weeks.

Jack Sawyer, DE

Jack Sawyer was viewed as a borderline first-round pick heading into the CFP. Now, it's hard to imagine him falling past Day 1.

Sawyer was absolutely dominant throughout the playoffs, racking up 13 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, four passes defended, and a forced fumble that he then recovered and took back for a game-clinching touchdown in the Cotton Bowl against Texas.

For reference, the 22-year-old had logged just 2.5 sacks through the first eight games of the season and was beginning to look like a disappointment.

He certainly flipped a switch down the stretch and how established himself as a very obvious first-round talent.

Cody Simon, LB

Cody Simon was everywhere throughout Ohio State's national championship run.

The Jersey City, N.J. native rattled off 38 tackles, four tackles for loss and a couple of sacks in the Buckeyes' four playoff games.

Simon's standout performance came against Oregon in the Rose Bowl, when he registered 11 stops, three tackles for loss and two sacks.

And even when he wasn't getting on the stat sheet, Simon was still in on countless plays. He was ubiquitous during the entire CFP.

Simon finished with 112 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss and seven sacks on the year. He was generally regarded as a mid-round pick in the early stages of 2024, but he may end up getting drafted on Day 2 after everything he just achieved.

Lathan Ransom, S

Ohio State's secondary was highlighted by safety Caleb Downs and cornerback Denzel Burke going into the campaign, but Lathan Ransom emerged from the shadows.

While both Downs and Burke actually had underwhelming seasons given the expectations (especially Burke), Ransom stamped his name among the most underrated defensive backs in college football.

The 6-foot-1, 210-pound safety was terrific in coverage on the Buckeyes' road to a national title and also displayed incredible tackling skills.

He completed the year with 76 tackles as a whole and may have worked his way up to a Day 2 pick thanks to his outstanding motor and hard-nosed style of play.

Safeties have definitely been marginalized on the professional level, but there is no doubt that Ransom would be a welcomed addition to any NFL squad.