Will Howard's championship run can only improve his draft status. The OSU quarterback will be one of possibly 16 Buckeyes taken in the 2025 NFL draft.
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland. He has covered the Browns since 1984.
Takeaways from Ohio State, NFL draft and the Browns …
The Ohio State Buckeyes removed all doubt that they were the best team in college football. Now the 2024 CFP national champions can write more history.
The record for most players drafted from a college team in a season is 15, set by Georgia in 2022.
According to Dane Brugler, draft analyst for The Athletic, Ohio State has a chance to send 16 players to the 2025 NFL draft.
Brugler projects four OSU players in the first round, two in the second round, two in the third, and another six after that.
Here are Brugler’s projections by round:
First round: Left tackle Josh Simmons, wide receiver Emeka Egbuka, edge rusher JT Tuimoloau, defensive tackle Tyleik Williams, offensive lineman Donovan Jackson.
Second round: Defensive end Jack Sawyer, running back TreVeyon Henderson.
Third round: Running back Quinshon Judkins, defensive tackle Ty Hamilton.
Other rounds: Quarterback Will Howard, center Seth McLaughlin, linebacker Cody Simon, safety Lathan Ransom, cornerback Denzel Burke, cornerback Jordan Hancock.
Also, cornerback Davison Igbinosun and linebacker Sonny Styles are draft-eligible and have yet to declare for the draft. The deadline for doing so is Friday.
The record for most OSU players taken in a draft is 14 in 2004. Ohio State had 13 players drafted in 1971 and 1975 and 12 in 2016.
Stocking up
The Browns currently own nine picks in the 2025 draft. They are:
* Their own in Rounds 1-4 and 6.
* Buffalo’s in Round 3.
* Detroit’s in Round 5.
* Miami’s (via Chicago) and Minnesota’s in Round 6.
They may add more in the back end of the draft.
According to Overthecap, which speculates on the 32 compensatory picks awarded for net losses in free agency in the previous season, the Browns could receive picks after the sixth round for losing quarterback Joe Flacco and defensive tackle Jordan Elliott to free agency in 2024.
The Browns last were awarded compensatory draft picks in 2022 and 2023 when they received perks for steering Andrew Berry assistant Kwesi Adofo-Mensah to the GM job with the Minnesota Vikings. Per the Rooney Rule, the Browns were awarded compensatory picks after the third round in successive drafts.
Brownie bits
* The Browns ranked 31st with only 14 takeaways. Those led to 19 points. The Browns tied with Tennessee for last with 32 giveaways. Those led to 58 points by their opponents. So they were minus-39 points overall on turnovers.
* Kevin Stefanski’s record in five seasons as Browns coach is now 41-46, counting three post-season games. In that time, the Browns have an aggregate scoring differential of minus-221.
* The Pro Football Writers of America is announcing its season awards throughout the week. On Monday, Myles Garrett was named to the All-NFL team for the fifth year in a row. It’s the longest streak among active players. On Wednesday, the PFWA announces its MVP and offensive and defensive players of the year. I would expect Garrett to nab his second consecutive DPOY. If so, it could be a forerunner to him winning the Associated Press DPOY for the second year in a row, also. The AP awards are announced at NFL Honors in Super Bowl week.