The Ohio State Buckeyes came out of the Combine as the biggest winners, as several guys improved their Draft stock.
The draft-eligible Ohio State Buckeyes came into the NFL Combine and absolutely took care of business.
Every single one of them left a positive impression on draft scouts at the combine, and the post-Combine mock drafts are going to reflect that.
Going into Indianapolis, the perception around the Buckeyes was already very high. Somehow, the Buckeyes put on enough of a show to improve it. Looking at the first round prior to the Combine, there were definitely four and maybe five first-round talents, with the big four going in the top-15.
Now, you can absolutely lock in the first five-round Buckeyes and the big four? Yeah, those guys are all going in the top-10.
That's fine if you don't agree, but what Sonny Styles did on Friday night was nothing short of incredible, and it improved his stock significantly, and truthfully, improved the rest of the guys.
Styles was so good that Arvell Reese's 4.46 40-yard dash has been forgotten about by many fans. Reese did exactly what he needed to do to confirm his spot at the top of the draft. After the Jets traded away their pass rusher, Jermaine Johnson II, for T'Vondrae Sweat, that pretty much locked them in for taking a pass rusher, and the best one on the board comes from Columbus.
Arguably, the best player out of the bunch is safety Caleb Downs, who did not test in Indianapolis but went through all of the interviews and came out of the Combine neutral. He didn't do anything to greatly improve his stock; he didn't do anything to hurt it, either.
Carnell Tate sparked a ton of conversation as his 4.53 40-yard time turned a lot of heads in the wrong direction. Now, Tate has never been a burner and has never come across as that guy; 4.53 was a large enough number to catch some attention.
After the initial shock wave, people relaxed and realized that his game is not built on speed; it's built on precision, and he has plenty of that. Tate drew comparisons to Dallas Cowboys' CeeDee Lamb, and the resemblance is spot on.
The fifth and final first-rounder is defensive tackle Kayden McDonald. McDonald didn't do anything to improve his stock as he opted out of all on-field tests. He competed in the drills but registered no times.
Ultimately, we are looking at an unprecedented draft night for the Buckeyes. They are looking at four players being drafted in the top-10 picks. If you want to turn your franchise around, draft Buckeyes.
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