The Buckeyes placed the second-most players of any school on CBS Sports' list.
Ohio State continues to churn out NFL-ready players year after year, so it should come as no surprise that CBS Sports' Pete Prisco put seven former Buckeyes in his list of the top 100 players in the league heading into the 2021 season.
The only program with more players on the list is LSU with nine, including quarterback Joe Burrow, who began his career in Columbus before transferring to the Baton Rouge.
Here’s what Prisco had to say about each of the former Ohio State players on his list:
- No. 17 - DE Nick Bosa, San Francisco 49ers
“He missed 14 games last season after tearing his ACL in Week 2 against the Jets. He should be full-go this season, which means he will be back to wreaking havoc on quarterbacks.”
- No. 25 - DE Joey Bosa, Los Angeles Chargers
“Injuries limited him to 10 starts last season, which is why his sack number dropped from 11.5 to 7.5. But he still remains a handful off the edge for any offensive tackle.
- No. 40 - DE Chase Young, Washington Football Team
“He had 7.5 sacks as a rookie, but really came on late in the season. Look for his sack numbers to go way up in 2021 and for him to be much higher on this list next year.”
- No. 55 - WR Michael Thomas, New Orleans Saints
“His 2020 season was a disappointment in a lot of ways. He was hurt for much of the year, suspended by the team for a game for a practice-field altercation, and had career lows in catches, touchdowns and yardage. He played just 10 regular-season games and was clearly not the same player he was the two prior seasons.
- No. 57 - RB Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys
“Elliott is coming off a disappointing 2020 season that saw him rush for career lows in yards (979) and average (4.0). The line was banged up in front of him, but this is a big prove-it year for Elliott coming up in 2021.”
- No. 65 - DE Cameron Heyward, Pittsburgh Steelers
“His sack numbers fell from nine to four last season, but he still had 19 quarterback hits. He is also a good run player, which is key in their scheme.”
- No. 68 - C Corey Linsley, Los Angeles Chargers
“He was an important part of the Green Bay offense the past few seasons playing in front of Aaron Rodgers. Now he will fill the same role for Justin Herbert, which is an important thing for a young quarterback.”
Other former Buckeyes who just missed the top 100 include Washington wide receiver Terry McLaurin and New Orleans cornerback Marshon Lattimore.
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