Tony Pauline's Ohio State NFL Draft Projections 2025: Insider notes on Emeka Egbuka, TreVeyon Henderson, and more
The Buckeyes have continuously placed players into the early part of the draft, including at least one player being selected in the top half of Round 1 since 2016. That streak may be broken next April, yet there is still a ton of early-round talent on the depth chart.
Ohio State NFL Draft 2025 Preview
After losing to Michigan in their third straight season, the Buckeyes opened their checkbooks. They offered large NIL deals to many seniors in an attempt to have them return to Columbus for another season. For the most part, it worked, especially on the defensive side of the ball.
JT Tuimoloau
Marvin Harrison Jr. notwithstanding, the Buckeyes brought back most of their top-rated NFL prospects, starting with edge rusher JT Tuimoloau. The explosive Tuimoloau was a potential late first-round pick in last April’s draft and returns hoping to improve his game. He’s an athletic defender who can stand over tackle or come out of a three-point stance, and Tuimoloau makes a lot of plays up the field or out in space. I love his game and his upside.
Tyleik Williams
Defensive tackle Tyleik Williams had a terrific campaign in 2023 and watched his draft stock take off. He’s an athletic big man who makes plays with power, hustle, and smarts.
Williams will be knocked as “not a great pass rusher“, but he can get after the quarterback and makes plays in a variety of ways. He too has late first-round possibilities.
Denzel Burke
Denzel Burke is another top prospect who could end up as a late first-round pick if he steps up his game. He’s a talented corner who shuts down opponents and has solid next-level size. Some complain he’s coming off a disappointing campaign, yet I disagree; I believe it’s more a situation where Burke was so good that opponents refused to throw in his direction.
Davison Igbinosun
Junior cornerback Davison Igbinosun is another highly-rated prospect in the scouting community who ranks as a top-45 pick. He has a much better size than Burke, and there are aspects of his game I prefer. But Igbinosun must be quicker in his transition off the line, and he often loses a half-step to opponents and plays catch-up downfield.
Josh Simmons
Josh Simmons has big-time potential, and I believe he will be the next highly-rated left tackle coming out of the OSU program. Simmons blocks with terrific fundamentals, possesses good footwork off the edge, and stands out in pass protection. He is another top-45 prospect.
Emeka Egbuka
Receiver Emeka Egbuka wavered between entering the draft or returning to Columbus, and in the end, he remained a Buckeye. He’s no Harrison, but he’s a solid pass catcher who projects as a legitimate No. 2 on Sundays.
TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins
Ohio State has a pair of running backs who could slide into the late part of Day 2.
TreVeyon Henderson returns after a rebound season last year. He’s a shifty ball carrier with nice size who is also an exceptional pass catcher out of the backfield. I grade Mississippi transfer Quinshon Judkins slightly higher, as he’s bigger and just as fast.
Donovan Jackson
Finally, guard Donovan Jackson returns after a disappointing 2023 campaign. Some thought Jackson could be a first-round pick before the 2023 season (present company excluded). Yet his play was inconsistent and just plain bad at points. He boasts of a good size and has moved well enough on the field to be used in a zone-blocking scheme.
Ohio State NFL Draft 2025 Projections: Tony Pauline's 'Next-Level' Prospects
Early projections for the Buckeyes' 2025 NFL Draft class are as follows: