Together, they became Ohio State’s first pair of top-five picks since 1997, when left tackle Orlando Pace – the last Buckeyes player selected among the top four picks – was drafted No. 1 by St. Louis and cornerback Shawn Springs went third to Seattle.
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Ohio States Darron Lee poses for photos after being selected by the New York Jets as the 20th pick in the first round of the 2016 NFL football draft, Thursday, April 28, 2016, in Chicago. He turned out to be the first non-quarterback taken after Los Angeles picked California’s Jared Goff and Philadelphia took Carson Wentz out of North Dakota State.
After San Diego made Bosa the No.3 pick and Dallas took Ezekiel Elliott at No.4, folks might have figured Ohio State’s contingent was in for a swoon.
Versatile edge-rusher Joey Bosa kicked off the proceedings as the No. 3 overall pick to the San Diego Chargers on Thursday evening. From that squad, 28 players were selected over the next three drafts, with nearly all the starters and key backups being picked.
One player still out there is UCLA linebacker Myles Jack, who when healthy might be the best athlete in this class. We learned once again that John Elway is a pretty good GM. However, of the last six running backs to go in the top five, just one has had a Pro Bowl appearance.
Mark Dantonio has a proven track record of getting guys to the NFL Draft. Bosa finished his three-year Ohio State career with 26 sacks, including a career-best of 13.5 in 2014, a year in which he anchored a defensive unit that led the Buckeyes to the National Championship.
Michigan State’s Connor Cook, Mississippi State’s Dak Prescott, Ohio State’s Jones, Arkansas’ Brandon Allen and Stanford’s Kevin Hogan are possibilities.
“It’s the greatest feeling”, said Apple, who is headed to the Big Apple and the Giants.
The fourth OSU product beckoned by Goodell was offensive tackle Taylor Decker, a first-team All-Big Ten pick in 2015.
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The former low-rated three-star put up career-bests in every category, but his stock still somehow dropped.
