It is no secret how Ohio State has become an NFL factory, especially at linebacker and wide receiver. 2025 was another massive flex for the Buckeyes. By the time the season kicked off, there were over 70 former OSU players on pro rosters, and for week 1, there were 57 players active. Mind you, they are only second to obviously Alabama Crimson Tide’s ‘Nick Saban tax’.

With Saban off to sunset, it’s only a matter of time before the Buckeyes take over the reigning CFB to NFL pipeline. However, to put that in perspective, almost every single game you flipped on during a Sunday afternoon probably had at least one or two guys from Columbus making a big play. With the season already in the books, let’s run down and see how former Buckeyes performed this season in the NFL.

AFC East

Buffalo Bills

Joey Bosa (8.5/10):

Joey Bosa’s 2025 was a resurgent ‘prove it’ campaign. The Bills got a steal with him on a one-year contract. His clutch playmaking defined Joey Bosa’s resurgent campaign, as evidenced by his league-leading 5 forced fumbles. His ability to close out games, backed by a strong 79.3 PFF grade, proved he was a steal for the Bills on a one-year deal.

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Jordan Hancock (7/10):

Jordan Hancock stepped into his rookie season and did exactly what was asked of him. He was hell-bent and efficient on the field. He recorded 22 tackles and played a significant role on special teams. As a fifth-round steal, Jordan Hancock’s stock is trending upward after an efficient rookie season where he played a significant role on special teams.

Curtis Samuel (4/10)

Folks had high expectations for Curtis Samuel when he decided to make the move to catch passes from Josh Allen. However, the football gods had other plans. The former Buckeye WR had a bit of a frustrating season because an elbow injury kept him sidelined for a lot of the year. Even though he was limited to just 6 regular-season games, he still managed to snap up 7 catches for 81 yards and a touchdown.

New York Jets

Garrett Wilson (8/10)

After his third straight season of elite production, this guy is officially the engine of the Jets’ offense. He hauled in 36 catches for 395 yards and 4 touchdowns in just the first seven games before a nagging injury slowed his record-breaking pace. Since he entered the league, he has remained one of the hardest receivers in the league to guard one-on-one.

Justin Fields (7/10)

It was a bit of a rollercoaster, but Justin Fields really started to look like “the guy” in New York this season. He put up 1,259 passing yards and added another 383 yards on the ground, accounting for 11 total touchdowns in only 9 games.

Jeremy Ruckert (6.5/10)

If you love the “dirty work” players, Jeremy Ruckert is your guy because he finally carved out a fundamental role this year. He played in all 17 games, caught his very first NFL touchdown, and finished his year with 179 yards on 23 catches. The most impressive thing about him was his hands. The man caught almost 80% of his targets. It’s only fair to see his reps increase.

New England Patriots

TreVeyon Henderson (8/10)

Who would’ve thought that the Patriots would make the Super Bowl and TreVeyon would be the hero of their Super Bowl run? He racked up 911 yards and 9 touchdowns in Year 1. The former Buckeye has the fourth-best yards per carry at 5.1 in the league. Don’t act surprised if he goes on to make 1,500 yards next season.

Note: No former Buckeyes on the Miami roster this year.

AFC West

Denver Broncos

Jonathon Cooper (8/10)

You gotta give it to Jonathon Cooper. The linebacker has officially graduated from being a so-called “hidden gem” to a straight-up problem for quarterbacks in the AFC West in just one year. He spent his 2025 season living in the backfield for the Denver Broncos, racking up 8 sacks and tons of pressure. Broncos folks are expecting double-digit sacks from the Ohio man next season.

J.K. Dobbins (7.5/10)

Before a tough injury cut his comeback story short, J.K. Dobbins was looking like his old explosive self. He was averaging a massive 5 yards per carry and had already racked up over 770 yards in just about ten games. Needless to say, injury robbed him of a potential 1,300-yard season.

Kansas City Chiefs

Josh Simmons (7/10)

The NFL has always been cruel to rookie offensive tackles, let alone a left tackle. Josh Simmons got thrown into the deep end protecting Patrick Mahomes behind their arguably worst line in years. Truth be told, he held his own, allowing just 1 sack. He was a rare bright spot on a struggling offensive line, providing crucial protection for Patrick Mahomes.

Las Vegas Raiders

Tommy Eichenberg (6/10)

The rookie spent the year with the Las Vegas Raiders doing all the “dirty work” that doesn’t always show up in the box score. He did his blue-collar work on special teams, expecting to earn a bigger payday role next season.

Thayer Munford (7.5/10)

The 6’6 lineman was a key preseason acquisition for the Patriots in the pre-season from the Raiders. For what it’s worth, he did his job pretty well whenever he got the rep: that is, not letting anyone near Drake Maye while playing multiple positions. He allowed just zero or one sack in about 100 snaps. It didn’t take long for him to become Mike Vrabel’s favorite because of his blocker persona in the playoffs.

Chargers: No Buckeyes on the Los Angeles Chargers’ active 53-man roster this year.

AFC North

Cleveland Browns

Denzel Ward (9/10)

For the seventh year in a row, Denzel Ward remained the gold standard for lockdown corners. Only a few players in this league can match the Cleveland Browns’ DB talent, let alone go against them. He grabbed his fifth Pro Bowl nod. Even with a late-season neck injury that sidelined him for a bit, he allowed some of the lowest yardage in the division (400-ish yards).

Ronnie Hickman (8.5/10)

Ronnie Hickman’s 2025 season placed him at the top of any breakout player list. He went from being barely good enough to just stay on the depth chart to a certified free safety for the Browns. In the 2025 season itself, he started all his 17 games and led the secondary in PFF with 103 tackles and a couple of picks, 2 to be exact. It’s pretty reasonable to believe he will remain a highly valuable asset for the foreseeable future.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Cam Heyward (9.5/10)

Even at 36, Heyward is still bullying linemen nearly half his age. He finished the season as the #1-ranked interior defender (90.4 PFF) in the entire NFL. On top of that, he earned All-Pro honors. The old-man strength myth is paying dividends this late in his career. Not to mention, he’s one of the last remaining OG Steelers in that locker room. By the looks of his current form, he’s got at least 2 more years of gas in the tank to play his position.

Jack Sawyer (7/10)

Ohio State’s favorite son, Jack Sawyer, landed in the best place any linebacker could ever pray for. The locker room is right next to the legendary T.J. Watt. He’s already got about 3.5 sacks and a clutch forced fumble while appearing in almost every game. He’s got everything the city of Pittsburgh loves in a player. A breakthrough is coming for the national champion next season.

Baltimore Ravens: No active Buckeyes on the roster.

Cincinnati Bengals: No Buckeyes on their 53-man roster (Seth McLaughlin on practice squad)

AFC south

Houston Texans

C.J. Stroud (7.5/10)

Stroud’s a very unique case. As great as C.J. Stroud was in the regular season, he absolutely sold it when the lights were brightest in the playoffs by throwing a career-high 4 picks against the Pats in just the first half. He became the first player ever with 5+ picks and 5+ fumbles in a single postseason. If we go solely based on what he did in the regular season, he’s getting 8.6/10.

Tommy Togiai (7.5/10)

Togiai was the biggest “where did that come from?” story for the Texans this year. He worked his way up to being a wall in the middle of the defense and recorded a career-high 59 tackles and 1.5 sacks. He’s got pretty good upside here.

Cade Stover (5/10)

After reuniting with Stroud, he caught 12 passes for 76 yards. Not impressive by any standard. Giving him the benefit of the doubt, it’s a bit too soon to discredit or sell his stock. If any conclusion is to be made, he’s a long-term project for the Texans’ offense. So far, the only positive news is that the chemistry with his QB is already there.

Indianapolis Colts

Tyquan Lewis (6.5/10)

Tyquan Lewis had a frustrating, ‘what if’ kind of year in Indy. His groin and ankle injuries kept him from ever hitting 100%. Despite all of that, he still somehow racked up around 11 tackles and 3.0 sacks for the Colts in limited action. Sad to admit that the ‘best ability is availability’ rule definitely robbed him of a good season.

J.T. Tuimoloau (5.5/10)

The jump to the pros was a bit of a reality check after his monster final year in Columbus. The Buckeye hero had zero sacks for just about 13 games. It hurts to say he didn’t play like a second-round draft pick. Then again, he’s just a rookie, so better cut him some slack. After his legendary 2024 natty run, everybody knows what he’s capable of if he’s given enough time.

Jacksonville Jaguars

DaVon Hamilton (6.5/10)

While his stats won’t jump off the page, DaVon Hamilton made his presence felt, particularly with a game-sealing batted pass against the Raiders. He played all 17 games. While his 38 tackles and 1.0 sack won’t blow up the stat sheet, his game-sealing batted pass against the Raiders showed everybody exactly why stats don’t mean squat for the defensive tackle.

Tennessee Titans

Dre’Mont Jones (7.5/10)

“Sneaky” is the perfect word to describe Dre’Mont Jones’ season. He started the year with the Tennessee Titans and was a complete ghost for their first five weeks, but then he caught fire with a monster stretch of 4.5 sacks, and he was traded to the Baltimore Ravens. He might have finished with a career-high 51 quarterback pressures, but his production fell once he found himself with the Ravens.

NFC East

Washington Commanders

Terry McLaurin (7/10)

The only reason Terry McLaurin didn’t have 1,000+ yards in his 2025 campaign is because of an injury setback. He appeared in only 10 games yet still led the team with 38 catches for 582 yards and 3 touchdowns. Even in an injury-shortened season, he averaged over 15 yards per catch. No wonder everybody’s calling him Scary Terry. It’s only getting better next season for him.

Marshawn Lattimore (7/10)

Lattimore’s 2025 season was a roller coaster that ended on a low note. He was playing decent ball for Washington until he tore his ACL in Week 9, which sidelined him for the rest of the year. Because of that injury and his high price tag, the Commanders cut him in February 2026.

Noah Brown (5.5/10)

Brown never found the breakthrough he deserved. For the Commanders, he was the injury bug. When the starting lineup got hit or banged up, he came in to be there on the field. He played in 17 games and was targeted only 10 times. Off that, he only caught 5 for 83 yards.

Dallas Cowboys

Malik Hooker (6.5/10)

It’s been a bit of a letdown for Hooker. And even when he was healthy, he didn’t quite have that “ball-hawk” spark we’re used to seeing. He finished the year with 52 tackles and zero picks. Anybody could tell that he was playing through pain. The word is that they cut him to gain some flexibility in the salary cap.

Philadelphia Eagles: No Buckeyes in Philly.

New York Giants: No active Buckeyes on the Big Apple’s roster.

NFC North

Detroit Lions

Taylor Decker (9/10)

Taylor Decker is still the heartbeat of the Detroit Lions’ offensive line, and he finally got his flowers this year with his first Pro Bowl nod despite playing with gruesome shoulder pain. He only gave up just 2 sacks in his 14 games as left tackle.

Tyleik Williams (8/10)

As a first-round rookie in 2025, Tyleik didn’t waste any time showing why the Lions grabbed him. He played in all 17 games and eventually worked his way up into the starting role. He finished his season with 18 tackles and registered his first-ever pro-sack. That should do for now.

Chicago Bears

Jonah Jones (8.5/10)

It’s not even absurd to say Jonah Jones is easily one of the most reliable Buckeyes in the pros right now. This past season, he played over 1100 snaps (third amongst guards). He was a beast in the run game, ranking as a top-15 blocker at his position. End of the day, he’s one of the reasons the Bears had a big year in their RB department.

Minnesota Vikings

Donovan Jackson (7.5/10)

Drafted in the first round to fix the Vikings’ O-line, Jackson started 14 games and made it pretty clear that he has a place in this league. Even with a mid-season wrist injury, he only allowed 2 sacks in almost 650 snaps.

Jeff Okudah (5.5/10)

Almost every Buckeyes fan believed Jeff Okudah would go on to the league and become the greatest CB in NFL history. It’s been nearly 7 years, and his body still can’t seem to find a break. He was limited to just 6 games because of a concussion and some nagging leg issues. It’s a sad outing for the former Buckeye legend.

Green Bay Packers: No active Buckeyes eating cheese at Lambeau Field.

NFC South

New Orleans Saints

Chris Olave (9.0/10)

After bouncing back from his rough 2024, Chris Olave played like a man possessed and finally hit his career highs with 100 catches for 1,163 yards and 9 touchdowns. His consistency week in and week out had him earn his first AP All-Pro nod and a spot in the top 100 players in the league. Undoubtedly, one of the best Buckeyes wideouts to watch.

Chase Young (9.0/10)

After 4 years of trials and tribulations, he is finally looking like the ‘Predator’ that he was meant to be on Day 1 of his 2020 draft on Day 1 of his 2020 draft. Despite missing the first five games of the season with a calf injury, he went on an absolute tear to finish with 10.0 sacks, a fumble, and a touchdown. His best career year. Hopefully, this success pays dividends for the rest of his career.

Pete Werner (8.0/10)

Reliability is the name of the game for Pete Werner. He was a great team player, often lining up next to Demario Davis. He started almost every game, contributing around 81 tackles and 2 sacks. His reliable presence truly made a difference on the field. Don’t let his 2.0 sacks fool you. The coaches would kill for a guy like him who can consistently make plays in the middle every week.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Emeka Egbuka (8.5/10)

There’s no such thing as pressure for Egbuka. He’s part of the reason why the Buckeyes are still WRU over LSU. Emeka Egbuka looked like a 10-year vet and an enhanced clone of Mike Evans. He hauled in 63 catches for 938 yards and 6 touchdowns, even finishing fifth in the Offensive Rookie of the Year voting. Can’t wait to see him bag a $30 million-a-year contract down the line.

Carolina Panthers

Latham Ransom (8.0/10)

Over in Charlotte, Latham Ransom made a serious name for himself as a fourth-round steal for the Carolina Panthers. He finished his rookie year with 51 tackles and a massive game-sealing pick against Baker Mayfield that helped the Panthers stay in the hunt for the division for a minute. He plays like he’s from the ’80s DB. Very old-school. Great debut season.

Atlanta Falcons

Zach Harrison (6.5/10)

Dealing with some tough injury luck, Zach Harrison was limited to just about 7 games. Not going to lie, he was productive as hell out there in his best days. He managed 4.5 sacks and 2 forced fumbles in limited snaps. The problem here is, can he stay healthy in the long run?

Liam McCullough (7.5/10)

Holding down the most unglamorous job in football, Liam McCullough was once again perfect as the Atlanta Falcons’ long snapper. He appeared in all 17 games, didn’t miss a beat. At the end of the day, he does his job so well that you never have to say his name. That’s precisely what you want from a specialist.

NFC West

Seattle Seahawks

Jaxon Smith-Njigba (10/10)

One can argue that no player in the NFL was better than JSN this season. The year 3 WR officially took over the league by finishing as the NFL’s receiving yards leader with 1793 yards. He’s the reason the Seahawks have their first Super Bowl since 2013, and he was the best route-runner this season. With Offensive Player of the Year already in the bag, it’s safe to say the best Buckeye wideout alive is in the game.

Jonathan Hankins (N/A)

A back injury kept him on the sideline all year.

Arizona Cardinals

Marvin Harrison (7.0/10)

He might have escaped the sophomore slump, but health concerns and inconsistency in the QB department robbed his promising season. The former prodigy played in just 12 games, recording 41 receptions for 608 yards and 4 touchdowns. His catch% dropped to 54.5, and unfortunately, he failed to lock in even one 100-yard game. Folks in Arizona are expecting a big jump next season.

Paris Johnson Jr. (8.5/10)

Quietly became one of the best young tackles in the game, but unfortunately, his year was cut short by a sprained left MCL in Week 14 against the Rams. At one point in early December, he was leading the Pro Bowl fan vote. The former Buckeye ended his season with 5 sacks allowed over 807 snaps. Has Hall of Fame-caliber potential written all over him.

Baron Browning (8/10)

Browning had a pretty solid first full run with the Arizona Cardinals after that trade from Denver. He wrapped his 2025 season with 34 total tackles and 2.0 sacks, plus he even snagged a Week 2 pick.

Cody Simon (8.5/10)

Simon really made the most of his rookie year after being a fourth-round pick. He started slow, but after an injury opened up a spot in Week 9, he never looked back and played almost 100% of his snaps. The Cardinals got a legit, high-caliber player in Simon.

Denzel Burke (9/10)

What an absolute steal the Cardinals got with Burke in the fifth round. He was never supposed to be the starter by any stretch of the imagination. Looking back, he led his team with 3 picks and 11 pass defenses. Fun fact: he’s the first Ohio State true freshman to start a season opener since 1996.

Josh Fryar (6/10)

Making the best of the given circumstances is the best summary of him. He did a pretty good job for an undrafted guy. He suited up for 12 games and did his bit.

San Francisco 49ers

Nick Bosa (N/A)

What was meant to be one of his best seasons got cut short after just 3 games with a torn ACL. The man already had 2 sacks, 2 fumbles, and 17 tackles out of the gate. His best moment of the season was his Week 1 win against the Super Bowl LX champions with a clutch game-winning strip-sack. The word is he’s back and prepping for the 2026 season to continue where he left off.

Luke Ferrell (5/10)

49ers fans felt robbed by the way he balled after signing a decent $20.25 million contract in the offseason. He was brought in to be a heavy-duty blocker, but he ended up being labeled the team’s ‘worst signing’ of the year by some analysts because his blocking didn’t quite live up to the promise.

Stat-wise, he finished the season with 11 catches for 85 yards. On a snap-for-snap basis, he basically got outplayed by third-stringer Jake Tonge. Things are not looking good for the former Buckeye.