Can’t Wait For Saturday | Mock draft tells a story: the Big Ten in general and Ohio State in particular had a very good year

Feb. 28—***

Late April in Green Bay, Wis., a bunch of young men are going to get rich. Thirty-two of them to be exact. And, according to The Athletic, one third of the first-round picks in the NFL draft will be from the Big Ten.

The first Big Tenner to go off the board will likely be Penn State’s Abdul Carter, a projected defensive end at the next level.

Carter had a great regular season followed by a solid performance in the College Football Playoff. He battled Notre Dame in the semifinals with a single arm because of a shoulder issue. He made a lot of fans in the CFP and that effort could make him the No. 1 overall player selected.

If I was doing the selecting instead of the Tennessee Titans, my pick would be either Carter or do-everything Heisman winner Travis Hunter who is capable of starring on both sides of the ball in the NFL.

Carter is one of two Big Ten players in The Athletics Top 10, joined by Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham, who is projected for the Jets at No. 7.

The best player in college football right now, Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith, has two more years with the Buckeyes before he is eligible. But five Ohio State players are projected in the first round this year: edge rusher JT Tuimoloau (23. to the Packers), offensive tackle Josh Simmons (25. to the Texans), receiver Emeka Egbuka (26. to the Rams), offensive lineman Donovan Jackson (27. to the Ravens) and defensive tackle Tyliek Williams (31. to the Chiefs).

So, you think the Buckeyes are out of players? Guess again. Ohio State is likely to open the 2025 ranked No. 1. The rich get richer, except in the NFL, where they have to lose their way to the top of the draft.

You might hear talk about tanking late in the 2026 NFL season as teams try to get in line to take Ohio State’s Smith.

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/article/cant-wait-saturday-mock-draft-154700742.html

Author : The News-Gazette, Champaign-Urbana, Ill.

Publish date : 2025-02-28 15:47:00

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