Ohio State Buckeyes Top NFL Draft Prospects for 2013 and Beyond

52 Johnathan Hankins, Defensive Lineman, Junior  6’3″ 320 pounds

Hankins is an impressive athlete for his size. He is nimble and quick with his feet at 320 pounds (or around there) and was extremely productive in his first year as a starter. As a sophomore, finished with 66 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, and two sacks. Does a good job of splitting double teams, and what’s most impressive about him is his athletic ability allows him to be used all around the line. For this reason, he may be best fit for a 3-4 defense but really he fits in any NFL defensive scheme. Despite the fact that his size indicates he would be an ideal gap clogger, Hankins actually does a great job of collapsing the pocket and making plays in the backfield on his own, as evidenced by his 66 total tackles last season. This is the kind of player who has extremely special talent, and if he continues to progress as he did last season, he could very well be a top ten pick and the first defensive tackle off the board. He has a great combination of size, athletic ability, versatility, production, and character. Should be one of the first DTs taken either this year or next.

7 Jordan Hall, Running Back, Senior  5’9″ 198 pounds

There is a possibility that Hall will be given a medical redshirt after having surgery on his foot in June. More than likely, he will miss a couple of games, but injury concerns aside, Hall is an interesting prospect. He is projected as Ohio State’s starting tailback, but he also returns kicks and catches passes out of the backfield. He is pretty shifty and able to make plays after the catch, and last year had five total touchdowns–two rushing, and three receiving. He’s not a powerful back, really, but he is an intriguing guy to keep an eye on as Ohio State moves to Urban Meyer’s offense. If he has a breakout season, he could be a very interesting prospect to watch. I think he will likely be a later round or undrafted FA selection, more than likely.

11 Jake Stoneburner, Wide Receiver/Tight End, Senior  6’5″ 245 pounds

Jake Stoneburner was suspended/put on probation back in May when he was charged with obstruction of business, but according to Urban Meyer, he is back with the team but in a different role than we’ve seen. He’s currently ranked among the tight ends, but Meyer says he is working with the wide receivers and won’t see much work with the tight ends. As many may recall, Stoneburner came to Ohio State as a wide receiver and made the switch to tight end, and now his career is coming full circle. Incredibly, Stoneburner was the team’s co-leading receiver last year with just 14 receptions, but seven of them went for touchdowns. He is a playmaker and he will be used in a similar role to that of Aaron Hernandez, formerly of Florida and current New England Patriots “tight end.” He is a very intriguing prospect who can be used as a receiver or tight end, and he should be a top 100 selection if he has a good senior season and runs well at the combine.

54 John Simon, Defensive Lineman, Senior  6’2″ 260 pounds

Simon is a guy that really stands out when you watch Ohio State play, if for no other reason than he is just almost inarguably giving the most effort of any player on the field at any given time. His work ethic on and off the field is, according to Urban Meyer, “Tebowish,” and on the field, he reaps the benefits. He’s not likely to fill up the stat sheet in terms of sacks like some of the top pass rushers will, but he makes plays behind the line of scrimmage and you certainly don’t want to be the guy who gets in his way when the ball is snapped. Last season, he had 16 tackles for loss and seven sacks along with 53 total tackles. He has played both end in the 3-4 and some dropping in coverage as a linebacker. When he goes to the NFL, he can play inside or outside and have upside in both areas, though he’s a little light for a defensive tackle. I really enjoy watching this guy play, and I think he has a bright future in the NFL as a second-fourth round selection.

6 Etienne Sabino, Linebacker, Senior  6’3″ 238 pounds

Sabino is an interesting project for whatever team decides to draft him. The upside and potential has always been there for the former five star prospect, but he hasn’t been able to put it together on the field up until last season. He played mostly special teams in his first two seasons as a Buckeye, and after struggling to grasp the game fully mentally, he took a healthy redshirt in 2010 to catch up on things off the field. I think that’s a pretty mature and admirable thing to do, and it paid off for him. As a junior last year, he had 62 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, and two sacks. He still needs work in coverage, but he is going to be a high upside pick for whatever team chooses to take him, and he could be a mid-late round bargain who, at worst will be a solid special teams contributor. He could be an intriguing fit as a blitzing SAM linebacker in a 4-3 defense.

7 Travis Howard, Cornerback, Senior  6’0″ 196 pounds

Howard is a big, athletic cornerback who came on last season with 41 total tackles, two interceptions, and two forced fumbles. He also batted down five passes, and the interceptions he had came in big fourth quarter situations for the Buckeyes. He is an underrated guy right now, but he could be another high-upside pick in the later rounds for the Buckeyes. He has ideal size for a cornerback and good speed, and showed last year that he is a versatile playmaker. He still has a lot of work to do in his development, but as of now, he is a draftable player.

4 C.J. Barnett, Safety/Cornerback, Junior  6’0″ 202 pounds

Barnett is a pretty solid underclassmen at the safety position who can also play some cornerback, and his versatility will be big as he moves to the NFL level. He led the Buckeyes last year in his first year as a starter with 75 tackles, and also added two interceptions, six passes broken up, and a tackle for loss. I’m looking forward to see how he develops his game in coverage after proving he can track down ball carriers with the best of them. He showed he has instincts in the running game, now we need to see him show the same in the passing game. He made good strides last year coming off of injury, but he still looked a little rusty at times physically and was sloppy with his technique. As hard of a worker as he is off the field, I expect to see a lot of improvement from this player as a junior, and I think he can be a really valuable contributor for the Buckeyes once again. He should be drafted whenever he decides to come out, but his stock is dependent upon his health and development in coverage.