In some ways, the 2015 NFL draft was a surprise to some Buckeye fans.
It’s not as though Ohio State was lacking in talent – OSU has dominated the Big Ten in recruiting for the last 15 years – but some people might have been expecting more draftees from the national champions.
Five Buckeyes in all were taken in the 2015 draft: Devin Smith, Jeff Heuerman, Doran Grant, Michael Bennett and Evan Spencer. None was a first rounder, although Smith was taken early in the second round. It’s unusual for a championship team; the last national champion not to produce a first rounder the next year, as has been much bandied about, was Ohio State in 2003.
But wait! one might say, that’s not giving the whole picture! And that would be true: some teams are backloaded in talent. The following year, in the 2004 NFL draft, Ohio State produced three first rounders and an incredible 14 draftees. Similarly, the 2014 national champions will have an incredible display of talent next year.
Continue Reading: Expect an Even Bigger Buckeye NFL Draft Class in 2016
