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Ohio State Buckeyes Sets Two NFL Draft Records in the 2026 NFL Draft
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- Ohio State Buckeyes Sets Two NFL Draft Records in the 2026 NFL Draft
(© Kirby Lee | 2026 Apr 23)
The Ohio State Buckeyes are quickly becoming an NFL factory. Year after year, they are producing some of the best NFL talent, and in 2026, it was no different.
The Buckeyes went into the draft expecting to get four of the first top 15 picks and looking at another double-digit selection night. They got just that.
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Four Buckeyes went in the top 11 picks; they had three second-round picks and sprinkled in a couple of fifth, sixth, and seventh-round selections. It was all Buckeyes to start, and then it stayed very consistent throughout the rest of the weekend.
The final result was 11 Buckeyes drafted and two new records to Ohio State 's tally.
Going back to the 2025 Draft, when Ohio State sent 14 players to the NFL, the total was 25 over the past two drafts.
The 25 selections are tied for the most of any school spanning a two-year period since the draft changed to seven rounds in 1994. Furthermore, all 11 of their defensive starters from the 2025 National Championship Team were drafted at some point in the draft.
Pretty great accomplishments.
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The second record that was tied came very, very early on in the draft. With the fourth overall pick, the Tennessee Titans selected wide receiver Carnell Tate . Tate became the fifth straight Buckeye wide receiver to be drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft.
It started way back in 2022 when Chris Olave got it started. He was followed by Jaxon Smith-Njigba , Marvin Harrison Jr. , Emeka Egbuka , and then Tate. Something tells me that streak is going to extend to six straight next year when Jeremiah Smith becomes draft eligible.
Ohio State has long been regarded as "Wide Receiver U," especially over the stretch of the last half-decade. If you want a game-changing wide receiver, you go shopping in Columbus; it is as simple as that.
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The 2026 NFL Draft was yet another feather in the cap of the Ohio State program that has established itself as the premier farm team for the entire NFL.
Elite players come out of the Buckeyes ' program, and the train isn't stopping anytime soon.
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