Three Buckeyes named to NFL All-Under 25 Team

“Instead, [Joey Bosa] will be used to turn opposing quarterbacks into doomed and greying mincemeat Sunday after Sunday. Durability concerns linger, but I also see a player who missed his entire rookie offseason, only to notch 10.5 takedowns in his first 12 NFL appearances. No assembly required.”

- Marc Sessler, NFL.com

If you have watched any NFL Draft in the last decade and beyond, you may have noticed a bunch of college highlight tapes of guys rocking Scarlet and Gray. Ohio State has produced a ton of NFL talent in recent years, and more than a few of those guys have moved on to make a name for themselves in the league. While a lot of these players are still young and getting their feet wet in the pros, they are already being recognized for their standout efforts, as three former Buckeyes were named to the NFL All-Under 25 team.

Joey Bosa, Ezekiel Elliott and Marshon Lattimore were the trio of Ohio State products listed by Sessler. Bosa was listed alongside Myles Garrett as the two best edge rushers in the league under the age of 25. Playing in just 12 games in his rookie campaign in 2016, Bosa recorded 10.5 sacks with 17 tackles for loss — good enough to earn him AP Defensive Rookie of the Year. He made the Pro Bowl in 2017 in a year he recorded 12.5 sacks with 70 combined tackles, before an injury-shortened season in 2018, wherein he appeared in only seven games.

After leading the Buckeyes to a National Championship in 2014, Elliott has continued his dominance at the next level. Already a two-time Pro Bowler, the man most commonly known as Zeke has already led the league in rushing yards twice (2016, 2018) while leading in rushing yards per game all three seasons as a Dallas Cowboy. The 23-year-old is coming off a season in which he ran for over 1,400 yards while also hauling in 77 receptions for 567 yards. The other running back on the list alongside Elliott was 2018 Offensive Rookie of the Year Saquon Barkley.

Lattimore is the third and final Buckeye on the list, one of the many talented defensive backs Ohio State has sent to the league. After a Pro Bowl season in his Defensive Rookie of the Year campaign, one that saw him reign in five interceptions (one TD) and break up 18 passes, Lattimore’s numbers took a slight dip in 2018. The 23-year-old corner picked off just two passes in his sophomore season, however it should be noted that the team’s schedule saw him lined up against guys among the likes of Odell Beckham, Antonio Brown, Mike Evans, and other tough No. 1 receivers.

The other corner on the list was Jalen Ramsey, despite a rough season on a very bad Jacksonville defense. Ohio State’s Denzel Ward, who will be entering his second year in the NFL this season, was also mentioned as one of the league’s bright young corners.

“This is a legit, legit franchise quarterback, and they need to protect this young man and set the table for him. They have not had anything like [Dwayne Haskins] since 2001. They need to realize that they have something special here, and they need to set the table for him in every way they can.”

- NFL analyst Louis Riddick via the John Keim Report

The Washington Redskins are still not entirely sure who the man under center will be come the regular season, but there are some people who believe the team has already found their starting quarterback for years to come — Dwayne Haskins. The Redskins selected Haskins with the 15th overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft, a shock to most who believed the New York Giants would select the Ohio State QB at No. 6. Head coach Jay Gruden has been on the fence about handing a rookie the starting job, but has said that as the 15th pick, Haskins will at least have the chance to earn himself the No. 1 spot on the depth chart.

Following rookie minicamp, it seems as though the people in Washington have really liked what they see in Haskins. While Gruden believes that a rookie QB would benefit from sitting behind a veteran, for example seven-year man Case Keenum, it is certainly not set in stone that it is the route they would like to go. In fact, it seems almost more likely that Haskins will be the day one starter over Keenum, and people like Louis Riddick would believe this to be the right choice.

Riddick, who worked as a scout and director of player personnel for the Redskins from 2001-07, has gone on record saying that Haskins is “twice the quarterback” than the last first-round QB selected by Washington — Robert Griffin III in 2012. Riddick said that Haskins is a legit franchise QB, and that Keenum is “not in the same zip code” in terms of talent in the competition for the starting job. He also has faith in Redskins offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell in helping Haskins adjust quickly the level of play in the NFL.

Regardless of who is named the starting quarterback to begin the year, it is almost entirely certain we will see Haskins take more than a few snaps this season, whether that be in garbage time or taking over midseason in a way similar to Baker Mayfield’s rise. Perhaps Ohio State’s greatest quarterback product ever, Haskins will look to make a name for himself and potentially earn the starting job for the Washington Redskins in 2019.

Talking about former Ohio State QBs, converted wideout Terrelle Pryor is being given another opportunity in the NFL with a workout for the Jacksonville Jaguars. The 29-year-old free agent played six games for the New York Jets last season, recording 14 catches for 235 yards and two touchdowns before being cut after a groin injury. He was later signed by the Buffalo Bills, for whom he played one game before being cut again.

The 6-foot-4 supplemental draft pick in 2011 tried his hand at QB early in his NFL career, the position he played at OSU, but saw little success. In 14 games with the Oakland Raiders, Pryor threw for 1,953 yards with nine TDs and 12 interceptions. He later transitioned to wide receiver, putting up a 1,000-yard season for the Cleveland Browns in 2016. He has not played since being let go by the Bills, with the Jaguars showing first interest in Pryor since he worked out for the Detroit Lions in November.

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