Josh Dooley
Guest
You’re Nuts: Best Ohio State NFL rookie class
Josh Dooley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Ben Jackson/Getty Images
Which group of professional Buckeyes showed out in their first season?
Everybody knows that one of the best parts of being a sports fan is debating and dissecting the most (and least) important questions in the sporting world with your friends. So, we’re bringing that to the pages of LGHL with our favorite head-to-head column: You’re Nuts.
In You’re Nuts, two LGHL staff members will take differing sides of one question and argue their opinions passionately. Then, in the end, it’s up to you to determine who’s right and who’s nuts.
Former Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud lit up the NFL stage yesterday, producing the league’s best individual performance of the weekend and, most importantly, leading his Houston Texans team to a thrilling come from behind victory.
Down 33-37 with just 46 seconds remaining, the former Buckeye only needed 40 of them to march Houston’s offense down the field with surgical precision. He capped a masterful 75-yard scoring drive by hitting fellow rookie Tank Dell with a strike in the back of the endzone as time ticked away, putting the Texans up for good with just six seconds left on the clock. The Stroud-to-Dell hookup was the former’s fifth of the day (!) and 14th of his impressive rookie season. He (Stroud) also finished the game with 470 passing yards, setting a new NFL rookie record.
Stroud has quickly established himself as the Texans’ franchise QB, as well as the current favorite to take home NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. He is on pace for an absurd 4,800 yards and 30 touchdowns and has thrown just one interception. He has also helped lead Houston to a 4-4 record. Which is rather impressive considering the team’s over/under was 5.5 in September.
Up next for Stroud is a return to the Buckeye State, where he is set to take on Joe Burrow and the Bengals in Week 10. Yours truly will be attending that game, and frankly, I am as excited as Pete Davidson in a room full of gorgeous women who love publicity and are wildly out of his league (kidding, Pete is the man).
Naturally, Stroud’s performance got Gene and I thinking Buckeyes... Buckeyes in the NFL... Buckeyes in the NFL doing what? We debated ‘best overall performance by a former Buckeye in 2023’ but it has been a tough year between J.K. Dobbins and Justin Fields going down, Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba not having capable QBs, Joey Bosa looking a bit (or a lot) long in the tooth, etc.
Instead, we decided to stick with rookie seasons. Several former Buckeyes have excelled and even won awards for their rookie performances in recent years, so we decided to write about our personal favorites. Call it ‘Best Ohio State NFL rookie class’.
And if you thought that I might cheat in order to ‘win’ this debate or make my argument... Well, congrats. You saw or predicted the future. But I swear this is not dirty pool. Hear me out:
When I think of outstanding rookie performances by one or more former Buckeyes, I think 2016. Because in my opinion, it is the best and/or most productive rookie draft class that one school (OSU) has ever produced, at least as far as top-end talent is concerned.
I’m talking about Joey Bosa, Ezekiel Elliott, AND Michael Thomas, three guys who came in and immediately dominated at ‘money’ positions. One could even throw Taylor Decker’s name into the mix, as he started all 16 games at left tackle and earned an 82.1 overall grade from PFF. So we’re talking elite or borderline elite play at running back, wide receiver, left tackle, and defensive end. I mean, are you kidding me!?
Elliott was the real star of the group, despite not winning Offensive Rookie of the Year. He lost that award to teammate Dak Prescott, but then came in third in the AP MVP voting. Zeke rushed for 1,631 yards and 15 TD, while also adding 363 yards and an additional TD through the air. Think about what RBs are doing nowadays, and then realize that Zeke averaged 109 rushing yards and more than one total TD per game. Impressive, impressive stuff, for which he was named a Pro Bowler and an All-Pro.
Elsewhere on the offensive side, Thomas and Decker began to establish themselves as foundational players for their respective teams. The former hauled in 92 catches for 1,137 yards and 9 TD, while the latter protected Matthew Stafford’s blind side and helped the Lions reach the playoffs. That’s right, Detroit made a postseason appearance in 2016! All because of Taylor Decker (joking, but he played well). Neither Thomas nor Decker earned any major accolades for their performances as rookies, however, they were undoubtedly among the best newcomers in the game.
And on the other side of the ball, all Bosa did as a rookie was not really participate in camp, hold out due to a contract dispute, come off for the bench for his first game, and then kick the living sh*t out of guys once he finally got on the field. Seriously. He played just 27 snaps during his NFL game and recorded two sacks. He would go on to add eight more, finishing the 2016 season with 10.5 (sacks) and earning 74% of the first-place votes for Defensive Rookie of the Year.
I’d say that’s a hell of a draft class, Gene. And one impressive performance as a group. I will remember Ohio State’s 2016 draft class for a long, long time, so I just had to do it.
There is no arguing with Josh here that 2016 is one of if not the greatest rookie class Ohio State has had in program history. Not only was that group dominant in their first year in the league, but many of those guys are still near the top of their respective positive groups even today. From the first round guys like Ezekiel Elliott, Joey Bosa and Taylor Decker to Michael Thomas and Vonn Bell in the second round, that was truly a loaded class, and one that would be tough to top.
The Buckeyes have produced a ton of NFL talent in each of the classes since then as well:
While I could have easily picked a handful of those classes to run with for this exercise, I instead decided to go back in time for a group filled with star players, some of whom were still playing until very recently. That would be Ohio State’s 2014 NFL Draft class, which included Ryan Shazier, Bradley Roby, Carlos Hyde, Jack Mewhort and Corey Linsley.
Shazier’s career was unfortunately shortened, as a scary back injury ended his career and could have left him unable to walk again. After undergoing a spinal stabilization surgery that doctors feared could leave him paralyzed, Shazier was able to dance at his wedding 17 months later. Before the injury, Shazier quickly became one of the most dominant linebackers in the game, being named to the Pro Bowl in both 2016 and 2017 and racking up 263 total tackles, 22 TFLs, seven picks and seven sacks in his three years as a starter.
Roby has had one of the longest and most successful careers of any cornerback in recent memory, and is still playing this season as he was added to the Eagles active roster back at the beginning of October. The now 10-year NFL veteran began his career with the Broncos, and has now played stints in Houston and New Orleans before landing in Philadelphia. Roby, while no longer one of the league’s elite cornerbacks at age 31, has been a stalwart in defensive backfields for a decade, amassing 85 pass breakups and 11 interceptions to go along with 372 career tackles.
Hyde spent eight productive years in the NFL, and with the wear and tear that comes at the running back position — especially for a bruiser like Hyde — that is more than respectable. The 6-foot, 230-pound ball carrier racked up just under 5,000 rushing yards in his career with 37 touchdowns, while also doing some work in the passing game with 867 receiving yards and another three scores. Hyde put together one 1,000-yard season with Houston in 2019, and was close with San Francisco in both 2016 and 2017, finishing with 988 and 938 yards, respectively. He wasn’t flashy, but Hyde put together a strong NFL career for himself as a late second round pick.
For Mewhort and Linsley, it is harder to quantify their impacts to their teams in counting stats as offensive linemen, but the duo were two of the premier players at their position during their time in the league. Mewhort’s career did not last long, retiring after just four seasons as a result of injuries, but before that he started 30 of 32 games for the Colts after being selected in the second round. Linsley’s career is much more well-known, as the two-time All-Pro center was a staple of the Packers’ offensive line for seven seasons before joining the Chargers in 2021. Linsley has played in 132 career games, starting all of them, including five seasons starting in all 16 games.
Is the 2014 group as prolific as the 2016 class? No, especially not in their rookie seasons. However, I still think this NFL Draft group warrants some love, as it produced some really impactful players at the next level.
Continue reading...
Josh Dooley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Ben Jackson/Getty Images
Which group of professional Buckeyes showed out in their first season?
Everybody knows that one of the best parts of being a sports fan is debating and dissecting the most (and least) important questions in the sporting world with your friends. So, we’re bringing that to the pages of LGHL with our favorite head-to-head column: You’re Nuts.
In You’re Nuts, two LGHL staff members will take differing sides of one question and argue their opinions passionately. Then, in the end, it’s up to you to determine who’s right and who’s nuts.
This week’s topic: Best Ohio State NFL rookie class
Josh’s Take
Former Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud lit up the NFL stage yesterday, producing the league’s best individual performance of the weekend and, most importantly, leading his Houston Texans team to a thrilling come from behind victory.
Down 33-37 with just 46 seconds remaining, the former Buckeye only needed 40 of them to march Houston’s offense down the field with surgical precision. He capped a masterful 75-yard scoring drive by hitting fellow rookie Tank Dell with a strike in the back of the endzone as time ticked away, putting the Texans up for good with just six seconds left on the clock. The Stroud-to-Dell hookup was the former’s fifth of the day (!) and 14th of his impressive rookie season. He (Stroud) also finished the game with 470 passing yards, setting a new NFL rookie record.
Stroud has quickly established himself as the Texans’ franchise QB, as well as the current favorite to take home NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. He is on pace for an absurd 4,800 yards and 30 touchdowns and has thrown just one interception. He has also helped lead Houston to a 4-4 record. Which is rather impressive considering the team’s over/under was 5.5 in September.
Up next for Stroud is a return to the Buckeye State, where he is set to take on Joe Burrow and the Bengals in Week 10. Yours truly will be attending that game, and frankly, I am as excited as Pete Davidson in a room full of gorgeous women who love publicity and are wildly out of his league (kidding, Pete is the man).
Naturally, Stroud’s performance got Gene and I thinking Buckeyes... Buckeyes in the NFL... Buckeyes in the NFL doing what? We debated ‘best overall performance by a former Buckeye in 2023’ but it has been a tough year between J.K. Dobbins and Justin Fields going down, Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba not having capable QBs, Joey Bosa looking a bit (or a lot) long in the tooth, etc.
Instead, we decided to stick with rookie seasons. Several former Buckeyes have excelled and even won awards for their rookie performances in recent years, so we decided to write about our personal favorites. Call it ‘Best Ohio State NFL rookie class’.
And if you thought that I might cheat in order to ‘win’ this debate or make my argument... Well, congrats. You saw or predicted the future. But I swear this is not dirty pool. Hear me out:
When I think of outstanding rookie performances by one or more former Buckeyes, I think 2016. Because in my opinion, it is the best and/or most productive rookie draft class that one school (OSU) has ever produced, at least as far as top-end talent is concerned.
I’m talking about Joey Bosa, Ezekiel Elliott, AND Michael Thomas, three guys who came in and immediately dominated at ‘money’ positions. One could even throw Taylor Decker’s name into the mix, as he started all 16 games at left tackle and earned an 82.1 overall grade from PFF. So we’re talking elite or borderline elite play at running back, wide receiver, left tackle, and defensive end. I mean, are you kidding me!?
Elliott was the real star of the group, despite not winning Offensive Rookie of the Year. He lost that award to teammate Dak Prescott, but then came in third in the AP MVP voting. Zeke rushed for 1,631 yards and 15 TD, while also adding 363 yards and an additional TD through the air. Think about what RBs are doing nowadays, and then realize that Zeke averaged 109 rushing yards and more than one total TD per game. Impressive, impressive stuff, for which he was named a Pro Bowler and an All-Pro.
Elsewhere on the offensive side, Thomas and Decker began to establish themselves as foundational players for their respective teams. The former hauled in 92 catches for 1,137 yards and 9 TD, while the latter protected Matthew Stafford’s blind side and helped the Lions reach the playoffs. That’s right, Detroit made a postseason appearance in 2016! All because of Taylor Decker (joking, but he played well). Neither Thomas nor Decker earned any major accolades for their performances as rookies, however, they were undoubtedly among the best newcomers in the game.
And on the other side of the ball, all Bosa did as a rookie was not really participate in camp, hold out due to a contract dispute, come off for the bench for his first game, and then kick the living sh*t out of guys once he finally got on the field. Seriously. He played just 27 snaps during his NFL game and recorded two sacks. He would go on to add eight more, finishing the 2016 season with 10.5 (sacks) and earning 74% of the first-place votes for Defensive Rookie of the Year.
I’d say that’s a hell of a draft class, Gene. And one impressive performance as a group. I will remember Ohio State’s 2016 draft class for a long, long time, so I just had to do it.
Gene’s Take
There is no arguing with Josh here that 2016 is one of if not the greatest rookie class Ohio State has had in program history. Not only was that group dominant in their first year in the league, but many of those guys are still near the top of their respective positive groups even today. From the first round guys like Ezekiel Elliott, Joey Bosa and Taylor Decker to Michael Thomas and Vonn Bell in the second round, that was truly a loaded class, and one that would be tough to top.
The Buckeyes have produced a ton of NFL talent in each of the classes since then as well:
- 2017: Marshon Lattimore, Curtis Samuel
- 2018: Denzel Ward, Jerome Baker, Sam Hubbard
- 2019: Nick Bosa, Dre’Mont Jones, Terry McLaurin
- 2020: Chase Young, Jeff Okudah, JK Dobbins, Jonah Jackson, Jordan Fuller
- 2021: Justin Fields, Pete Werner, Baron Browning, Jonathon Cooper
- 2022: Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, Nicholas Petit-Frere, Jeremy Ruckert
- 2023: CJ Stroud, Paris Johnson Jr., Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Dawand Jones
While I could have easily picked a handful of those classes to run with for this exercise, I instead decided to go back in time for a group filled with star players, some of whom were still playing until very recently. That would be Ohio State’s 2014 NFL Draft class, which included Ryan Shazier, Bradley Roby, Carlos Hyde, Jack Mewhort and Corey Linsley.
Shazier’s career was unfortunately shortened, as a scary back injury ended his career and could have left him unable to walk again. After undergoing a spinal stabilization surgery that doctors feared could leave him paralyzed, Shazier was able to dance at his wedding 17 months later. Before the injury, Shazier quickly became one of the most dominant linebackers in the game, being named to the Pro Bowl in both 2016 and 2017 and racking up 263 total tackles, 22 TFLs, seven picks and seven sacks in his three years as a starter.
Roby has had one of the longest and most successful careers of any cornerback in recent memory, and is still playing this season as he was added to the Eagles active roster back at the beginning of October. The now 10-year NFL veteran began his career with the Broncos, and has now played stints in Houston and New Orleans before landing in Philadelphia. Roby, while no longer one of the league’s elite cornerbacks at age 31, has been a stalwart in defensive backfields for a decade, amassing 85 pass breakups and 11 interceptions to go along with 372 career tackles.
Hyde spent eight productive years in the NFL, and with the wear and tear that comes at the running back position — especially for a bruiser like Hyde — that is more than respectable. The 6-foot, 230-pound ball carrier racked up just under 5,000 rushing yards in his career with 37 touchdowns, while also doing some work in the passing game with 867 receiving yards and another three scores. Hyde put together one 1,000-yard season with Houston in 2019, and was close with San Francisco in both 2016 and 2017, finishing with 988 and 938 yards, respectively. He wasn’t flashy, but Hyde put together a strong NFL career for himself as a late second round pick.
For Mewhort and Linsley, it is harder to quantify their impacts to their teams in counting stats as offensive linemen, but the duo were two of the premier players at their position during their time in the league. Mewhort’s career did not last long, retiring after just four seasons as a result of injuries, but before that he started 30 of 32 games for the Colts after being selected in the second round. Linsley’s career is much more well-known, as the two-time All-Pro center was a staple of the Packers’ offensive line for seven seasons before joining the Chargers in 2021. Linsley has played in 132 career games, starting all of them, including five seasons starting in all 16 games.
Is the 2014 group as prolific as the 2016 class? No, especially not in their rookie seasons. However, I still think this NFL Draft group warrants some love, as it produced some really impactful players at the next level.
Continue reading...