Ohio State’s top four prospects in the 2026 NFL draft are all projected as top-10 picks after the NFL Scouting Combine.
Arvell Reese, Sonny Styles, Caleb Downs and Carnell Tate are all projected as top-10 picks in a majority of NFL mock drafts that have been released over the past week following the combine. Should all four of them ultimately be selected in the top 10 during the first round of the NFL draft on April 23 in Pittsburgh, Ohio State would become just the third school ever – joining Michigan State in 1967 and Notre Dame in 1946 – to have four top-10 picks in the same draft.
Kayden McDonald could join them in the first round, though he’s not included in quite as many first-round mock drafts exiting the combine as he was going in. Davison Igbinsoun and Max Klare are projected as Day 2 picks coming out of the combine, while Caden Curry and Lorenzo Styles Jr. – the combine’s fastest defensive player – are viewed as the most likely Buckeyes to be drafted among the rest of their combine participants.
With the combine complete, we went through 32 mock drafts from around the Internet for an updated look at where Ohio State’s 2026 NFL draft prospects are currently projected to be drafted. Our second NFL mock draft roundup of 2026 includes the following mock drafts, which include one seven-round mock, two four-round mocks, four three-round projections, three two-round mocks and 22 one-round mocks:
Players are listed in order of their average draft projection in the mocks in which they are listed. The plus/minus next to each player’s average indicates whether their average has improved or fallen since our February mock draft roundup.
Arvell Reese, LB
Round 1, No. 2, New York Jets: 22 (D. Brown, E. Brown, Brugler, Draft Tek, Easterling, Eisner, Fitzmaurice, Fornelli, Fox, Iyer, Jackson, Lamb, Melo, Morales-Smith, Reid, Roberts, Schofield, Sheath, Sikkema, Tankathon, Williams, Yahoo)
Round 1, No. 2, Cincinnati Bengals:Â Woolcock
Round 1, No. 3, Arizona Cardinals: 6 (B/R, Crean, Flick, N. Davis, Schwartz, Zierlein)
Round 1, No. 4, Tennessee Titans:Â C. Davis
Round 1, No. 5, New York Giants: Popejoy
Round 1, No. 7, Washington Commanders: Wilson
Ohio State’s Highest All-Time NFL Draft Picks
Year
Pick
Pos
Player
Team
1979
1
LB
TOM COUSINEAU
BILLS
1994
1
DT
DAN WILKINSON
BENGALS
1997
1
OT
ORLANDO PACE
RAMS
1938
2
HB
JIM MCDONALD
EAGLES
2019
2
DE
NICK BOSA
49ERS
2020
2
DE
CHASE YOUNG
COMMANDERS
2023
2
QB
C.J. STROUD
TEXANS
1956
3
HB
HOPALONG CASSADY
LIONS
1974
3
G
JOHN HICKS
GIANTS
1997
3
CB
SHAWN SPRINGS
SEAHAWKS
2016
3
DE
JOEY BOSA
CHARGERS
2020
3
CB
JEFF OKUDAH
LIONS
Average Draft Projection: 2.5Â (+0.1)
With his impressive combine performance that included a 4.46-second 40-yard dash, Reese solidified his standing as the favorite to be the draft’s No. 2 overall pick. He’s projected to be the No. 2 pick in 23 of the 32 mock drafts in this roundup. All but three mock drafts in this roundup project Reese to be a top-three overall pick, and all but one mock has Reese going in the top five.
While Reese played primarily as an inside linebacker at Ohio State, Reese told reporters at the combine that he wants to play outside linebacker or edge rusher in the NFL. If the Jets draft him with the No. 2 overall pick as projected, it’s expected that he would move to edge rusher in New York, which has a major need for pass-rush help after trading Jermaine Johnson to the Tennessee Titans. The Jets are moving to a 3-4 defense, so Reese would project as a pass-rushing outside linebacker in their defensive scheme.
If the Jets don’t draft Reese, he’d also project to play on the edge if drafted No. 3 overall by the Arizona Cardinals, where he’d join a defense that includes former Ohio State teammates Cody Simon and Denzel Burke as well as fellow Buckeye linebacker-turned-NFL edge defender Baron Browning.
Sonny Styles, LB
Round 1, No. 3, Arizona Cardinals:Â Yahoo
Round 1, No. 3, Washington Commanders:Â Williams
Round 1, No. 4, Tennessee Titans: 4Â (B/R, Fitzmaurice, Sikkema, Wilson)
Round 1, No. 5, New York Giants: 10Â (E. Brown, Brugler, C. Davis, N. Davis, Easterling, Jackson, Melo, Reid, Roberts, Tankathon)
Round 1, No. 7, Washington Commanders: 8 (D. Brown, Crean, Draft Tek, Eisner, Flick, Fox, Schofield, Schwartz)
Round 1, No. 8, New Orleans Saints: 2 (Iyer, Sheath)
Round 1, No. 9, Dallas Cowboys:Â Fornelli
Round 1, No. 10, Cincinnati Bengals:Â Zierlein
Round 1, No. 12, Dallas Cowboys: 3Â (Lamb, Popejoy, Morales-Smith)
Round 1, No. 13, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Woolcock
Average Draft Projection: 6.6Â (+5.5)
No prospect from any school drew more praise from NFL draft analysts for his combine performance than Styles, who proved how spectacular of an athlete by also running a 4.46-second 40-yard dash while also leaping 43.5 inches in the vertical jump and 11 feet, 2 inches in the broad jump.
Going into the combine, most mock drafts had Styles as a top-15 pick but not as a top-10 pick. Now, the former Ohio State linebacker is a near-unanimous choice to be a top-10 pick, appearing in the top 10 of all but four of the 32 mock drafts in this roundup.
More than half of the mock drafts have Styles either going fifth overall to the New York Giants or seventh overall to the Washington Commanders – two teams that have a major need for defensive playmakers after finishing in the bottom seven of the NFL in both points and yards allowed last season.
Caleb Downs, S
Years With Multiple Top-10 Draft Picks
Year
Picks
Players
2023
2
C.J. Stroud, Paris Johnson Jr.
2020
2
Chase Young, Jeff Okudah
2016
3
Joey Bosa, Ezekiel Elliott, Eli Apple
2006
2
A.J. Hawk, Donte Whitner
1997
2
Orlando Pace, Shawn Springs
1996
2
Terry Glenn, Rickey Dudley
1959
2
Don Clark, Dan James
Round 1, No. 2, New York Jets: Popejoy
Round 1, No. 5, New York Giants: 9 (Eisner, Flick, Fitzmaurice, Fox, Iyer, Morales-Smith, Sheath, Wilson, Woolcock)
Round 1, No. 7, Washington Commanders:Â 5Â (N. Davis, Melo, Reid, Roberts, Tankathon)
Round 1, No. 7, Miami Dolphins:Â Easterling
Round 1, No. 9, Kansas City Chiefs: 2 (Draft Tek, Zierlein)
Round 1, No. 10, Cincinnati Bengals: 11 (B/R, Brugler, Crean, C. Davis, Fornelli, Jackson, Lamb, Schwartz, Sikkema, Williams, Yahoo) Â
Round 1, No. 11, Miami Dolphins: Schofield
Round 1, No. 12, Dallas Cowboys:Â 2 (D. Brown, E. Brown)
Average Draft Projection: 7.9Â (+0.2)
Downs is also a near-unanimous choice to be a top-10 pick, appearing in the top 10 of all but three mock drafts in this roundup and in the top 12 of all 32 mocks. While a report by Daft on Draft’s Cory Kinnan that Downs had been flagged for a knee injury at the combine raised questions about whether the injury would impact his draft stock, his average mock draft projection has actually improved since the combine, as multiple NFL executives told Pat McAfee that they saw nothing in Downs’ medical evaluation that would deter them from drafting the Jim Thorpe Award winner.
The Giants and Commanders could potentially find themselves debating between two former Ohio State defenders with their top-seven picks, as they’re two of the most popular projected landing spots for not only Styles but Downs as well. The most popular projected destination for Downs, however, remains two hours southwest of Columbus with the Cincinnati Bengals, who hold the No. 10 overall pick and are looking for an upgrade over impending free agent Geno Stone at free safety.
Carnell Tate, WR
Round 1, No. 3, Arizona Cardinals:Â Popejoy
Round 1, No. 3, Buffalo Bills: Wilson
Round 1, No. 4, Tennessee Titans: 2 (D. Brown, E. Brown)
Round 1, No. 5, New York Giants: 4 (Draft Tek, Fornelli, Lamb, Sikkema)
Round 1, No. 6, Cleveland Browns: 3 (C. Davis, Flick, Morales-Smith)
Round 1, No. 8, New Orleans Saints: 11 (B/R, Brugler, Crean, N. Davis, Jackson, Schofield, Schwartz, Tankathon, Williams, Woolcock, Yahoo)
Round 1, No. 9, Kansas City Chiefs:Â 3 (Easterling, Iyer, Reid)
Round 1, No. 11, Miami Dolphins:Â 2 (Sheath, Zierlein)
Round 1, No. 14, Baltimore Ravens:Â 2 (Eisner, Roberts)
Round 1, No. 16, New York Jets:Â 2 (Fitzmaurice, Fox)
Round 1, No. 24, Cleveland Browns:Â Melo
Average Draft Projection: 8.5Â (-1.1)
While Tate was projected as a top-seven pick in most mock drafts entering the combine, his average draft projection has slipped slightly after his disappointing 40-yard dash time of 4.53 seconds in Indianapolis. Still, Tate is projected to be a top-10 pick in more than three of every four mock drafts as he’s the near-unanimous choice to be the first wide receiver off the board.
The most popular projection in post-combine mock drafts has Tate going eighth overall to the New Orleans Saints, where he’d team up with Chris Olave to form a tandem of former Ohio State wide receivers catching passes from second-year quarterback Tyler Shough. Other potential landing spots in the top 10 for Tate include the Giants, the Cleveland Browns (who brought Tate in for a team visit on Thursday) and the Kansas City Chiefs, where he’d catch passes from three-time Super Bowl winner and two-time NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes.
Kayden McDonald, DT​
Most Common First-Round Projections
PICK
PLAYER
TEAM
DRAFTS
PERCENTAGE
2
Arvell Reese
Jets
22/32
69%
5
Sonny Styles
Giants
10/32
31%
8
Carnell Tate
Saints
11/32
34%
10
Caleb Downs
Bengals
11/32
34%
25
Kayden McDonald
Bears
7/32
22%
Round 1, No. 22, Los Angeles Chargers: 2 (Fitzmaurice, Sheath)
Round 1, No. 25, Chicago Bears: 7Â (E. Brown, Eisner, Popejoy, Roberts, Schofield, Sikkema, Yahoo)
Round 1, No. 27, San Francisco 49ers:Â Lamb
Round 1, No. 28, Houston Texans: 3 (Melo, Wilson, Woolcock)
Round 1, No. 30, Denver Broncos: D. Brown
Round 1, No. 32, Houston Texans:Â Zierlein
Round 2, No. 36, Las Vegas Raiders:Â B/R
Round 2, No. 38, Houston Texans: 3Â (Brugler, Tankathon, Williams)
Round 2, No. 41, Cincinnati Bengals:Â Easterling
Round 2, No. 48, Atlanta Falcons:Â Reid
Round 2, No. 57, Chicago Bears:Â Draft Tek
Average Draft Projection: 31.3Â (-6.9)
While more than 60% of mock drafts in our pre-combine roundup had McDonald going in Round 1, slightly under half of mock drafts in our post-combine roundup (15 of 32) have the former Ohio State defensive tackle as a first-round pick after he only participated in position drills in Indianapolis.
The teams viewed as the most likely candidates to draft McDonald late in the first round are the Chicago Bears and Houston Texans. The Bears are expected to target defensive line help early in the draft after ranking 29th out of 32 NFL teams in rushing yards allowed per attempt last season. If the Texans draft McDonald, he’d form a tandem of former Buckeye defensive tackles in Houston with Tommy Togiai, who’s coming off a career year.
Davison Igbinosun, CB
Round 2, No. 43, Miami Dolphins:Â Brugler
Round 2, No. 50, Las Vegas Raiders: B/R
Round 2, No. 52, Green Bay Packers: Reid
Round 2, No. 56, Kansas City Chiefs:Â Draft Tek
Round 3, No. 66, Tennessee Titans: 2 (Roberts, Tankathon)
Round 3, No. 67, Las Vegas Raiders:Â Sheath
Round 3, No. 68, Houston Texans:Â Williams
Round 3, No. 80, Baltimore Ravens:Â Easterling
Average Draft Projection: 60.9Â (+0.5)
After a good combine performance highlighted by a 4.45-second 40-yard dash, Igbinosun is unanimously projected as a Day 2 pick, appearing in either the second or third round of every mock draft in this roundup that includes at least three rounds.Â
Max Klare, TE
Round 2, No. 51, Carolina Panthers: B/R
Round 2, No. 54, Philadelphia Eagles:Â Sheath
Round 2, No. 62, Denver Broncos:Â Roberts
Round 3, No. 68, Philadelphia Eagles:Â Tankathon
Round 3, No. 74, Kansas City Chiefs:Â Draft Tek
Round 3, No. 90, Miami Dolphins:Â Williams
Round 4, No. 131, New England Patriots:Â Easterling
Average Draft Projection: 75.7 (+12.1)
Like Igbinosun, Klare is widely projected to be drafted in either the second or third round, though he’s not quite a unanimous Day 2 choice as Athlon Sports’ Luke Easterling has Klare falling to Round 4. The only team projected to select Klare in multiple mock drafts is the Philadelphia Eagles, who are in the market for a new tight end with longtime standout Dallas Goedert set to hit free agency.
Caden Curry, DE
Round 4, No. 125, New England Patriots: Easterling
Round 4, No. 138, San Francisco 49ers:Â Draft Tek
Average Draft Projection: 131.5 (+5)
Curry is projected as a fourth-round pick in two of the three mocks in this roundup that include at least four rounds. Those projections have Curry either going to play for former Ohio State defensive end Mike Vrabel in New England or teaming up with another former Ohio State defensive end, Nick Bosa, in San Francisco.
Lorenzo Styles Jr., DB
Round 5, No. 165, Houston Texans:Â Draft Tek
Average Draft Projection:Â 165 (N/A)
Styles wasn’t projected to be selected in any mock drafts leading up to the combine, but he earns a fifth-round projection from Draft Tek – the only seven-round mock in this roundup – after running a 4.27-second 40-yard dash, the fastest 40 time of any defensive player at this year’s combine.
Ohio State’s other two combine participants, tight end Will Kacmarek and running back CJ Donaldson, did not appear in Draft Tek’s seven-round projection.