Ranking 1st Round Ohio State WRs since 2022

Based solely on pre-draft reports:

https://247sports.com/college/ohio-state/article/ohio-state-football-espn-ranks-ohio-states-six-first-round-wide-receivers-since-2022-based-on-pre-draft-reports-278965549/

#1: Marvin Harrison, Jr.

#2: JSN

#3: Garrett Wilson

#4: Carnell Tate

#5: Chris Olave

#6: Emeka Egbuka

·        

·         Basketball

·         BK Rec

·          

·          

ESPN ranks Ohio State's six first-round wide receivers since 2022, based on pre-draft reports

Just based on their pre-draft reports and how they performed at Ohio State, how would you rank the six Buckeye wide receivers who have been (or will be in less than a month) first-round picks since 2022? Matt Miller from ESPN took a stab at it and we have much more.

Dave BiddleMar 25th, 8:32 AM7

Matt Miller of ESPN is out with an intriguing piece that ranks Ohio State's six first-round picks at wide receiver since 2022. In the story, Miller says NFL production is not taken into account -- only the player's pre-draft report. (Included in the rankings is Carnell Tate, who will be selected in the first round in less than a month. Jeremiah Smith is not included.)

Let's just cut to the chase and give you the order. Here is how Miller has the former Buckeye wideouts pegged in terms of how they looked while entering the NFL:

1. Marvin Harrison Jr.

2. Jaxon Smith-Njigba

3. Garrett Wilson

4. Carnell Tate

5. Chris Olave

6. Emeka Egbuka

Miller wrote extensively about each of the six wideouts from Ohio State. We're not going to include everything he wrote, but we will give you excerpts on what he said about all of them, beginning with Harrison:

Harrison was regarded as an elite generational talent when he left Ohio State following a three-year career in which he accumulated 155 catches, 2,613 receiving yards and 31 touchdowns. After breaking out as a freshman with three touchdowns in the 2022 Rose Bowl, the 6-foot-3, 220-pound Harrison was a unanimous All-American as a sophomore and junior and won the Biletnikoff Award in 2023. He was the first non-quarterback selected in 2024.

Smith-Njigba:

I didn't go with the consensus prior to the 2023 draft, ranking Smith-Njigba as my top wide receiver -- ahead of Zay Flowers and Jordan Addison -- and the No. 5 overall player on my board. My faith has paid off; JSN broke out as one of the league's best receivers last season, leading the NFL with 1,793 receiving yards. He had 119 catches and 10 touchdowns en route to NFL Offensive Player of the Year honors. He was rewarded with a four-year, $168.6 million extension on Monday, the highest ever for a wide receiver.

The 6-foot, 197-pounder was knocked by some evaluators as a "slot-only" prospect due to his limited size and average speed, but his ability to get open as a route runner stood out. I loved his quickness in and out of his breaks and overall body control.

"He was the most polished receiver of the group [dating to 2022] and could teach a clinic on route running and leverage," said an NFL general manager.

Wilson:

Wilson and teammate Chris Olave started the current run of superstar Buckeyes receivers. The 6-foot, 183-pound Wilson wowed at the combine with a 4.38-second time in the 40-yard-dash that cemented his stock as a top-15 prospect. It was the cherry on top of three seasons in Columbus that saw him emerge as an ace yards-after-catch player with great play strength on a smaller frame. Wilson left Ohio State with 23 career touchdowns, highlighted by a breakout junior season in 2021; he had 70 receptions for 1,058 receiving yards and 12 scores that year despite sharing the target load with Olave and Smith-Njigba.

Tate:

Like several receivers on this list, Tate was never the No. 1 target in Columbus. Even in his final season, he was the secondary option behind Jeremiah Smith. But he has been able to impress in a No. 2 role with his routes, toughness and ability to play above the rim.

"You watch his route running and his body control, and tell me that's not Justin Jefferson at LSU," said an NFC area scout.

Tate wins like Jefferson does -- with timing, body control and quick cuts that allow him to separate with or without the ball. The 6-foot-2, 192-pound Tate plays much bigger than his listed size, too.

Olave:

I consider Olave a personal miss, as I had him lower in my predraft rankings than most. He tested much better than I expected at the 2022 combine, highlighted by his 4.39 40-yard dash. At 6-foot, 187 pounds, Olave was seen by scouts as an NFL-ready route runner with good vertical speed and exceptionally smooth movements throughout the route tree.

Egbuka:

Egbuka left Ohio State after four seasons, three of which he served as the team's No. 2 wide receiver. He was widely praised by scouts in the predraft process for his toughness, leadership and team-first mentality. A captain for the Buckeyes' 2024 national championship squad, Egbuka was fearless over the middle and in traffic despite being just 6-foot-1 and 202 pounds. And like many of the receivers on this list, he was a polished route runner with sure hands.