Kayden McDonald falls, other Buckeyes rise in ESPN two-round mock draft
COLUMBUS — Ohio State defensive tackle Kayden McDonald was one of the best defensive tackles in the country last season. He became a unanimous All-American selection for the Buckeyes.
And he left the program early because he’s expected to become a first-round draft choice in this spring’s NFL Draft. But one new mock draft, from Matt Miller over at ESPN, has the Buckeyes superstar falling into the second round of his first two-round mock draft for the upcoming selection process.
Miller has McDonald waiting until the second day of the draft — but coming off the board at the top of the second round. He has the star defensive tackle going at No. 33 overall to the New York Jets. And here’s what Miller had to say about McDonald:
The Jets traded away Quinnen Williams at the trade deadline, but there was a discussion about improving the run defense before that move. McDonald projects as a starter-level nose tackle or 1-technique with the power to keep the linebackers behind him clean and run lanes stuffed.
– Matt Miller, ESPN
Miller does, however, have four different Ohio State stars going off the big board in the first round of the upcoming NFL Draft.
It starts with Arvell Reese, who Miller has going No. 2 overall to those same New York Jets, giving New York two new Ohio State stars to go with Garrett Wilson at wide receiver, Jeremy Ruckert at tight end and Josh Myers at center. Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza is heading to the Las Vegas Raiders with the No. 1 overall pick ahead of Reese in Miller’s latest mock draft.
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Miller has the New York Giants taking now-former Ohio State star wide receiver Carnell Tate with the No. 5 overall pick. Tate is Miller’s top wide receiver taken in the draft.
A third Ohio State star is off the board in the top 10 of Miller’s two-round mock draft. Safety Caleb Downs heads to Washington to play for the Commanders, selected No. 7 overall in Miller’s mock draft as the top safety in the draft. And Miller has linebacker Sonny Styles going No. 12 overall to the Dallas Cowboys, a very popular selection among NFL Draft experts and their mock drafts.
So that’s five Buckeyes in the top 33 selections. And even with McDonald’s surprise fall to the second round of Matt Miller’s mock draft, the board is loaded with now-former Ohio State superstars from this past season.