Three Buckeyes land on CBS Sports' top 50 2026 NFL Draft prospect list
COLUMBUS — Ohio State lost 14 players to NFL Draft selections and three others to NFL rookie contracts. The national champs are in the midst of replacing a ton of talent.
But the folks at CBS Sports still believe the Buckeyes have three more top-50 overall prospects for next spring’s NFL Draft still on the current roster that is looking to repeat as national champions.
Let’s break down what CBS Sports sees from the Buckeyes.
SAF Caleb Downs — No. 2 overall player
No safety has been selected in the top 10 of the NFL Draft since Jamal Adams in 2017. But Caleb Downs is a different level of player, and the too-early mock drafts absolutely love Downs as a potential top draft choice next spring. ESPN’s Jordan Reid recently called him “the complete package at safety — active, instinctive and capable of shutting down the middle of the field.” ProFootball Focus said Downs potentially “could go down as one of the greatest safety prospects in recent memory” last month.
And the folks at CBS Sports have him as the No. 2 overall prospect to know entering this season for the next NFL Draft in the spring.
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WR Carnell Tate — No. 39 overall
The buzz about Tate as the ‘next up’ from Ohio State has been growing since last season ended — and it’s continuing. CBS Sports has had Tate as a first-round pick since the too-early mock drafts started rolling out this spring following the 2025 draft but did say he “is far from a given, but one to watch in what may be another thin wide receiver group.”
For now, he’s in the top tier of prospects entering this season. We’ll see where he lands once he begins his junior campaign.
TE Max Klare — No. 46 overall
Max Klare has made a seamless transition into the Ohio State tight end room after posting 51 catches for 685 yards and four touchdowns as the leading receiver for Purdue last season. Now he’ll be a pass-catcher in an offense that also features elite wide receivers and running backs that will take defensive attention away from Klare — and he’ll have a better quarterback throwing him the ball. NFL folks are quite excited about what Klare could be as a pro prospect, and they’re excited to see him at Ohio State. He has potential to become a first-round selection with a good year.