The Associated Press is reporting that 10 Ohio State juniors submitted paperwork to gauge where they might be selected in the 2010 NFL Draft.
Ten Buckeyes submit NFL Draft paperwork
Head coach Jim Tressel wouldn’t say which players submitted paperwork, but he did say they were all starters.
That would include defensive ends Thaddeus Gibson and Cameron Heyward, linebackers Ross Homan and Brian Rolle, cornerbacks Chimdi Chekwa and Devon Torrence, tailback Brandon Saine, wide receiver Dane Sanzenbacher and offensive linemen Bryant Browning and Justin Boren.
“I’ve gotten a little bit of an early indication and shared it with the kids,” Tressel told the AP. “We tried to do that before they went home for Thanksgiving. The NFL was good and got us some early things (so) that way the kids could get home and talk a little bit with their folks.”
Clearly the two most intriguing players on Ohio State are Gibson and Heyward. Gibson, who has four sacks, projects as a 3-4 outside linebacker because of his agility and size. For those same reasons Heyward is considered one of the best 3-4 defensive end candidates in the nation.
Heyward leads Ohio State with 5.5 sacks this season and has been impressive against the run.
After the defensive linemen, Boren looks like he is the most ready for the NFL. A transfer from Michigan, Boren is a powerful and nasty interior lineman. He is Ohio State’s best run blocker and would be one of the first three or four guards taken.
Saine had somewhat of a breakthrough season with 926 rushing yards, but should return to Ohio State. As it stands, he would likely be taken outside of the top 100 picks.
Sanzenbacher is an intriguing player. He has shown flashes of being a very good receiver this season with 27 receptions for 506 yards and six touchdowns. His hands are solid and he runs good routes. But he only topped 100 yards once in 2009 and had just four catches over the final three games of the year.
Still, Ohio State has a good history of putting out NFL talent at wide receiver. While Ted Ginn and Brian Robiskie haven't had the success some expected, Brian Hartline and Anthony Gonzalez have exceeded expectations.
The remaining players should return to Columbus for another season. They all look like they have pro potential but are raw – particularly the defensive backs.
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