Greg Schiano’s right about Ohio State’s DL having more talent than his NFL lines

Ohio State defensive coordinator Greg Schiano called his defense the “most talented” group he’d ever been around. Not all that unusual of a claim for a coach to make.

But then BTN asked him to specify about just the defensive line: Is that still true if we explicitly include his defenses in the NFL?

A smart question, but Schiano didn’t hesitate:

“It is. That’s not a joke. We had a great player in Tampa by the name of Gerald McCoy, but that was one guy. I go back to my days at Miami in ‘99 and 2000; this is clearly a better group than those guys. So that’s saying something.”

At that point, hoots and giggles emerged from the set. The 2000 Miami team finished one touchdown shy of the BCS Championship Game, Schiano was an assistant for a Penn State team that finished top 10 in points allowed and another that went 12-0, and he’s spent five years in the NFL. So this is quite a statement.

If recruiting ratings had been used back into the ‘80s, we could compare those. But they’re pretty new. Ohio State’s DL three-deep averages a blue-chip rating, which would suggest its raw talent stacks up with just about anybody’s.

So while there are a million ways to try and compare these groups, let’s use the NFL draft to gauge the talent on those teams.

Those ‘90s Penn State defenses were defined by their linebackers, with nine LBs drafted from 1991 through 1996.

Since only two defensive linemen were picked during that period, and Ohio State should top that number next year alone (Tyquan Lewis, Sam Hubbard, Jalyn Holmes, Dre’Mont Jones, Tracy Sprinkle, and Michael Hill are all potential 2018 picks) and then add to it later on, I think we can agree OSU’s DL group is more talented than those.

The 2013 Bucs DL included two first-round picks (McCoy and Adrian Clayborn), a third-rounder, and some later picks. They also had an undrafted guy by the name of Michael Bennett, whom Schiano’s staff moved to DT and who later became a Pro Bowl DE.

We also have to glance at the 1996 Bears, the best defense Schiano was part of in Chicago. It was led by former first-round pick Alonzo Spellman and third-rounder Jim Flanigan, plus another first-rounder and a second-rounder.

This OSU group could have as many first-round DL in 2018 as either of those teams had. Hubbard and Lewis, who both had more sacks than No. 3 pick Joey Bosa in 2015, are considered likely 2018 first-rounders, and that’s just the start.

The 2000 Canes DL had first-rounders Damione Lewis and William Joseph, plus later-round picks Jamaal Green and Matt Walters. Future first-rounder Jerome McDougle was a redshirt, so it’s clear what kind of Miami team we’re talking about.

This OSU group could wind up with more than three first-rounders, sure. Bosa’s younger brother, Nick, might usually come off the bench, if that tells you anything, and freshman Chase Young was the country’s second-highest-rated defensive recruit.

Schiano did an amazing job at Rutgers, but it would be mean to the Scarlet Knights to compare their NFL production at almost any point in history to Ohio State’s, no matter how much Bill Belichick likes them.

Seems like it, yeah.

This isn’t entirely a new thing, either. From 2016:

“I was on the phone with (a scout) just the other day ... he said, ‘I would trade our NFL defense right now for the Ohio State defense in a heartbeat. I’d do it right now,’” Daniel Jeremiah said Friday during NFL Network’s coverage of Ohio State’s pro day. “When you hear that you (think), ‘C’mon,’ but you start going through the three levels of the defense, and even some younger guys that aren’t eligible in this draft class. Oh my gosh, this is a loaded football team.”