COLUMBUS, Ohio -- An Ohio State-record tying five Buckeyes were selected in the first-round of the 2016 NFL Draft Thursday evening at the Auditorium Theater in Chicago. The five No. 1 selections are the second-most ever for a first round at the draft, tying the 2006 Ohio State class for that distinction. The five first-round Buckeyes feature three of the Top 10 picks in the draft, a first for Ohio State's program. The picks:
- DE Joey Bosa, the overall No. 3 pick of the 2016 NFL Draft, chosen by the San Diego Chargers;
- RB Ezekiel Elliott was taken with the fourth overall pick by the Dallas Cowboys;
- CB Eli Apple went to the New York Giants with the No. 10 pick;
- OT Taylor Decker was selected with the No. 16 pick by the Detroit Lions; and
- LB Darron Lee was the No. 20 pick overall, by the New York Jets.
Ohio State also produced five first-round picks in 2006 with LB A.J. Hawk going No. 5 to Green Bay, SAF Donte Whitner going No. 8 to Buffalo, LB Bobby Carpenter the No. 18 pick, to Dallas, WR Santonio Holmes went No. 28 to Pittsburgh and Nick Mangold went one pick later to the New York Jets. Miami has the record with six No. 1 picks in 2004.
Four of the Buckeyes in this draft's first round were part of coach Urban Meyer's 2013 recruiting class: Apple, Bosa, Elliott and Lee.
Bosa, the two-time consensus All-American and Big Ten defensive lineman of the year, becomes the seventh defensive lineman that Ohio State defensive line coach Larry Johnson has mentored into a first-round NFL Draft pick. Bosa, from St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., ranks third at Ohio State all-time in quarterback sacks (26) and tackles-for-loss (50.5).
Elliott, second on Ohio State's all-time rushing charts with 3,961 career yards, is Ohio State's highest-drafted running back and one of the Top 5 highest-drafted running backs in the history of the Big Ten Conference (in the modern era; since 1967). Nationally, he is the second-highest drafted running back overall in the last 10 years. From St. Louis and John Burrought H.S., Elliott was coached by Tony Alford this past season and current Bears assistant Stan Drayton in 2013-14.
Highest Drafted Running Backs -- Big Ten Conference
Modern Era (1967-on ...)
No. 1 -- Ki-Jana Carter, Penn State (1995)
No. 2 -- Clint Jones, Michigan State (1967)
No. 3 -- LeRoy Keys, Purdue (1969)
No. 4 -- Ezekiel Elliott, Ohio State (2016)
No. 5 -- Curtis Enis, Penn State (1998)
Apple, from Voorhees, N.J., and Eastern High School, is the second Ohio State cornerback in the last three years to go in the first round of the draft, after Bradley Roby was chosen by Denver in the first round in 2013. Apple extends Ohio State assistant Kerry Coombs' run of starting cornerbacks at Ohio State reaching the NFL to four in four years (Pittsburgh's Doran Grant and current free agent Travis Howard are the others). Coombs also had four of his Cincinnati Bearcat defensive backs drafted into the NFL in his five seasons there.
Decker, from Vandalia, Ohio, and Vandalia High School, becomes the fourth Ohio State offensive lineman drafted in the past four years, all under the direction of Ed Warinner. The 2015 consensus All-American, team captain and Big Ten Conference offensive lineman of the year is now part of an impressive corps of Buckeye offensive lineman who were first-round picks, including Orlando Pace, Korey Stringer, Nick Mangold, Jim Lachey, John Hicks and Chris Ward.
Lee, from the Columbus suburb of New Albany, adds to Ohio State's impressive linebacker lore, joining a list of Buckeye linebackers drafted in the first round that includes standouts like Randy Gradishar, Tom Cousineau, Andy Katzenmoyer, A.J. Hawk and Ryan Shazier. What is remarkable is he came to Ohio State as a 205-pound "athlete" who founded a home at linebacker under the tutelage of Luke Fickell and just 28 starts later he is in the NFL.
Ohio State second in No. 1s
The five first-round selections in this draft increased Ohio State's first-round total to 74 players. Only one school -- USC with 79 -- has more first-round picks than Ohio State.
Continuing coverage of the NFL Draft
Rounds 2-3 of the 2016 NFL Draft will be held on Friday with Rounds 4-7 on Saturday. Coach Urban Meyer will appear on the NFL Network's studio show Friday evening for its second and third round coverage.
Meyer will join the NFL Network crew of Rich Eisen, Charles Davis and Mike Mayock in watching and commenting on what hopefully will be an all night parade of Buckeyes being drafted, with nine additional players who were invited to the NFL Combine under consideration: SAF Vonn Bell, QB Cardale Jones, WR Jalin Marshall, WR Braxton Miller, LB Joshua Perry, SAF Tyvis Powell, WR Michael Thomas, TE Nick Vannett, DL Adolphus Washington.
Representation
Ohio State has a load of football staff members in Chicago this weekend to salute and support their former players. In addition to coach Urban Meyer, assistant coaches in attendance include Kerry Coombs, Larry Johnson and Ed Warinner. Strength and conditioning coach Mick Marotti is also attending the draft as is player personnel/recruiting star Mark Pantoni and one of his creative assistants, Zach Swartz. Former Ohio State assistants Tom Herman and Chris Ash are also attending the draft this week.
(Ohio State press release)
