Buckeyes bang the Draft

[The Gipper]

Ohio State entered the 2020 NFL Draft in a tie with USC for the most-ever first-round draft selections, with both programs sitting on 81 players selected in the first round of the draft. It didn't take long for that to change.

The Buckeyes took sole possession of the NFL all-time record for first-round picks with the second selection when defensive end Chase Young went No. 2 overall to the Washington Redskins. Quickly the Scarlet and Gray jumped ahead by two picks when cornerback Jeff Okudah went No. 2 overall to the Detroit Lions.

And the lead increased two hours later when cornerback Damon Arnette went to the Las Vegas Raiders with the 19th overall pick.

These three picks made history in another way on Thursday night as well. With the selection of Young -- and subsequently Okudah -- Ohio State became the first team in NFL history to have a defensive player selected in the top five picks in three consecutive drafts. In 2018, cornerback Denzel Ward went No. 4 overall to the Cleveland Browns and last year, Nick Bosa was selected third overall by the San Francisco 49ers. With Young's selection, the Buckeyes are now even more entrenched in NFL Draft history.

In the last five NFL Drafts, only Alabama has had more first-round picks than the Scarlet and Gray, who now have multiple first-round selections in five consecutive years. The selections of Young, Okudah and Arnette take Ohio State's total to 15 first-round picks in this stretch.

he Young and Okudah picks make it the second time in the last five years Ohio State has had two top-five picks after defensive end Joey Bosa went No. 3 to the San Deigo Chargers and running back Ezekiel Elliott went No. 5 to the Dallas Cowboys in 2016. The Buckeyes also had two top-five picks in 1997 when offensive tackle Orlando Pace went No. 1 overall to the St. Louis Rams and cornerback Shawn Springs was selected third overall by the Seattle Seahawks.

Since the NFL Draft went to its current seven-round formula in 1994, the Scarlet and Gray owns records for the most first-round selections (44), the most overall selections (164), the most top-10 picks (15), the most defensive backs selected (40) and the most multiple top-10 picks in a given draft (2019, 2016, 2006, 1997, 1996). In the last 20 years, the Buckeyes have produced the most overall selections, 132. That is 14 more than the next best team, Alabama.

By Patrick Murphy