Ohio State Owned Night 1 of the 2026 Draft and Nobody's Talking About It

When the dust settled on Thursday night in Pittsburgh, one school's name kept getting called. Ohio State didn't just have standouts in the first round of the 2026 NFL draft. They had an entire pipeline of talent walking across that stage like they owned the building.

The Buckeyes Took Over Round 1

Four Ohio State players heard their names on Night 1. C. Tate went fourth overall as a wide receiver, A. Reese came off the board at pick five as a linebacker, S. Styles landed at pick seven as another linebacker, and C. Downs came in at pick eleven as a safety. That's not a fluke. That's a statement.

For context, Reese made some serious noise just by being in the room. At 20 years and 236 days old, he became the third-youngest player selected in the top five since 2000, trailing only Kyle Pitts Sr. and Jamal Lewis. The kid hasn't even hit his physical prime and NFL teams are already betting big on his potential.

Mendoza Goes Where Everyone Saw Him Going

Fernando Mendoza, the predraft favorite from Indiana, went exactly where you'd expect. The Las Vegas Raiders locked him in at pick one on Thursday night. No surprises there. The QB from Indiana gets to start his professional career in Sin City.

Love Does Something Running Backs Haven't Done in 20 Years

Jeremiyah Love from Notre Dame became just the third running back selected in the top three over the past 20 drafts. Saquon Barkley did it in 2018. Trent Richardson did it in 2012. Now Love joins that exclusive club at pick three. He also tied for the highest-drafted running back in Arizona Cardinals history, matching Garrison Hearst, who was selected at the same spot back in 1993.

The first round is in the books, and the storylines are already writing themselves. Tune in for Round 2 and beyond.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.