Now that the college football season is over, we’ll soon be turning our attention to the upcoming 2022 NFL Draft. There’s still NFL playoff football to watch, but the annual spectacle that is the draft will draw attention. everyone’s attention in the not too distant future.

On that note, whenever we talk about sending players to the NFL, Ohio State is usually in the equation that counts for players who come through the scene every year. With another generation of talented American footballers leaving OSU and heading to the highest level of play, that will certainly be the case in 2022.

We already had draft simulations that made the rounds months before all the shenanigans took place in Las Vegas, and we have our last first round update by Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz of USA TODAY, with a projection of which teams select in which slot.

Middlehurst-Schwartz has two Ohio State players in the first round and we’re here to keep you posted on what he’s thinking with his ear to all the whispers going on.

Here are the two players he thinks will go to the first round, who will select them and what he says about each.

WR Garrett Wilson – Drafted No. 13 by the Cleveland Browns

Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Garrett Wilson (5) celebrates after a long run during Saturday’s NCAA Division I football game against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on October 30, 2021. Credit: USA TODAY Sports

What Middlehurst-Schwartz says

“Cleveland seems content to sign up for another year of Baker Mayfield at starting quarterback, but that doesn’t mean passing offense should be the status quo. The receiving corps will need to be reworked, particularly if Jarvis Landry ends up being a loss of course. Electric after the reception, Wilson is exactly the kind of target Mayfield needs to make life easier on every try.

WR Chris Olave – Drafted No. 26 by Detroit Lions (from LA Rams)

November 20, 2021; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Chris Olave (2) celebrates his touchdown during the first quarter against the Michigan State Spartans at Ohio Stadium. Credit: Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports

What Middlehurst-Schwartz says

“Jared Goff ended the season on a comeback, thanks in large part to the late breakout of Amon-Ra St. Brown. Perhaps then it would be a good idea to invest in another polished and prolific target that can improve an otherwise fragile receiving corps. Olave offers know-how beyond his years in his precise route, and he should add a necessary vertical element to the passing attack.

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