How many NFL first-round picks has Ohio State had? More than any other college football team

Ohio State is expected to add to its long list of NFL first-round draft picks Thursday night.

The Buckeyes have more NFL first-round picks than any other team in college football, coming into the 2023 draft with 87: four more than Southern California (83) and nine more than Alabama (76).

In 2023, Ohio State is expected to add three more players to that list with quarterback C.J. Stroud, offensive tackle Paris Johnson Jr. and wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba each predicted to be selected in the first 31 picks Thursday night.

2023 NFL draft coverage: What you need to know about C.J. Stroud, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and the 2023 NFL draft

Here's a look at Ohio State football's history of first-round NFL draft picks:

When was the last time Ohio State football didn't have a first-round draft pick?

Should all go as expected, this will be the eighth straight year that OSU has had a first-round draft pick. The streak starts in 2016 when a remarkable five Buckeyes were taken. In 2015, the first Ohio State player to hear his name called was wide receiver Devin Smith, who went in the second round (No. 37 overall) to the New York Jets.

Who was the first Ohio State football player to be selected in the NFL draft?

Ohio State's first-ever first-round pick in the NFL draft didn't come until 1938.

In the first two NFL drafts, the Buckeyes had five players selected, but no first-round picks. In 1938, half back/full back Jim McDonald changed that, going No. 2 overall to the Philadelphia Eagles after being a senior All-American half back and quarterback for Ohio State in 1937.

McDonald never played for the Eagles, but instead played two seasons with the Detroit Lions.

How many No. 1 picks has Ohio State football had in the NFL draft?

Since the NFL draft's inception in 1936, Ohio State has had three No. 1 overall picks.

Linebacker Tom Cousineau was the Buckeyes' first No. 1 pick in 1979 to the Buffalo Bills. He played six seasons in the NFL for the Cleveland Browns and San Francisco 49ers from 1982-87. He was named to the NFL All-Rookie team in 1982 and was either first- or second-team All-Pro in 1983 and 1984 by multiple publications.

Defensive tackle Dan Wilkinson turned a first-overall selection out of Ohio State in 1994 into a 13-year career with the Cincinnati Bengals, Washington Redskins, Detroit Lions and Miami Dolphins, recording 390 tackles, 39 tackles-for-loss and 54.5 sacks.

Offensive tackle Orlando Pace was Ohio State's most recent No. 1 overall pick. He was the first name called in the 1997 draft to the St. Louis Rams before amounting to a Hall of Fame career where he played in seven Pro Bowls.

Ohio State football NFL first-round draft picks by position

Ohio State's 87 first-round draft picks have been spread out across both the offense and defense.

The Buckeyes have had 46 offensive players selected in the first round of the NFL draft including 15 running backs, half backs or fullbacks and 12 offensive tackles. On defense, Ohio State has had 41 first-round selections, including 11 linebackers and 15 cornerbacks.

Offense

• Quarterback: 4

• Running back (includes half back and full back): 15

• Wide receiver: 7

• Tight end: 1

• Offensive tackle: 12

• Offensive guard: 4

• Center: 3

Defense

• Defensive end: 7

• Defensive tackle: 3

• Linebacker: 11

• Safety: 4

• Cornerback: 15

• Defensive back: 1

Ohio State football NFL first-round draft picks by team

Twenty-seven NFL teams have selected Ohio State players in the first round of the NFL draft. Twenty-three of those teams have selected a Buckeye in the first round more than once, including the Chicago Bears, New York Jets and New Orleans Saints, who have each picked Ohio State players in the first round six different times.

• Chicago Bears: 6

• New York Jets: 6

• New Orleans Saints: 6

• Indianapolis (Baltimore) Colts: 5

• Buffalo Bills: 5

• Las Vegas (Oakland) Raiders: 5

• Detroit Lions: 4

• San Francisco 49ers: 4

• Cleveland Browns: 4

• Pittsburgh Steelers: 4

• New England (Boston) Patriots: 4

• Los Angeles (St. Louis) Rams: 4

• Green Bay Packers: 3

• Minnesota Vikings: 3

• New York Giants: 3

• Cincinnati Bengals: 3

• Philadelphia Eagles: 2

• Denver Broncos: 2

• Los Angeles (San Diego) Chargers: 2

• Arizona Cardinals: 2

• Seattle Seahawks: 2

• Dallas Cowboys: 2

• Washington Commanders (Redskins, Football Team): 2

• Tennessee Titans (Houston Oilers): 1

• Miami Dolphins: 1

• Carolina Panthers: 1

• Atlanta Falcons: 1

Here's which NFL first-round picks have come from Ohio State

• 1938: HB/FB Jim McDonald, No. 2 Philadelphia Eagles

• 1941: QB Don Scott, No. 9 Chicago Bears

• 1950: RB Fred "Curly" Morrison, No. 10 Chicago Bears

• 1956: HB Howard "Hopalong" Cassady, No. 3 Detroit Lions

• 1957: OG Jim Parker, No. 8 Baltimore Colts

• 1959: RB Don Clark, No. 7 Chicago Bears

• 1959: C Dan James, No. 8 San Francisco 49ers

• 1960: DE Jim Houston, No. 8 Cleveland Browns

• 1961: RB Tom Matte, No. 7 Baltimore Colts

• 1962: RB Bob Ferguson, No. 5 Pittsburgh Steelers

• 1962: OG Mike Ingram, No. 31 Boston Patriots

• 1963: OT Bob Vogel, No. 5 Baltimore Colts

• 1963: OT Daryl Sanders, No. 12 Detroit Lions

• 1964: HB Paul Warfield, No. 11 Cleveland Browns

• 1965: OT Jim Davidson, No. 8 Buffalo Bills

• 1969: OT Rufus Mayes, No. 14 Chicago Bears

• 1969: OT Dave Foley, No. 26 New York Jets

• 1971: RB John Brockington, No. 9 Green Bay Packers

• 1971: SAF Jack Tatum, No. 19 Oakland Raiders

• 1971: DB William Tim Anderson, No. 23 San Francisco 49ers

• 1971: RB Leo Hayden, No. 24 Minnesota Vikings

• 1974: OG John Hicks, No. 3 New York Giants

• 1974: LB Rick Middleton, No. 13 New Orleans Saints

• 1974: LB Randy Gradishar, No. 14 Denver Broncos

• 1975: OT Kurt Schumacher, No. 12 New Orleans Saints

• 1975: OT Doug France, No. 20 L.A. Rams

• 1975: CB Neal Colzie, No. 24 Oakland Raiders

• 1976: SAF Tim Fox, No. 21 New England Patriots

• 1976: RB Archie Griffin, No. 24 Cincinnati Bengals

• 1977: LB Bob Brudzinski, No. 23 L.A. Rams

• 1978: OT Chris Ward, No. 4 New York Jets

• 1979: LB Tom Cousineau, No. 1 Buffalo Bills

• 1982: QB Art Schlichter, No. 4 Baltimore Colts

• 1984: OG William Roberts, No. 27 New York Giants

• 1985: OT Jim Lachey, No. 12 San Diego Chargers

• 1986: RB Keith Byars, No. 10 Philadelphia Eagles

• 1988: OLB Eric Kumerow, No. 16 Miami Dolphins

• 1991: CB Vinnie Clark, No. 19 Green Bay Packers

• 1992: DE Alonzo Spellman, No. 22 Chicago Bears

• 1993: RB Robert Smith, No. 21 Minnesota Vikings

• 1994: DT Dan Wilkinson, No. 1 Cincinnati Bengals

• 1995: WR Joey Galloway, No. 8 Seattle Seahawks

• 1995: OT Korey Stinger, No. 24 Minnesota Vikings

• 1995: LB Craig Powell, No. 30 Cleveland Browns

• 1996: WR Terry Glenn, No. 7 New England Patriots

• 1996: TE Rickey Dudley, No. 9 Oakland Raiders

• 1996: RB Eddie George, No. 14 Houston Oilers

• 1997: OT Orlando Pace, No. 1 St. Louis Rams

• 1997: CB Shawn Springs, No. 3 Seattle Seahawks

• 1999: WR David Boston, No. 8 Arizona Cardinals

• 1999: CB Antoine Winfield, No. 23 Buffalo Bills

• 1999: LB Andy Katzenmoyer, No. 28 New England Patriots

• 2000: CB Ahmed Plummer, No. 24 San Francisco 49ers

• 2001: CB Nate Clements, No. 21 Buffalo Bills

• 2001: DT Ryan Pickett, No. 29 St. Louis Rams

• 2004: DE Will Smith, No. 18 New Orleans Saints

• 2004: CB Chris Gamble, No. 28 Carolina Panthers

• 2004: WR Michael Jenkins, No. 29 Atlanta Falcons

• 2006: LB A.J. Hawk, No. 5 Green Bay Packers

• 2006: SAF Donte Whitner, No. 8 Buffalo Bills

• 2006: LB Bobby Carpenter, No. 18 Dallas Cowboys

• 2006: WR Santonio Holmes, No. 25 Pittsburgh Steelers

• 2006: C Nick Mangold, No. 29 New York Jets

• 2007: DE Vernon Gholston, No. 6 New York Jets

• 2009: CB Malcolm Jenkins, No. 14 New Orleans Saints

• 2009: RB Beanie Wells, No. 31 Arizona Cardinals

• 2011: DT Cameron Heyward, No. 31 Pittsburgh Steelers

• 2014: LB Ryan Shazier, No. 15 Pittsburgh Steelers

• 2014: CB Bradley Roby, No. 31 Denver Broncos

• 2016: DE Joey Bosa, No. 2 San Diego Chargers

• 2016: RB Ezekiel Elliott, No. 4 Dallas Cowboys

• 2016: CB Eli Apple, No. 10 New York Giants

• 2016: OT Taylor Decker, No. 16 Detroit Lions

• 2016: LB Darron Lee, No. 20 New York Jets

• 2017: CB Marshon Lattimore, No. 11 New Orleans Saints

• 2017: SAF Malik Hooker, No. 15 Indianapolis Colts

• 2017: CB Gareon Conley, No. 24 Oakland Raiders

• 2018: CB Denzel Ward, No. 4 Cleveland Browns

• 2018: C Billy Price, No. 21 Cincinnati Bengals

• 2019: DE Nick Bosa, No. 2 San Francisco 49ers

• 2019: QB Dwayne Haskins, No. 15 Washington Redskins

• 2020: DE Chase Young, No. 2 Washington Football Team

• 2020: CB Jeff Okudah, No. 3 Detroit Lions

• 2020: CB Damon Arnette, No. 19 Las Vegas Raiders

• 2021: QB Justin Fields, No. 11 Chicago Bears

• 2022: WR Garrett Wilson, No. 10 New York Jets

• 2022: WR Chris Olave, No. 11 New Orleans Saints

When is the first round of the 2023 NFL draft?

The NFL draft kicks off at 8 p.m. Thursday, with festivities this year being held in Kansas City, Missouri.

The Carolina Panthers own the No. 1, the result of a trade with the Chicago Bears. The Cleveland Browns traded away their first-round selection, and the Cincinnati Bengals are slated to pick twenty-eighth.

How can I watch the first round of the 2023 NFL draft?

The first round of the NFL draft will be broadcast on NFL Network, ESPN, and ABC.

You can also listen to the draft on the radio. It will air on 97.1 FM starting with a pre-draft special at 6 p.m.

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: A look at Ohio State football's history of NFL draft first-round picks