Former Ohio State players made plenty of noise in the NFL during the 2024-25 season.

Ohio State’s Top 10 Players of the 2024-25 NFL Season.

Former Ohio State players made plenty of noise in the NFL during the 2024-25 season.

 

A total of 60 former Ohio State players who finished their college careers with the Buckeyes played in at least one NFL game this season. Standout performers included a trio of 1,000-yard receivers, an All-Pro defensive tackle who continues to defy Father Time, a cornerback who led the NFL in pass breakups, a running back who returned to form after multiple injury-plagued seasons, two of the NFL’s top edge defenders, an emerging star left tackle and a quarterback who led his team to its second division title in as many seasons.

 

With the NFL season now officially complete after Parris Campbell and the Philadelphia Eagles beat the Kansas City Chiefs in Sunday’s Super Bowl, we count down the 10 former Ohio State players who had the best seasons in the NFL over the past year. (Note: Only players who finished their college careers at Ohio State were considered for inclusion.)

 

10. C.J. Stroud, QB, Houston Texans

Regular Season Stats: 336-of-532 (63.2%), 3,727 yards, 20 TD, 12 INT; 52 carries, 233 yards

Playoff Stats: 41-of-61 (67.2%), 527 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT; 12 carries, 84 yards (2 games)

 

Stroud earns the last spot on our top-10 countdown this year after ranking as Ohio State’s No. 1 player in the NFL last year.

 

While Stroud wasn’t as efficient in his second NFL season as he was as a rookie, he was still good enough to lead the Texans to an AFC South title and a first-round playoff win for the second year in a row. His 3,727 passing yards were the second-most ever for an NFL quarterback from Ohio State – behind only his rookie season – and the 15th-most in the NFL in 2024.

 

A porous Texans offensive line and injuries at the wide receiver position made life difficult for Stroud in his sophomore season, but he still led the Texans to 11 wins between the regular season and postseason, showing his capability of being one of the NFL’s elite quarterbacks for years to come.

. J.K. Dobbins, RB, Los Angeles Chargers

Regular Season Stats: 195 carries, 905 yards, 9 TD; 32 catches, 153 yards

Playoff Stats: 9 carries, 26 yards (1 game)

 

After playing in just 10 total games from 2021-23 due to knee and Achilles injuries that threatened to end his career, Dobbins bounced back in a big way in his first season with the Chargers to re-emerge as one of the NFL’s best running backs.

 

Dobbins finished second in the vote for the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year award as he rushed for 905 yards and nine touchdowns on 195 carries while also catching 32 passes for 153 yards, setting or matching career-highs in all categories despite missing four games. He finished the year 10th in the NFL in rushing yards per game (69.6) while helping the Chargers earn a wild-card berth in the playoffs.

Paris Johnson Jr., LT, Arizona Cardinals

Regular Season Stats: 14 starts at left tackle, four sacks allowed in 483 pass-blocking snaps

 

While Stroud took a step back in his second NFL season, Ohio State’s other top-10 pick from the 2023 draft took a big step forward to emerge as one of the NFL’s top young offensive tackles.

 

Johnson led the way up front for the Cardinals to rank second in the NFL in rushing yards per attempt with 5.3 yards per carry this season. He also allowed just four sacks in 14 starts as the Cardinals’ left tackle, allowing Arizona to rank fifth in the NFL in sacks allowed (30). Pro Football Focus gave Johnson the 12th-highest overall grade (80.8) of any offensive tackle for the season.

 

7. Jonathon Cooper, OLB, Denver Broncos

Regular Season Stats: 58 tackles, 11 TFL, 10.5 sacks, 20 QB hits, 51 QB pressures, 1 PD, 1 FF

Playoff Stats: 3 tackles (1 game)

 

Cooper continues to be one of Ohio State’s best NFL success stories as the 2021 seventh-round draft pick notched his first double-digit sack season in 2024, accumulating 10.5 quarterback takedowns while helping lead the Broncos to their first playoff appearance in nine years.

 

Highly productive as both a pass-rusher and run defender, Cooper was one of the leaders of a Broncos defense that ranked third in the NFL with only 18.3 points allowed per game. He was one of only seven NFL players to record more than 50 total tackles and double-digit sacks during the 2024 regular season.

 

6. Nick Bosa, DE, San Francisco 49ers

Regular Season Stats: 52 tackles, 15 TFL, 9 sacks, 24 QB hits, 61 QB pressures, 1 INT, 1 PD, 1 FF, 1 FR

 

By his standards, 2024 was a down year for Bosa. Yet he was still one of the best defensive ends in the NFL.

 

Bosa failed to reach double-digit sacks for the first time in four years and the 49ers were one of the NFL’s most disappointing teams as they failed to make the playoffs. But Bosa was graded by Pro Football Focus as the NFL’s fourth-best edge defender (91.0) and was selected to the Pro Bowl for the fifth time in six NFL seasons. Bosa’s 24 quarterback hits tied for the seventh-most in the NFL this season while his 15 tackles for loss tied for 13th and his 61 total quarterback pressures tied for 12th.

Garrett Wilson, WR, New York Jets

Regular Season Stats: 101 catches, 1,104 yards, 7 TD

 

Wilson’s lone season catching passes from Aaron Rodgers didn’t result in the team success that it was supposed to for the New York Jets, but it did result in Wilson’s most productive season yet as an NFL wide receiver.

 

Wilson set career-highs in receptions (101), receiving yards (1,104) and touchdowns (seven) in his third NFL season, finishing seventh in the league in catches and 14th in the league in receiving yards. He became just the 10th player in NFL history to top 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first three NFL seasons.

 

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle Seahawks

Regular Season Stats: 100 catches, 1,130 yards, 6 TD

 

Much like at Ohio State, Smith-Njigba’s production exploded in his second season in the NFL as he emerged as one of the league’s elite receivers.

 

Leading all NFL receivers in catches and yards out of the slot this season according to PFF, Smith-Njigba tied a Seahawks franchise record with 100 catches (tied for ninth-most in the NFL) and had the 12th-most receiving yards in the NFL with 1,130. In recognition of his excellent second season, he earned the opportunity to participate in his first Pro Bowl as an alternate.

3. Denzel Ward, CB, Cleveland Browns

Regular Season Stats: 49 tackles, 2 INT, 19 PD, 1 TFL, 1 QB hit, 1 FF, 1 FR

 

Ward continued to be one of the NFL’s elite cornerbacks in 2024 as he led the entire league with 19 passes defensed.

 

One of the few bright spots for a Browns team that went 3-14 in 2024, Ward made his fourth Pro Bowl in seven NFL seasons. He just narrowly missed earning second-team All-Pro honors by finishing fifth in All-Pro cornerback voting.

 

2. Cameron Heyward, DT, Pittsburgh Steelers

Regular Season Stats: 71 tackles, 12 TFL, 8 sacks, 20 QB hits, 11 PD

Playoff Stats: 10 tackles, 2 TFL (1 game)

 

Age continued to be nothing but a number for Heyward in 2024 as the 35-year-old had one of his most dominant years yet in his 14th NFL season. Further ensuring that he’ll be a future Pro Football Hall of Famer, Heyward earned first-team NFL All-Pro honors for the fourth time in his career and made his seventh Pro Bowl in eight years.

 

His 71 total tackles in the regular season were the fourth-most among NFL defensive linemen while he had five more pass breakups (11) than any other NFL defensive linemen. His excellence as both a run-stopper and pass-rusher led the way for a defensive-driven Steelers team to win 10 games, and PFF graded Heyward as the NFL’s second-best defensive tackle for the season (90.1).

 

 

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Ohio State’s Top 10 Players of the 2024-25 NFL Season

By Dan Hope on February 10, 2025 at 8:35 am @dan_hope

Terry McLaurin

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Former Ohio State players made plenty of noise in the NFL during the 2024-25 season.

 

A total of 60 former Ohio State players who finished their college careers with the Buckeyes played in at least one NFL game this season. Standout performers included a trio of 1,000-yard receivers, an All-Pro defensive tackle who continues to defy Father Time, a cornerback who led the NFL in pass breakups, a running back who returned to form after multiple injury-plagued seasons, two of the NFL’s top edge defenders, an emerging star left tackle and a quarterback who led his team to its second division title in as many seasons.

 

With the NFL season now officially complete after Parris Campbell and the Philadelphia Eagles beat the Kansas City Chiefs in Sunday’s Super Bowl, we count down the 10 former Ohio State players who had the best seasons in the NFL over the past year. (Note: Only players who finished their college careers at Ohio State were considered for inclusion.)

 

10. C.J. Stroud, QB, Houston Texans

Regular Season Stats: 336-of-532 (63.2%), 3,727 yards, 20 TD, 12 INT; 52 carries, 233 yards

Playoff Stats: 41-of-61 (67.2%), 527 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT; 12 carries, 84 yards (2 games)

 

Stroud earns the last spot on our top-10 countdown this year after ranking as Ohio State’s No. 1 player in the NFL last year.

 

While Stroud wasn’t as efficient in his second NFL season as he was as a rookie, he was still good enough to lead the Texans to an AFC South title and a first-round playoff win for the second year in a row. His 3,727 passing yards were the second-most ever for an NFL quarterback from Ohio State – behind only his rookie season – and the 15th-most in the NFL in 2024.

 

A porous Texans offensive line and injuries at the wide receiver position made life difficult for Stroud in his sophomore season, but he still led the Texans to 11 wins between the regular season and postseason, showing his capability of being one of the NFL’s elite quarterbacks for years to come.

 

 

9. J.K. Dobbins, RB, Los Angeles Chargers

Regular Season Stats: 195 carries, 905 yards, 9 TD; 32 catches, 153 yards

Playoff Stats: 9 carries, 26 yards (1 game)

 

After playing in just 10 total games from 2021-23 due to knee and Achilles injuries that threatened to end his career, Dobbins bounced back in a big way in his first season with the Chargers to re-emerge as one of the NFL’s best running backs.

 

Dobbins finished second in the vote for the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year award as he rushed for 905 yards and nine touchdowns on 195 carries while also catching 32 passes for 153 yards, setting or matching career-highs in all categories despite missing four games. He finished the year 10th in the NFL in rushing yards per game (69.6) while helping the Chargers earn a wild-card berth in the playoffs.

 

 

8. Paris Johnson Jr., LT, Arizona Cardinals

Regular Season Stats: 14 starts at left tackle, four sacks allowed in 483 pass-blocking snaps

 

While Stroud took a step back in his second NFL season, Ohio State’s other top-10 pick from the 2023 draft took a big step forward to emerge as one of the NFL’s top young offensive tackles.

 

Johnson led the way up front for the Cardinals to rank second in the NFL in rushing yards per attempt with 5.3 yards per carry this season. He also allowed just four sacks in 14 starts as the Cardinals’ left tackle, allowing Arizona to rank fifth in the NFL in sacks allowed (30). Pro Football Focus gave Johnson the 12th-highest overall grade (80.8) of any offensive tackle for the season.

 

7. Jonathon Cooper, OLB, Denver Broncos

Regular Season Stats: 58 tackles, 11 TFL, 10.5 sacks, 20 QB hits, 51 QB pressures, 1 PD, 1 FF

Playoff Stats: 3 tackles (1 game)

 

Cooper continues to be one of Ohio State’s best NFL success stories as the 2021 seventh-round draft pick notched his first double-digit sack season in 2024, accumulating 10.5 quarterback takedowns while helping lead the Broncos to their first playoff appearance in nine years.

 

Highly productive as both a pass-rusher and run defender, Cooper was one of the leaders of a Broncos defense that ranked third in the NFL with only 18.3 points allowed per game. He was one of only seven NFL players to record more than 50 total tackles and double-digit sacks during the 2024 regular season.

 

6. Nick Bosa, DE, San Francisco 49ers

Regular Season Stats: 52 tackles, 15 TFL, 9 sacks, 24 QB hits, 61 QB pressures, 1 INT, 1 PD, 1 FF, 1 FR

 

By his standards, 2024 was a down year for Bosa. Yet he was still one of the best defensive ends in the NFL.

 

Bosa failed to reach double-digit sacks for the first time in four years and the 49ers were one of the NFL’s most disappointing teams as they failed to make the playoffs. But Bosa was graded by Pro Football Focus as the NFL’s fourth-best edge defender (91.0) and was selected to the Pro Bowl for the fifth time in six NFL seasons. Bosa’s 24 quarterback hits tied for the seventh-most in the NFL this season while his 15 tackles for loss tied for 13th and his 61 total quarterback pressures tied for 12th.

 

 

5. Garrett Wilson, WR, New York Jets

Regular Season Stats: 101 catches, 1,104 yards, 7 TD

 

Wilson’s lone season catching passes from Aaron Rodgers didn’t result in the team success that it was supposed to for the New York Jets, but it did result in Wilson’s most productive season yet as an NFL wide receiver.

 

Wilson set career-highs in receptions (101), receiving yards (1,104) and touchdowns (seven) in his third NFL season, finishing seventh in the league in catches and 14th in the league in receiving yards. He became just the 10th player in NFL history to top 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first three NFL seasons.

 

 

4. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle Seahawks

Regular Season Stats: 100 catches, 1,130 yards, 6 TD

 

Much like at Ohio State, Smith-Njigba’s production exploded in his second season in the NFL as he emerged as one of the league’s elite receivers.

 

Leading all NFL receivers in catches and yards out of the slot this season according to PFF, Smith-Njigba tied a Seahawks franchise record with 100 catches (tied for ninth-most in the NFL) and had the 12th-most receiving yards in the NFL with 1,130. In recognition of his excellent second season, he earned the opportunity to participate in his first Pro Bowl as an alternate.

 

 

3. Denzel Ward, CB, Cleveland Browns

Regular Season Stats: 49 tackles, 2 INT, 19 PD, 1 TFL, 1 QB hit, 1 FF, 1 FR

 

Ward continued to be one of the NFL’s elite cornerbacks in 2024 as he led the entire league with 19 passes defensed.

 

One of the few bright spots for a Browns team that went 3-14 in 2024, Ward made his fourth Pro Bowl in seven NFL seasons. He just narrowly missed earning second-team All-Pro honors by finishing fifth in All-Pro cornerback voting.

 

2. Cameron Heyward, DT, Pittsburgh Steelers

Regular Season Stats: 71 tackles, 12 TFL, 8 sacks, 20 QB hits, 11 PD

Playoff Stats: 10 tackles, 2 TFL (1 game)

 

Age continued to be nothing but a number for Heyward in 2024 as the 35-year-old had one of his most dominant years yet in his 14th NFL season. Further ensuring that he’ll be a future Pro Football Hall of Famer, Heyward earned first-team NFL All-Pro honors for the fourth time in his career and made his seventh Pro Bowl in eight years.

 

His 71 total tackles in the regular season were the fourth-most among NFL defensive linemen while he had five more pass breakups (11) than any other NFL defensive linemen. His excellence as both a run-stopper and pass-rusher led the way for a defensive-driven Steelers team to win 10 games, and PFF graded Heyward as the NFL’s second-best defensive tackle for the season (90.1).

 

Cameron Heyward

Despite turning 35 last May, Cameron Heyward remained one of the NFL’s elite defensive tackles in 2024. (Photo: Charles LeClaire – Imagn Images)

1. Terry McLaurin, WR, Washington Commanders

Regular Season Stats: 82 catches, 1,096 yards, 13 TD

Playoff Stats: 14 catches, 227 yards, 3 TD (3 games)

 

Factoring in both individual and team success, Terry McLaurin had the best year of any former Ohio State player in the NFL.

 

Individually, McLaurin firmly established himself as one of the NFL’s elite wide receivers as he finished second in the NFL with a Commanders-record 13 touchdowns during the regular season while also ranking 15th in receiving yards (1,096). He was selected as a second-team All-Pro for the first time in his NFL career and made his second Pro Bowl in three years.

 

Most importantly, McLaurin was one of the main catalysts in the Commanders making their first NFC Championship Game in 33 years before losing to the eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. He was just as good in the postseason as he was in the regular season, tying for the lead among all players in the playoffs with three touchdown catches and finishing third among all players in the playoffs with 227 receiving yards, all the while providing exemplary leadership for the Commanders both on and off the field.