Saturday’s Ohio State-Michigan game could feature a few future Patriots players
Each team has several players who appear to likely be selected in the first few rounds of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Saturday’s Ohio State-Michigan game will have major implications in the college football world, with two undefeated teams vying for a playoff spot and one side (Michigan) playing without its head coach amid a cheating scandal. There could also be many future NFL stars on the field as well.
There are at least a dozen players in Saturday’s game who already appear to be likely draft selections within the first four rounds of the 2024 NFL Draft. CBS Sports lists 10 Ohio State players and 10 more Michigan players in their to 125 prospects for the 2024 NFL Draft. Pro Football Focus lists five players on each team in its top 75 prospects for the 2024 NFL Draft list.
Several of those players could obviously be of interest to the Patriots, who find themselves already looking ahead to 2024 as they’re only one loss away from having a losing season in 2023. Entering Week 12 of the NFL season, the Patriots hold the No. 3 overall pick for the 2024 NFL Draft, which would be their highest selection in decades.
Marvin Harrison Jr. is the most likely player in “The Game” who’ll be a top-five pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. The Ohio State wide receiver has dominated the college game over the last two seasons, recording 77 receptions for 1,263 yards for 14 touchdowns last season as he caught passes from C.J. Stroud.
Harrison’s had similar dominance this season despite the change at quarterback for Ohio State. He’s got 62 receptions for 1,093 yards and 13 touchdowns this year, recording 11 total touchdowns (10 receiving, one rushing) in Ohio State’s last seven games. He also had a strong performance last year against Michigan, recording seven receptions for 120 yards and a touchdown in Ohio State’s loss to its arch-rival.
When you put the production, his athletic ability, and his 6-foot-3 frame all together, it makes sense why Harrison is considered one of the few best receiver prospects of the 21st century and arguably the top prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft. Harrison seems to be a consensus top-three pick in several mock drafts, setting up to potentially be the consolation prize for a team that might miss out on drafting Caleb Williams or Drake Maye.
Harrison is the only player in “The Game” who really seems to probably be a top-five pick at the moment. But there are a few other players who could be first-round picks.
J.J. McCarthy might be the most likely player on Michigan to be selected in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, if the junior opts to declare. The quarterback has had a standout season in Ann Arbor, completing 73.8 percent of his passes for 2,335 yards, 18 touchdowns and four interceptions with 164 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns.
McCarthy’s ascension this season briefly made him a favorite for the Heisman and has earned him some strong draft buzz. Some mock drafts have him as a top-10 draft pick next spring as he appears to be in the mix to be the highest quarterback drafted outside of Williams and Maye.
The Heisman buzz surrounding McCarthy has considerably cooled off over the last two weeks with Jim Harbaugh serving the first two games of his three-game suspension. He only threw eight passes in Michgan’s win over Penn State two weeks ago and struggled (completed 12 of 23 passes for 141 yards with a pick) in the win over Maryland last week.
Still, McCarthy’s strong arm and speed (he can reportedly run a 4.48 40-yard dash) have helped Michigan hold one of the best offenses in the country this season and have made him a possible high draft pick. He also played well against Ohio State last year, throwing for 263 yards and three touchdowns while adding a rushing score in Michigan’s 45-23 upset win.
Harrison and McCarthy are the obvious headliners in Saturday’s game and arguably are the two players who best serve to fill the Patriots’ biggest needs. But there are several enticing draft prospects beyond those two, including another Ohio State wide receiver.
Emeka Egbuka might also end up being a first-round selection, with many mock drafts having him go in the backhalf of the first round. The Buckeyes wideout has been a strong complement to Harrison since he began to receive regular playing time last season, though injuries have hampered his production this season. The junior has 32 receptions for 427 yards and three touchdowns this season.
Some other notable Ohio State players who might be selected in the first few rounds of next year’s draft include edge JT Tuimoloau, cornerback Denzel Burke, and defensive tackles Tyliek Williams and Michael Hall Jr. That group of players is just part of the reason why Ohio State ranks third in total defense and is second in scoring defense this season.
Tuimoloau and Burke appear to be the highest regarded among that group of players. Tuimoloau, a junior, emerged on the scene last season in Ohio State’s win against Penn State, recording two sacks, a forced fumble, and two interceptions in that game (he returned one of those picks for a touchdown). He has four sacks and 29 pressures through 11 games this season, per Pro Football Focus. Burke has an interception and hasn’t allowed a touchdown this season on 39 targets, per PFF.
Another potential player for Ohio State who appears to be on track to be selected in the first few rounds of the draft is running back TreVeyon Henderson. After injuries derailed him following his record-setting freshman season, Henderson has played like one of the best running backs in the nation as of late. He’s rushed for 120-plus yards in three of Ohio State’s last four games, rushing for 6.7 yards per carry this season with 10 touchdowns in eight games. He’s also added 16 receptions for 210 yards this season, proving to be a dual threat out of the backfield.
Henderson isn’t the only running back in Saturday’s game though who looks to be selected in the first four rounds of the draft. Michigan arguably has the best running back room in the country with Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards. Corum has rushed for 2,351 yards and 38 touchdowns over the last two seasons, earning some comparisons to Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker for his ability to move the ball with a smaller frame.
Edwards has struggled this season, rushing for only 323 yards after going for 991 yards last season. But he ran for 216 yards against Ohio State last year, so maybe he can duplicate that performance on Saturday?
The Patriots could be in the market for a running back this offseason. Rhamondre Stevenson only has one year left on his rookie deal after 2023 and Ezekiel Elliott is a free agent.
Other Michigan players that might be worth keeping an eye out on are linebacker Junior Colson, guard Zak Zinter, defensive lineman Kris Jenkins, wide receiver Roman Wilson, and cornerback Mike Sainristril.
Those players plus the aforementioned Ohio State defensive players might not fill the biggest needs for the Patriots, but they could be interested in selecting some of those guys to help fill out some depth on the roster.
It’s also worth keeping an eye out on some of those other players because the Patriots have a bit of a history of selecting players out of Michigan in recent years. They’ve selected five players out of Ann Arbor since the 2019 NFL Draft. They actually don’t have any recent history of drafting players out of Ohio State though, going 11 years without picking a Buckeye.
Obviously, it’s way too early to know who the Patriots could have their eyes on. But there’s a good chance that a player playing in “The Game” could be in the Patriots’ sights come draft time.
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