Ohio State put four players in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, the strongest opening-night showing by any school as clubs spread their top picks across the Big Ten and the rest of the country. The draft board kept moving fast, but the Buckeyes kept showing up, with Max Klare among the names tied to a first round that belonged to their conference.
The Tennessee Titans took receiver Carnell Tate with the No. 4 pick, the New York Giants followed with edge rusher Arvell Reese at No. 5, and the Washington Commanders added linebacker Sonny Styles at No. 7. Later in the round, the Giants returned for tackle Francis Mauigoa at No. 10, the Dallas Cowboys selected Caleb Downs at No. 11, Tampa Bay grabbed edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. at No. 15 and the Los Angeles Chargers closed that stretch with Akheem Mesidor at No. 22.
The early run underscored how heavily the first round leaned on a few powerhouse programs and one league in particular. Miami had three players selected in the opening round, while the Big Ten led all conferences with 10 first-round picks. The SEC and ACC were next with seven each, a reminder that the talent pool stayed broad even as Ohio State set the pace.
That broader picture matters because the 2026 selections were being tracked by both college and conference, turning each pick into part of a bigger race for bragging rights. It also came against the backdrop of the SEC leading all conferences with 80 players drafted in 2025, a figure that showed just how quickly the balance can shift from one draft to the next.
For Ohio State, the night was already a statement. Four first-rounders put the Buckeyes alone at the top, and the Big Ten’s 10 total made clear that the conference did more than keep up. It set the standard.
