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Ohio State football in the NFL playoffs: Cleveland Browns boast most Buckeyes players

kevin skiver, usa today network
·5 min read
Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud waves to fans during Ohio State's game against Penn State on Oct. 21.

Ohio State has become one of college football's most prolific producers of NFL talent.

It entered the 2023 NFL season with the third-most alumni on NFL rosters. That has carried over to the postseason, which features 22 active players who once wore scarlet and gray on Saturdays. The Buckeyes have one of their marquee faces heading up the Texans: Offensive Rookie of the Year runaway C.J. Stroud. Looking more locally, there are five Ohio State alumni on the Browns roster. But Buckeye fans can't go wrong with just about any team during this postseason.

Indeed, 11 of the 14 NFL playoff teams have Ohio State representation. The only exceptions are the Chiefs, Bills and Buccaneers. The Browns, fittingly, have the most Buckeyes on their active roster with five.

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That makes the decision easy for fans looking to figure out who to root for. But to get a better grip, here's a look at the full Ohio State slate in the 2024 postseason.

How many Ohio State players are in the NFL playoffs?

Of the 14 teams in the NFL playoffs, 11 have some form of Buckeyes representation. A total of 25 former players are in the playoffs, including 22 active players. Five of them are on the Browns, three are on the Texans, three are on the Cowboys and three are on the semi-local Lions.

Ohio State players on NFL rosters

Cleveland Browns

The Browns have Ohio State players in just two position groups, but they're well-represented there.

On offense, the offensive line has center Luke Wypler and tackle Dawand Jones. The defensive secondary has cornerback Denzel Ward and safeties Ronnie Hickman and Tanner McCallister. Jones, for his part, is out for the season after being placed on IR in mid-December. McCallister is on the practice squad. The Browns don't sport Buckeyes at "impact" positions coming into this postseason, but they exist.

  • C Luke Wypler

  • CB Denzel Ward

  • S Ronnie Hickman

  • S Tanner McCallister (practice squad)

  • OT Dawand Jones (IR)

Houston Texans

Fans looking for a team to root for can't go wrong with C.J. Stroud's crew.

The Texans are a fun, up-and-coming team with Stroud as their face. Former Ohio State wide receiver Noah Brown, unfortunately, has not been practicing with the team as he battles a back injury. Brown has a career-high 567 yards in just 10 games already this year. The third Buckeye on the Texan roster is punter Cameron Johnston.

  • QB C.J. Stroud

  • WR Noah Brown (Q)

  • P Cameron Johnston

Dallas Cowboys

Staying in Texas, the Cowboys still have some Buckeye representation despite being post-Ezekiel Elliott.

The main impact player is defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins, a midseason acquisition in 2022 from the Raiders. Hankins logged three sacks with the Cowboys this year while notching 27 tackles. Safety Malik Hooker is also present for Dallas, while center Billy Price fills out the practice squad.

  • DT Johnathan Hankins

  • S Malik Hooker

  • C Billy Price (practice squad)

Detroit Lions

For those who love offensive line play, the Lions O-line has a pair of Ohio State grads along it.

For starters there's Tzyler Decker, who will be reporting for his first playoff game since his rookie year. Then there's Jonah Jackson, who spent his senior year with the Buckeyes after beginning his career at Rutgers. Long snapper Jake McQuaide is the final Buckeye on the Lions roster.

  • G Jonah Jackson

  • T Taylor Decker

  • LS Jake McQuaide

Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens will have just one active OSU player on their roster, with J.K. Dobbins out for the year on IR with a torn Achilles. Dobbins has been unable to stay healthy throughout his NFL career.

Malik Harrison is holding the torch for the Ravens now, though he gets limited snaps.

  • LB Malik Harrison

  • RB J.K. Dobbins (IR)

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Miami Dolphins

Same face, new place. The always-controversial Eli Apple is back in the AFC playoffs, though this time he'll be playing for the Dolphins instead of the Bengals.

Apple may well see the field for the Dolphins with Xavien Howard injured, so he'll likely get his share of targets opposite Jalen Ramsey. Linebacker Jerome Baker will miss the postseason for the Dolphins with a wrist injury.

  • CB Eli Apple

  • LB Jerome Baker (IR)

San Francisco 49ers

Another pair of marquee faces appear on the 49ers defensive line, but interested fans won't see them in the divisional round: Nick Bosa is still with San Francisco, and Chase Young was acquired from the Commanders mid-season.

Bosa led the team with 10.5 sacks this season, and Young had 2.5 more. Both players are well-known quantities by OSU fans, and they'll make the 49ers must-see TV from Columbus when they do play.

  • DE Nick Bosa

  • DE Chase Young

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Green Bay Packers

Heading back to the Midwest, the Packers have two more Buckeyes along the offensive line. One of them is a starter, and the other is one the practice squad.

Center Josh Myers will start for the Packers, and guard Michael Jordan sports the Packers practice squad.

  • C Josh Myers

  • G Michael Jordan (practice squad)

Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles somewhat notoriously target the SEC in their drafts, but they did land DB Bradley Roby after last offseason. Roby, initially a practice squad pickup, eventually joined the active roster. While still a depth player, Roby is another familiar face.

  • CB Bradley Robey

Los Angeles Rams

Another one-player team, safety Jordan Fuller is doubtful for the Rams' wild-card game against the Lions. Fuller has been an integral part of the Rams defense, and if he misses, it will be a big loss for Los Angeles.

  • S Jordan Fuller

Pittsburgh Steelers

Finally, there are the Steelers, who have just one former Buckeye in tow. It's a well-worn face: DT Cameron Heyward. Heyward is a captain for Pittsburgh, and the last Buckeye on this list.

  • DT Cameron Heyward

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State football in the NFL playoffs: Browns have most Buckeye players