Ohio State Football: Can Buckeyes Produce the Top QB, RB and DE in 2016 Draft?

The amount of talent on the Ohio State football team is absolutely staggering.

The Buckeyes, fresh off of winning the first-ever College Football Playoff National Championship, are bolstered by 15 returning starters, most of whom expect to hear their names called during the 2016 NFL draft.

But which players have the highest ceiling, and how early will they go when the clock starts ticking?

Exploring that question should bring a smile to Urban Meyer's face, because there's a possibility his team could produce the top quarterback, running back and defensive end in next year's draft.

But of course, that historic achievement is largely dependent on the Buckeyes' polarizing quarterback competition.

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While Braxton Miller and J.T. Barrett are excellent quarterbacks in Meyer's offense, neither project to the pro level quite like Cardale Jones. Boasting elite arm strength and a 6'5", 250-pound frame, Jones has the physical tools to be a great signal-caller at the next level.

And that could have been his reality this past spring if he had capitalized on his enormous momentum and entered the 2015 draft.

After slicing through Wisconsin, Alabama and Oregon during the Buckeyes' march through last year's postseason, Jones became an intriguing NFL prospect. He completed 61.3 percent of his passes with a 5-2 touchdown ratio, averaging 247 passing yards against two elite defenses (Wisconsin and Alabama) and another good one in Oregon.

Jones had just three career collegiate starts on his resume, but some were pegging him as a first-round quarterback for last year's draft. But he passed on the draft in favor of returning to school and earning his degree.

"Being a first-round draft pick means nothing to me without my education," Jones said of his decision to return, according to Stephanie Kuzydym of the Plain Dealer. 

And if he manages to win the starting job over Miller and Barrett this fall, he can build on an already solid resume. 

In his initial mock draft for 2016, Bleacher Report's Matt Miller pegged Jones as the second quarterback off the board, seven spots behind Penn State's Christian Hackenberg. But if Hackenberg registers another disappointing season in Happy Valley, it's not hard to imagine Jones surpassing him, given he wins the starting job in fall camp.

With Ezekiel Elliott at running back and Joey Bosa at defensive end, the other two scenarios aren't that big of a stretch. 

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Elliott was having an excellent sophomore campaign before he absolutely exploded onto the national scene during Ohio State's postseason run. The 6'0", 225-pound ball-carrier absolutely shredded Wisconsin, Alabama and Oregon, running for an incredible 696 yards and eight touchdowns. For perspective, he ran for more yards in that three-game stretch than two schools (Wake Forest and Washington State) did during the entire regular season.

That's why it's hard to find a 2016 mock draft that doesn't have Elliott as the first running back selected.

That leaves Bosa, Ohio State's devastatingly effective pass-rusher. 

Bosa made an instant impact during his freshman season in 2013, earning a spot in the starting rotation by Ohio State's Week 5 matchup against Northwestern. Since then, he's been the Buckeyes' most disruptive defender. He ranked fifth nationally in sacks (13.5) and tackles for loss (21) last season, despite the fact that they didn't have a great weak-side defensive end to balance the line (or the pass rush) last year.

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Bosa is a complete player, making him not just the top defensive end in this year's draft class, but as the top player overall.  

Will Bosa's name be the first one called when the 2016 draft kicks off? If it is, it could trigger a historic night for Meyer and the Buckeyes.

David Regimbal covers Ohio State football for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @davidreg412.