Ohio State Football: Meet the Replacements for the Buckeyes' 5 First-Rounders

Ohio State had five of its former players selected in the first round of the NFL draft on Thursday night, when defensive end Joey Bosa, running back Ezekiel Elliott, cornerback Eli Apple, left tackle Taylor Decker and linebacker Darron Lee were all off the board within the first 20 selections.

That mass exodus of talent—Decker was the only graduated senior of the group above—has left an enormous void in the Buckeyes' 2016 roster.

Head coach Urban Meyer has already begun the process of reloading for another title run this fall, though. That process started immediately after Ohio State dispatched Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl and the underclassmen declared for the draft.

Winter conditioning gave a number of Buckeyes the opportunity to shine, and spring camp is where these five players, in particular, showcased they were ready to step into the spotlight. 

Defensive End Sam Hubbard

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Sam Hubbard was being groomed to take over for Joey Bosa during the entire 2015 season.

Last year's campaign actually saw Hubbard in the starting lineup, standing in for the suspended Bosa on the road against Virginia Tech. Hubbard played very well, registering four tackles and a game-high one-and-a-half tackles for loss and a sack. He was also thrust into full-time play against Notre Dame when Bosa was ejected for targeting, and he finished that contest with four tackles and a sack. 

It was a solid first year for Hubbard, who finished with 28 total tackles and six-and-a-half sacks. And with Bosa now a part of the San Diego Chargers, who took him third overall, Hubbard is looking to make a name for himself.

"I don’t want to be Joey Bosa," Hubbard said this spring, according to Austin Ward of ESPN.com. "He’s a great player, but I’ve got to be the best Sam Hubbard."

Despite not wanting to be the next coming of Bosa, Hubbard explains that he, and by extension the coaching staff, have high expectations for the line this year, via Ward:

"

You know, it’s tough not to [think about], just because he’s such a great player and he’s gone now. That’s the level coach [Urban] Meyer always says he wants to hold our defensive ends to -- those great players that have come before us. And if we have any drop off, our possibility of losing a game is higher. We have to continue the level of play that’s expected at Ohio State, and that’s a high level.

"

Running Back Mike Weber

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Ezekiel Elliott set a high standard for Ohio State running backs by eclipsing the 1,800-yard rushing mark in back-to-back seasons to complement 41 total rushing touchdowns.

The blazing running back, selected fourth overall by the Dallas Cowboys, was the driving force in Ohio State's run to the national title in 2014, and he was the only consistent presence in an offense that failed to establish an identity until the final week of the regular season. 

Running backs Mike Weber and Bri'onte Dunn battled for the starting spot in spring practice—but Weber, a bruising redshirt freshman with sneaky quickness—has a better chance of being the long-term answer in the Buckeyes' backfield over Dunn, a redshirt junior.

Weber turned heads as a true freshman in fall camp last fall, but a knee injury derailed his first season in Columbus and prevented him from backing up Elliott. Now fully healthy and with a year in the program under his belt, he's showing that he's ready for the big stage.

"He’s playing faster," running backs coach Tony Alford said, via Tony Gerdeman of The Ozone. "I think a lot during the fall he was trying to figure it out, wide-eyed, if you will. He’s playing a lot faster because I think he understands what we’re looking for and what we want right now, so he’s done a nice job."

Weber isn't the breakaway threat that Elliott was for the Buckeyes. After Ohio State's spring game, when he rushed for a team-high 38 yards and two touchdowns on just eight carries, some were comparing his running style to former Buckeyes running back Carlos Hyde.

Meyer talked about that comparison, according to Ari Wasserman of the Plain Dealer.

"

I think he played really good. On purpose, we didn't pound people today. It was more of a throw offense, but the one drive I kept calling the plays, saying we're just going (get after it) and I wanted to see what he could do. 

And Carlos Hyde was there, so -- they were starting to compare him to Carlos Hyde.

Easy now. He hasn't reached that level yet. 

"

Weber didn't reach that level this spring, but the comparison alone suggests how high his ceiling is. 

Cornerback Damon Webb

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The NFL is turning into a pass-happy league, making top-flight defensive backs high-value commodity when draft time rolls around each year.

Eli Apple was just a redshirt sophomore when he left Ohio State, but he was off the board early in this year's draft—the New York Giants took him at No. 10 overall.

Now Ohio State must find a new running mate for returning starter Gareon Conley at cornerback, and Damon Webb has the most experience (and the best skill set) to do so.

The true junior saw time in his first season with the Buckeyes in 2014, then he was in and out of the lineup as a nickel back last year for violating team rules. He returned and became a consistent presence in the defensive backfield in the second half of the season, and he proved himself as an excellent cover corner. 

With the 2016 season on the horizon, he's drawing comparisons to former Buckeye great and All-American cornerback Malcolm Jenkins. Webb showcased his versatility this spring by dabbling at safety, but his coverage skills would be a valuable asset on the perimeter for the Buckeyes in 2016.

Webb is by no means a lock for Ohio State's opening spot, though. A number of young guys emerged this spring, such as Denzel Ward, Marshon Lattimore and Damon Arnette, and with the depth there, it might make sense to slide Webb over to safety.

But until one of those underclassmen prove they're ready to be left on an island, the safest bet is to place Webb opposite Conley in the secondary.

Left Tackle Jamarco Jones

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Protecting the quarterback's blind side is one of the toughest tasks for a football team—but that was a role that left tackle Taylor Decker played very well during the last two seasons for Ohio State. 

The consensus All-American and Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year in 2015 was selected by the Detroit Lions with the 16th pick, and now Ohio State needs a new tackle to protect J.T. Barrett moving forward.

Urban Meyer already has his guy in Jamarco Jones.

The former high 4-star prospect was rated the No. 4 offensive tackle in the 2014 recruiting class, and over the last two seasons, Ohio State groomed him to take over for Decker. 

Jones talked about the challenge of not seeing regular playing time, but how he used that as an opportunity to grow on and off the field.

"It's been pretty tough, everybody wants to play but that just wasn't my path," Jones said, via Bill Landis of the Plain Dealer. "I had great players in front of me, and I just used that to learn from those guys and be prepared when I do get my chance."

That patience has paid off for Jones, who earned high praise from new offensive line coach Greg Studrawa this offseason, according to Tim May of the Columbus Dispatch:

"

It’s his demeanor. You can see that … when the game starts and the bullets start flying, and we start going against the (first-team defense) in practice, he is very calm, cool, collected.

He reverts back to his technique. He’s tough. He’s physical. He knows what’s going on. So you can tell he has been in there a little bit. He’s a little bit further ahead, poise-wise, maturity-wise, than those other guys.

"

Linebacker Chris Worley

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Ohio State was routinely gashed by opposing offenses in 2013 and ranked 112th nationally in total pass defense. To remedy that, the Buckeyes defensive coaching staff inserted a fast, undersized linebacker named Darron Lee into the unit, and he was one of the biggest factors in the team's defensive turnaround in 2014 and '15.

His athleticism and game-wrecking ability is why the New York Jets took him off the board with the No. 20 pick, and now Ohio State needs a similarly gifted athlete in its linebacker corps.

Enter Chris Worley, the former 3-star athlete/safety prospect who bulked up like Lee to make a move into the linebacker rotation.

Worley was Lee's primary backup and posted modest numbers, registering 17 tackles and a sack in 2015. But during last year's season, he gained the confidence of Lee, who had no doubt in Worley's playmaking ability.

"There's really not much of a drop off if I were to go down and Chris Worley were to come in. Really, not any type of drop off," Lee said, according to Ari Wasserman of the Plain Dealer. "Chris Worley is really good. I have no doubt in my mind that if he were to go into a game he's going to make as many plays."

Worley didn't just step into a starting role like Sam Hubbard, though. The junior had to fight off Jerome Baker—a rising redshirt freshman who played running back and linebacker in high school—who showcased his athleticism by hauling in an incredible one-handed interception during Ohio State's spring game.

But Meyer said that Worley solidified his spot as a starter before the close of fall camp, so Buckeyes fans should get used to seeing him as the attacking, disruptive replacement in the linebacker corps.

All recruiting rankings and information courtesy of 247Sports. 

David Regimbal is the lead Ohio State football writer for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @davidreg412.