2011 NFL Draft: Breaking Down Ohio State's Top 10 Prospects
Ohio State football's senior class of 2011 has produced quite a few potential players that could find futures in the NFL.
The Buckeyes kept all of their underclassmen, which could help them weather the storm of the first five games and the suspensions of five of their best players and coach Jim Tressel.
But there are a good amount of former Buckeyes that have had very good college careers that will be looking to have their name called at some point in the 2011 NFL Draft.
Here is a look at the 10 best prospects and where they could go in the draft.
10. Bryant Browning, OG
1 of 10
Projection: Late Sixth-Undrafted Free Agent (UDFA)
Bryant Browning's career has seen him play both at tackle and at guard on the Buckeye offensive line.
His career trajectory could be at offensive guard due to his lack of speed and athleticism but also due to his size and strength.
Browning is a strong guard who can use good size to drive blockers off the line but his athleticism puts him on the fringe of being drafted.
His attitude and leadership though are very strong qualities, which could at least make him an option to keep on the practice squad right away.
9. Jermale Hines, S
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Projection: Mid Fifth-Late Sixth
Hines is an athletic run stuffer at safety that could be a very good special teams player on kick coverage in his future.
What limits him in the end is his lack of great coverage skills and an ambition to go after the big hit instead of the clean wrap-up tackle.
He does have good athleticism and long arms which can give him an advantage if coached up the right way.
Hines does have the potential to possibly be a serviceable safety but will need to be coached properly and might be spending most of his career on special teams.
8. Brandon Saine, RB
3 of 10
Projection: Late Fifth-UDFA
Brandon Saine's draft stock is a huge question mark due to injuries and being beat out of a starting job by Dan Herron.
What Saine has that makes him an interesting prospect are great speed and solid hands, which make him a capable threat out of the backfield.
But he really lacks wiggle and open-field moves, plus his injury history is a major worry for almost every team.
He can be a low-risk, high-reward pick due to his low stock and might end up at WR due to his hands and speed.
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7. Devon Torrence, DB
4 of 10
Projection: Mid Fifth-Early Seventh
Devon Torrence ended his senior season the way he needed to in order to elevate his stock as high as it's going to get.
Torrence, despite lacking great speed, is a very physical corner that is good at making tackles in space—an underrated skill for a corner.
One scout likened Torrence to Leigh Bodden, who had a solid eight-year career in the NFL.
If Torrence can prove the end of his collegiate career wasn't a fluke, he could find a place as a dime or even nickel corner in the NFL.
6. Justin Boren, OG
5 of 10
Projection: Early Fifth-Early Sixth
Justin Boren is a prototypical guard prospect with a nasty attitude and good size at about 320 lbs.
But what could hold Boren back is his stiffness in his hips and his inability to hold on to his blocks.
Both of those can be corrected with proper coaching, which he will certainly get in the NFL.
Any NFL team looking for a road grader with a nasty attitude should give Boren a look as he has the potential to be a pretty capable offensive guard.
5. Brian Rolle, LB
6 of 10
Projection: Late Fourth-Mid Fifth
After the departure of James Laurinaitis before the 2009 season, undersized thumper Brian Rolle made his presence felt early in his career with an interception return on a two-point conversion against Navy.
Since then, Rolle, who wore the No. 36 as did legendary OSU LB Chris Spielman, has been one of the big leaders of this defense with his speed and tackling ability.
But his size could restrict his NFL future, which might make it tough for him to fight off blocks from linemen getting to the second level.
However, Rolle's speed and tackling at worst will put him on special teams and a chance to be an LB in nickel situations defensively.
4. Dane Sanzenbacher, WR
7 of 10
Projection: Late Third-Mid Fifth
Ohio State fans might miss the ability of Dane Sanzenbacher to be at the right place at the right time and to make almost impossible catches look easy.
Sanzenbacher's great hands and football IQ are things that could be very, very attractive to teams looking for a slot receiver ala Wes Welker and Ed McCaffrey.
He lacks the elite speed that most teams need in a WR but makes up for it with his route running and intelligence.
But Sanzenbacher is the type of player that could be a valuable asset with his fearlessness and peskiness in the slot, which will earn him a spot on the field in the future.
3. Ross Homan, LB
8 of 10
Projection: Mid Third-Late Fourth
The combination of Brian Rolle and Ross Homan proved to be very strong for Ohio State in the past two seasons as they anchored a very strong group in the middle.
Like Rolle, Homan's limitations will be due mostly to his lack of size at only 6', 220 lbs.
But what works in Homan's favor is his great deal of instincts and great tackling ability.
Those alone make Homan a pretty solid pick with some versatility to start out on special teams and a chance to start someday.
2. Chimdi Chekwa, DB
9 of 10
Projection: Mid Second-Mid Third
Had Chimdi Chekwa not broken his wrist in the Sugar Bowl win, he might have had a shot at cracking the first round.
Regardless, the talented, physical corner does have the ability to jump in right away due to his pure athleticism and length.
Chekwa recorded one of the 10 fastest 40-yard times at the combine, a 4.38, and is good at using his body to make plays in pass coverage.
He will need to improve his hands and be able to record some interceptions but he has shown the ability to take some receivers out of the game by putting them on his island.
Provided he returns healthy, Chekwa can be a very good No. 2 corner in the NFL with time.
1. Cameron Heyward, DE
10 of 10
Projection: Late First-Mid Second
If this draft class wasn't as deep at DE as it is, Cameron Heyward might be a guarantee in the first round instead of being on the fringe.
But still, Heyward has shown he can be versatile on the line and was a gamechanger up front at the college level.
His problem in his senior season was his lack of accumulating big stats but made up for it with a huge performance against Arkansas in the Sugar Bowl.
Heyward is a very good run stuffer and has the athleticism to play at either DT or DE in the 4-3 and as a 3-4 DE which makes him a great asset for almost any team.
His best career path projects in the 3-4 due to his run stopping ability and his strength but really he can play in almost any defense and be at worst a solid contributor.
If he can become a more intense player, Cameron Heyward has a chance to have a very long and special NFL career, as his father Craig "Ironhead" had with 10 years in the league.
For more NFL Draft and college football news, follow me on Twitter @bielik_tim. Also remember to check out The BCS Blitz.
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