COLUMBUS, Ohio – The 2016 NFL Draft was a marquee event for Ohio State football – in terms of quality and quantity – as 11 of the first 102 picks were Buckeyes, including five in the first round, and all nine position groups represented with at least one player selected. The final tally from the encore day of the draft, held at the Auditorium Theater in downtown Chicago: two more Buckeyes were chosen in Rounds 4-7 giving Ohio State 12 total draft picks to lead all programs nationally. Linebacker Joshua Perry, a 2015 team captain and one of the outstanding citizens in this draft, got things started early as the fourth pick of the fourth round by San Diego and the 102nd overall pick. Quarterback Cardale Jones joined Perry as a fourth-round pick with Buffalo selecting him with the 139th overall pick. Rounds 5 through 7 came and went without another Buckeye being selected. Ohio State’s 12 draft picks missed the NFL Draft record of 14 from one school, set in 2004 by Ohio State. This is the fifth time Ohio State has had at least 10 players selected in a draft with 13 players selected in both 1971 and 1975, and 11 in 1976. The Ohio State program ranks third nationally with 428 NFL draft picks all-time. Saturday picks include the team captain Perry, who ranks 16th all-time at Ohio State with 298 career tackles, a total that included a team-high 124 during the 2014 national championship season and 105 as a senior. From Lewis Center, Ohio, and Olentangy High School, Perry was a first-team all-Big Ten Conference linebacker in 2015 and he earned a host of athlete “character” awards, including being a Lott IMPACT Trophy finalist and a member of the Allstate Good Works Team. He is the 15th Ohio State linebacker coached by Luke Fickell to be drafted into the NFL. Jones, from Cleveland and Glenville High School, was 11-0 as Ohio State’s starting quarterback, including wins over Wisconsin, Alabama and Oregon to lead Ohio State to the 2014 CFP championship…
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