We now have three Ohio State players who have been taken in the first round of the NFL draft, and we wondered if there would be any. Wide receiver Emeka Egbuka came off the board first when he was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with pick No. 19, and he was followed by Donovan Jackson at pick No. 24 by the Minnesota Vikings.

And now another. With pick No. 28, the Detroit Lions went with defensive tackle Tyleik Williams to try and solidify the defensive line.

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Williams was flying up mock drafts at one point this cycle because of his strength on run defense. According to PFF, his rush defense ranking was in the top ten of all players last year. He has a wide variance in the better mock drafts out there, some going as high as the first round but in some slipping to late second round or even early third.

One slight issue for Williams is that he seemed to hurt himself at Ohio State’s pro day and didn’t record any individual stats there, while also not working out at the Combine. Still, it doesn’t seem major, and NFL teams have plenty of film on him to know what he’s capable of. Don’t be shocked if Williams gets taken on Thursday, but a second-round pick is still the likeliest. If he falls any further than that, he’ll probably be considered one of the steals of this year’s draft.

Williams could be a difference-maker early for the Lions. It won’t be easy for an Ohio State player to go up and play in “that state up north,” but he has the motor, ability, and work ethic to make a lot of fans out of those that once cheered against him.

This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Ohio State DL Tyleik Williams goes in first round of 2025 NFL draft