The 11-1 Ohio State Buckeyes will play the 10-2 Missouri Tigers in the 2023 Cotton Bowl. How many 2024 NFL Draft prospects will be active in this matchup, and how many early-round picks will be on the field at once? Let’s take a closer look.
Cotton Bowl Prospect Preview
It was a season of combined achievement and disappointment for both Ohio State and Missouri. Both teams compiled stellar regular season records — with Ohio State’s lone loss coming in the season finale to Michigan — but neither made it to conference championship weekend.
Nevertheless, both teams will have an opportunity to finish the year on a high note by coming away with a Cotton Bowl victory.
The Buckeyes lost starting QB Kyle McCord to Syracuse through the transfer portal, and the current expectation is also that star WR Marvin Harrison Jr. will not play as he gears up for the 2024 NFL Draft cycle. But most other early-round prospects are set to hit the field for Ohio State.
On Missouri’s sideline, two defensive contributors and early-round 2024 NFL Draft prospects — linebacker Ty’Ron Hopper and cornerback Ennis Rakestraw Jr. — will be out due to injury.
Ohio State NFL Draft Prospects
TreVeyon Henderson, RB
There’s smoke that TreVeyon Henderson will return to school rather than declare for the 2024 NFL Draft. By my eye, that wouldn’t be the best decision. The NIL compensation will be very good, but it’s a risk with Henderson’s medical history, and he’d be my RB1 in a relatively weak 2024 RB group.
At around 5’10”, 213 pounds, Henderson is a hyper-dense slasher with an incredible mix of burst, cutting flexibility, vision, natural running leverage, contact balance, and physicality — and he’s also a high-level receiving threat.
Emeka Egbuka, WR
It’s hard to tell what Emeka Egbuka’s decision will be regarding his 2024 NFL Draft declaration. Injuries marred his 2023 campaign, but people forget he went for 74 catches, 1,151 yards, and 11 touchdowns as a true sophomore in 2022.
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Coming into the year, Egbuka was already a first-round prospect on my board, and when he’s healthy and fully confident, he has game-changing three-level ability with his route-running IQ, flexibility, open-field burst, and RAC utility at 6’1″, 205 pounds.
Denzel Burke, CB
Denzel Burke will play in the Cotton Bowl as a potential send-off, but there’s a chance he returns to school. He’s on record saying he wants to be a top-ten pick, but on my board, he’s already a Round 1 prospect and would be well-advised to declare.
At around 6’1″, 192 pounds, Burke has length, explosiveness, technical savvy, and WR-esque ball skills.
Tyleik Williams, DT
Tyleik Williams quietly put together a monster 2023 campaign with 49 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, three sacks, and five pass deflections — all at 6’3″, 320 pounds.
It’s unclear if he’ll declare, but he’d be a top-five DT prospect on my board and one of the most versatile interior defenders on the circuit with his size, burst, flexibility, strength, and power.
Michael Hall Jr., DT
Michael Hall Jr. only logged 1.5 sacks and two tackles for loss in 2023, but his disruptive impact went far beyond the stat sheet. At around 6’2″, 295 pounds, Hall is a high-level block destroyer who has absurd torquing capacity for his size — something he supplements with his instant first-step explosiveness and hot motor.
Cade Stover, TE
Cade Stover had his best season yet for the Buckeyes in 2023, amassing 41 catches for 576 yards and five touchdowns. Stover is one of the most well-rounded TE prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft.
While he’s not an elite athlete, he’s a strong and physical blocker and RAC threat, with hands of steel in contested situations and keen instincts working the seam.
Other Ohio State NFL Draft Prospects to Watch
- Miyan Williams, RB
- Josh Simmons, OT
- Donovan Jackson, G
- Ty Hamilton, DT
- J.T. Tuimoloau, EDGE
- Jack Sawyer, EDGE
- Tommy Eichenberg, LB
- Josh Proctor, S
- Lathan Ransom, S
Missouri NFL Draft Prospects
Luther Burden, WR (2025)
Missouri’s top NFL Draft prospect is Luther Burden. A former five-star recruit who logged 83 catches for 1,197 yards and eight touchdowns in 2023, Burden is already penciled in as a likely early first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
At 5’11”, 208 pounds, Burden is an uncommon RAC threat with elite explosiveness, agility, and contact balance, who also brings natural route running acumen and physics-defying body control.
Darius Robinson, EDGE
After playing most of his Missouri career on the interior defensive line, Darius Robinson shifted to EDGE in 2023 and thrived doing so, amassing 7.5 sacks and 12 tackles for loss.
MORE: 2024 NFL Draft Big Board
A Senior Bowl addition, Robinson has massive riser potential in the offseason with his explosiveness, power capacity, and sturdy run defense at 6’5″, 290 pounds.
Brady Cook, QB
Brady Cook will be one of the bigger wild cards in the 2024 NFL Draft QB group. The current expectation is that he’ll return to school, but no official announcement has been made yet.
Cook is a stellar athlete and a tough competitor who’s made great strides with his accuracy and decision-making. The question is, can he fill the void in the 2024 NFL Draft’s Tier 3 QB group?
Kris Abrams-Draine, CB
While Rakestraw is out with an injury, the Tigers will have their top ball-hawk available in Kris Abrams-Draine.
While Abrams-Draine is undersized at 5’11”, 178 pounds, the former WR is an absolute playmaker at the catch point. He’s dangerous to test in off-man and zone alignments, and he brings size-defying tenacity coming downhill in support.
Cody Schrader, RB
From a Truman State transfer to an SEC star, Cody Schrader truly climbed the ladder in 2023, accumulating 1,499 yards and 13 touchdowns on 247 carries.
The Tigers already have Schrader’s replacement in line for 2024, and Schrader — with his 5’9″, 214-pound frame and efficient, aggressive running style — will contend for an NFL Draft selection.
Other Missouri NFL Draft Prospects to Watch
- Theo Wease, WR
- Javon Foster, OT
- Kristian Williams, DT
- Nyles Gaddy, EDGE
- Daylan Carnell, DB
- Jaylon Carlies, S
- Harrison Mevis, K