You want to follow the Big Ten in specifically Ohio State. Pat Murphy does a really good job covering both, but especially Ohio State. He knows the Ohio State Buck guys inside and out from a football standpoint, a basketball standpoint. He coaches as well. He's the Ohio State b writer for Buck Nuts two four seven, twenty four to seven Sports and CBS Sports. You can follow him on Twitter or X Underscore Pat Underscore Murphy. He joins us here
on XES and Bros. Pat, We appreciate the time very much. How are you today?
I'm good. How you guys doing, Hey, we're doing great.
So obviously, the Lions in the draft in the first round take Tyleer Williams, the defensive tackle out of Ohio State. What kind of player are they getting?
Yeah, a hell of a player. To put it bluntly, this is a guy who really emerged kind of over the second half of his college career. Versatile in his game. You know, you look at the stats and he's pulling him up here, you know, eleven and a half sacks and that includes last season where obviously, you know, the Buck guys were successful on the field with the national championship, but he dealt with some injuries that that forced him to miss a couple of games. Never really looked fully back.
You know, came back and played a big part in that playoff run. But I think if he'd been healthier, maybe those numbers look even better. But you know, a guy that can can rush the passer but can also help in the run game, can help clog up that middle. And you know, I always admired the way he worked to get better because he didn't come in as a guy who was like plug and play right in the
middle of that defensive line right away. Had to earn a lot of what he got, which was was something that was was you know, a talking point throughout his career on that defensive one.
Would you what would you consider his strengths to be.
I think the probably the most notable thing would be his his his pass rushing ability from the interior. Uh you know, twenty eight tackles for a loss, eighteen of those coming in the last two years. He can get get after the quarterback, get after ball carriers in the backfield. You know, I think that thinking about it from a Detroit Lions perspective and kind of what else is already
on that defensive line. I think it's a nice fit with some of the other guys that have and maybe take some pressure off of a guy like Date Hutchinson who's obviously had to do a lot when when he's been healthy. But that's not to say that he can, only that that's the only thing he can do. Like I said, you know you can take up space, help you.
I think of the to Michigan defensive lineman that went earlier in the draft and kind of the way especially against Ohio State, which is when I saw them, and the way they shut down things like Tyler Williams is capable of being that type of player as well. That may not be what he was used as because Ohio State that other guys to help with that, but I don't I don't think just because he has that pass rushing ability that may be some other defense interior defensive
line and have, he can't be the rung stopper as well. Well. So a nice mix, I would say, at least throughout his college career.
That's interesting, Pat because two questions and both times you've emphasized pass rushing ability and most people don't view him as that. They view him as a run stuffer, really heavy hands, good job in deconstructing blocks, great job at the point of attack, impactful in the run defense. They don't view him as a guy who is going to rush the passer. Why do you think he can do that at the NFL level?
Well, I think there's a couple of reasons. I think one that viewed that way is probably some of last year as the defensive ends Jack Sawyer and JT. Tumlau kind of came along as a tandem that wasn't as prolific part of his game. You look at his junior year twenty twenty three, ten tackles for lost, three sacks. He was doing it more I think as a junior,
getting into the backfield and getting two quarterbacks. And again I mentioned the injury, So you know, I just I think I guess I would say he is an all around you're your defensive lineman who can do what you need from him. So when he needed to help you generate more pressures on quarterbacks and then O High State wasn't getting the pass rush off the edge, he was
able to do that. And when that wasn't as big of a deal for hit for the buck eye, he could handle you know what you were saying, the run stopping and sort of taking up that space on the interior and being more of a bigger body with like you said, the hard hands and whatnot. Yeah.
Pat Murphy joining us here on Exis and Rose. He's the writer for buck Nuts two four seven, twenty four to seven Sports at CBS Sports. You can follow him on Twitter. Underscore Pat Underscore Murphy. Is he a plug and play guy? I mean, you said he wasn't coming into Ohio. Stay, do you think he's developed enough where the Lions would feel comfortable for him to be a starter from day one?
I think so. And I want to say, you know, I've watched the beast amount of life, but I couldn't say that I know the depth chart. Uh, you know, back and forth, but uh, you know, I think they must think so to go get him at as a first round guy. He was a guy who was projected kind of early on maybe as a late first round guy.
And then I think, as you know, other guys, And again I go back to that injury because I do think that affected sort of the perception on him because he wasn't as productive coming back from that, and and that was a topic of conversation, and I do think in the playoff run he had more time to heal up between games, so you started to see that again.
But I think he can be a guy who can can make an impact early on, whether that is as a starter or as a guy who you know, can be a rotational guy and work his way into a bigger role, which is kind of how it happened in Ohio State. Either way, I think he can make an impact as a rookie. It just kind of depends on needs and you know, as I that you will work to do what you need as a team. Uh, you know,
a real character guy. He was Ah, you know, he was always good to talk to, always gave good information from a media perspective. But also I think his teammates, you know, good personality in the locker room. So I think you kind of combined the ability with all of that and his want to win, and you've got a guy who will do whatever's asked of him. So if that's Hey, let's get in here and let's make you a starter from day one, I think he'd love that,
no doubt. But I think if it is hey, let's let's continue to work and utilize some of the things we think you're best at right now and worked you in. I think he will focus on improving and accept that role as well.
He will have a chance because of Allen McNeil's injuries, so they'll have a chance to get in there and contribute right away. I hate comparing pat players, especially young players fresh out of college to to anybody who is you know, at the NFL level and has been playing for a long time. I hate, I especially hated when people are trying to project what a player is going to be and compare him to like a Hall of Fame player. But let me just give you based on
your website. CBA sports dot com they had Mason Graham from Michigan, Walter Nolan from Ole, miss Derek Harmon from Oregon, Kenneth Grant from Michigan, all rated above Tyleek Williams. How much would you have concurred at season's end and who does he play most like within this draft? Which player is he most similar in your mind? And why?
I think that's probably fair. Again, I hate to keep bringing up the injury, but I do think it affected as part of the story, was right, Yeah, yeah, absolutely, I think Harmon out of Oregon is a guy who, having seen him play twice last season first hand when Ohio State played them, a similar type of guy, or at least can be. You know, I don't think he is necessarily in the exact same mold as as a
two Michigan defensive tackles. Again, not that he can't do some of that stuff, but you know the way that the order defense tackle could impact games statistically, I thought was similar to at least the way Ohigh State was able to use TYLERK. Williams. But I think rankings wise, that makes sense. But I would also say all of those guys, if you told me I had to pick one of them, I wouldn't feel disappointed about plugging them
into to my team. I think those are all pretty good players that we had an opportunity to see in the Big Ten.
Patrick Murphy knows tyleerk Williams as well as anybody. He writes for Buck Nuts two four seven. He writes for twenty four to seven Sports and CBS Sports. You can follo him on Twitter at Underscore Pat Underscore Murphy joining us here on Exus and Bros. Remind the audience of the injury to Tyler Williams, and what do you think his ceiling would have been without it as a draft pick?
Yeah, it was. If I remember, Ohio State is a little quiet about injuries. We know that they happened, they don't always tell us what they were. If I remember correctly, it was I want to say a shoulder injury. I know he had a knee or lower body injury at one point in his career, and it's possible I'm mixing those two up, but I think it was a shoulder injury that past year. It just sort of slowed him down. Like I said, I think he missed I'd have to look at this thing, one or one or two games
early on in the year. Came back and again was still productive, but just there was just a noticeable you know, probably still dealing with some stuff. I think it was one of those where you're not gonna it's not going to get any worse, but you're not going to the
one hundred percent better until the season's over. And whether I don't know if he ended up having anything done to it or if it was just recovery time, but just was you know, it just slowed a little bit, I would say, but it didn't sound like when we talked to him in the playoffs. Uh, he did did
not speak at the NFL Combine. I don't know if that was his medical related or other people, because it got very backed up the day that the defensive tackles were supposed to talk, and they ended up pulling a
few of them towards the end. But he did work out, He did go through stuff at both O High States Pro Day and the Combine, So looks to be it's not coming back one hundred percent close to it, and I don't think it's something he'd have to worry about going forward to something he had to deal with as in his final year.
I think at Ohio State had fifteen players drafted, four in the first round. What was your biggest surprise on where they were drafted or that they were drafted at all.
Yeah, I think the biggest surprise overall, I'd say, was that Seth McLaughlin center, who won the Wilmington Now he did tears achilles the second to last week of the regular season. The fact that he wasn't drafted was probably the biggest surprise. I think most people thought he'd be at least a late round pick, given what he was able to do his last year also played at Alabama. A good pedigree there. If we're talking just first round, I think Donovan Jackson coming up and going to the
Minnesota Vikings. I think I saw most mock drafts had him probably early second round, not the second Ohio State player off the board. And and then I will say I was surprised that Tyler Williams went in the first round because I think he has that talent. But again, a lot of the mock drafts I saw had him early second so not a huge huge climb, but you know, I think that is a recognition of him and obviously the importance of that position as well. And you see the opportunity, you go get your guy.
Right, Yeah, I'll Mika Buka went was the first Buck guy drafted nineteenth overall. I think he went to Tampa. How good is he compared to some of the other high end receivers Ohio State has had in the past, right.
There in the mix, you know he had you know, he's one of the guys played one of the few guys that played four years at Ohio State and was kind of overshadowed. Also, that was a little bit of injury to his junior year. But you know he played with guys like Jackson Smith and Jigba Marvin Harrison junior, Jeremiah Smith, Carnel Tate, So you know, a tough room to be the guy in, especially as more of a
flat receiver. But he has the same talent as those guys as the number one receiver in high school coming out five years ago, so same pedigree. And I think going to Tampa where they've got an established task game already means that he doesn't have to step in and you know, worry about a young quarterback or being the number one receiver with Mike Evans and Goodwin Godwin down there.
So I think it's a good fit for him. He can come in, he can you fit in that slot role and then you know, kind of work his way into his career. Similar with Jackson Smith and Jigbak copingers going the Seattle where they again had some established guys already.
Who will be the biggest surprise of the group. Do you think who will be better than people thought or where they were drafted? So for example, Traveon Henderson was the second round pick to New England. Will he play like a first round pick. Who's the guy you think will surprise a little bit?
Yeah, I think there's probably a few guys. The one I will point to, and I apologize knowing the crowd that you are, the crowd of listeners you guys have. But Jack Sawyer, the defensive end who obviously had his issues with Michigan at the end of the game last year.
But I think this is a guy who was high star prospect coming out of high school, I think the number two or three defensive end, and then his second year at Ohio State, they sort of moved him around, tried him in the hybrid side role that never really worked, and I think it's sort of set back his production a little bit. He didn't really pick that back up until part way through his junior year once he went
fully back to the defensive end. So him going to the Pittsburgh Steelers and the mid rounds there, I think it's a really good fit and I think his production, you know, we'll almost certainly out out last or make that pick look better than it was. You mentioned the running backs and Trayvon Henderson and uh quinch On Judkins go to the Cleveland Browns. Both of those guys I
really like the fits. I think they can be productive there just trying to think of through all of those guys, I think there's there were a lot of good fits. We talked to Ryan Day yesterday and he said, well, he thought some guys could have gone earlier. He did like where guys landed in terms of their situation, and that was something I had said over the weekend when I talked to people about the draft. So I think it worked out well for for the Buckeyes in the draft,
including Tyler Williams. I like, I really like this this selection with by Detroit, and you know, when you have this many guys, you never know how it's all going to work out. But I think it will probably look back we'll see, but as a pretty good draft, even if you take the numbers out of it.
I know a lot of people thought Sawyer might even be a late first round pick, and then so dropping to fourth and getting pick Pittsburgh and Pittsburgh good culture and things of that nature. I'm sure it fits well with him. A great insight. We appreciate it very much. Thanks for the education on Tyler Williams. Sounds like the Lions got themselves a good one. But guys, of course, have a good one in you. Thanks for the time, have a great week
Man all right, thanks guys,