Ohio State Star Taken to Task for Disappointing Season

This Ohio State Buckeyes star has seen his NFL Draft stock plummet thanks to a very disappointing 2024 season.

Ohio State Buckeyes cornerback Denzel Burke (10) celebrates a tackle during the NCAA football game against the Michigan Wolverines at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024. Michigan won 13-10. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Heading into the 2024 college football season, the Ohio State Buckeyes boasted a handful of players that were expected to be first-round NFL Draft talents.

Among them was Denzel Burke, who was widely considered one of the best cornerbacks in the country.

However, Burke's stock has dipped quite a bit thanks to a rather disappointing campaign, one that was highlighted by a brutal performance against the Oregon Ducks back in Week 7.

Bleacher Report's NFL Scouting Department has put together a list of the biggest risers and fallers going into the 2025 NFL Draft, and Burke's name made the latter.

"Despite his physicality and versatility, he didn't quite measure up against top-tier receivers, showing lapses in coverage during key matchups," Bleacher Report wrote. "His tendency to gamble for interceptions and his inconsistent breaks—particularly in off-coverage—have hurt his production."

To make matters worse, Bleacher Report has predicted that Burke could fall as far as the third round, which would be an incredibly steep dropoff from where many had him pegged back in August.

"If Burke can clean up his technique and improve his consistency, he could still develop into a starting cornerback, but his current form leaves plenty of room for improvement," B/R concluded.

Burke has registered 41 tackles, a couple of interceptions and just two passes defended in 2024. A legitimate argument can be made that he has been one of the most underwhelming players in the nation given his lofty expectations.

The 22-year-old still has terrific physical tools, so we'll see if an NFL team ultimately takes a gamble on Burke in the first two rounds come April.