Former Ohio State tight end Jeremy Ruckert was selected by the New York Jets with the No. 101 pick in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft on day two He was the fourth OSU selection.
Ruckert was one of the highest-rated tight ends to ever sign with Ohio State. He came to Columbus as the No. 37 overall prospect and No. 2 tight end in the class of 2018 out of Lindenhurst, N.Y.
He spent most of his first season as a reserve and burst onto the scene for the Buckeyes as a sophomore. Working alongside starter Luke Farrell and reserves Rashod Berry and Jake Hausmann, Ruckert made 14 receptions for 142 yards, grabbing his first career touchdown (and one of four that season) against Florida Atlantic from 25 yards out only four minutes into the season. He snared another against the Owls in the final minutes of the third quarter.
He had 13 receptions for 151 yards and five scores in the shortened 2020 campaign and more than doubled that as a senior with 26 receptions for 309 yards and three touchdowns. His finest moment came against Clemson in the 2020 College Football Playoff, grabbing two touchdowns as part of a 55-yard day.
The Draft Network’s scouting director Kyle Crabbs projected Ruckert as a future NFL starter and a third-round pick among a strong group of tight end prospects.
“Ruckert projects as a viable threat in an NFL passing game,” Crabbs wrote. “Ruckert’s development as the primary tight end for the Buckeyes spanned over several seasons – he had been an enticing complementary piece of the puzzle but never someone who was asked to serve in a starring role as a pass-catcher. Ruckert’s best season in that regard comes in 2021 as the fifth option in the offense behind star receivers Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and running back TreVeyon Henderson.
“But when Ruckert does garner targets, he’s efficient in hauling in passes and with the spacing challenges posed by Ohio State’s 11-personnel grouping, Ruckert is usually isolated in a one-on-one matchup. He’s been a killer in the red zone, too (all five of his 2020 scores came in the red area). In total, he hauled in 12 touchdown receptions in 51 career catches entering into his final contest, the 2022 Rose Bowl versus Utah. Many of those scores have come out of play-action, where Ruckert’s role as a blocker and his ability to climb to the second level on seal blocks can be well hidden and allow him to burst free on delayed releases out of stalk blocks and into the open.”
