CLEVELAND — Northeast Ohio was well represented at the 2024 NFL Draft, which took place in Detroit, Michigan, over the weekend.
Between April 25 and 27, five former Cleveland area high school football standouts, Michael Hall Jr, AJ Barner, Tommy Eichenberg, Rasheen Ali and Nick Samac, were drafted by NFL teams.
Here’s everything you need to know about these Northeast Ohioans who are heading to the NFL:
Defensive tackle Michael Hall Jr. | Cleveland Browns
Second Round
No. 54
Streetsboro High School graduate
You can’t ask for a better draft story than Michael Hall’s. The Streetsboro native was selected by his hometown team, the Cleveland Browns. Hall was a star for the Streetsboro Rockets before becoming a two-time All-Big Ten selection for the Buckeyes. Hall played three seasons with the Buckeyes, tallying 45 career tackles.
Tight end AJ Barner | Seattle Seahawks
Fourth Round
No. 121
- Aurora High School
With the 121st pick, the Seattle Seahawks selected Aurora High School graduate AJ Barner. During his college career, Barner played three seasons at Indiana before transferring to the University of Michigan for his senior year. The 6-foot-6, 251-pound TE tallied 64 catches for 610 yards and five touchdowns during his college career. During his time with Aurora High School, he was part of the team that went 13-1 and played in a state semifinal game.
Linebacker Tommy Eichenberg | Las Vegas Raiders
Fifth Round
No. 148
St. Ignatius High School graduate
The former Ohio State captain was selected 148th by the Las Vegas Raiders on Saturday afternoon. Eichenberg was one of the top prospects in Ohio, coming out of St. Ignatius in 2019. During his time with OSU, The Cleveland native recorded 266 total tackles, 3.5 sacks and two picks.
Running back Rasheen Ali | Baltimore Ravens
- Fifth Round
- No. 165
- Shaker Heights High School graduate
During the fifth round of the NFL Draft, the Baltimore Ravens drafted former Shaker Heights High School running back Rasheen Ali. The Marshall product, who was picked at No. 165, ran for 39 career touchdowns and 2,831 yards during his four years. In 2021, Ali recorded a career-high 250 carries for 1,401 yards and 23 touchdowns.
Center Nick Samac | Baltimore Ravens
- Round 7
- No. 228
- Mentor High School graduate
During his time with Michigan State, Nick Samac played in 49 career games, including 32 starts at center. The 6-foot-4, 305-pound center played nearly 2,500 snaps during his five-year college career. In his senior year at Mentor High School, he was rated one of the top offensive guard prospects in the state of Ohio. He helped guide Mentor to a 13-2 record and an appearance in the OHSAA Division 1 championship game.
Ten players in total were drafted from the Buckeye State this year. Ohio, Alabama, Maryland and North Carolina tied for having the seventh-most players selected from their state in the 2024 NFL Draft.
In addition to the Northeast Ohioans drafted, here are the remaining players from Ohio who were picked by NFL teams in Detroit:
Erick All, Fairfield
Cincinnati Bengals
Jowon Briggs, Walnut Hills (Cincinnati)
Cleveland Browns
DeWayne Carter, Pickerington Central (Pickerington)
Buffalo Bills
Josiah Ezirim, Hilliard Davidson (Hilliard)
New Orleans Saints
Cade Stover, Lexington
Houston Texans
One other Northeast Ohio connection worth mentioning is that following the conclusion of the NFL Draft on Saturday, former University of Mount Union star WR Wayne Ruby Jr. announced that he signed a free agent contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars.