With The First Pick
Fansided

Shaun Wade: The Enigma of the 2020 NFL Draft Class

By Jeremiah Bogan

PISCATAWAY, NEW JERSEY - NOVEMBER 16: Shaun Wade #24 of the Ohio State Buckeyes intercepts a pass intended for Bo Melton #18 of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in the first quarter at SHI Stadium on November 16, 2019 in Piscataway, New Jersey. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
PISCATAWAY, NEW JERSEY - NOVEMBER 16: Shaun Wade #24 of the Ohio State Buckeyes intercepts a pass intended for Bo Melton #18 of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in the first quarter at SHI Stadium on November 16, 2019 in Piscataway, New Jersey. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 3
Next
PISCATAWAY, NEW JERSEY – NOVEMBER 16: Shaun Wade #24 of the Ohio State Buckeyes celebrates his interception with teammates Jeff Okudah #1 and Pete Werner #20 in the first quarter against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at SHI Stadium on November 16, 2019 in Piscataway, New Jersey. Will he declare for the 2020 NFL Draft? (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
PISCATAWAY, NEW JERSEY – NOVEMBER 16: Shaun Wade #24 of the Ohio State Buckeyes celebrates his interception with teammates Jeff Okudah #1 and Pete Werner #20 in the first quarter against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at SHI Stadium on November 16, 2019 in Piscataway, New Jersey. Will he declare for the 2020 NFL Draft? (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

24

Shaun Wade CB

Ohio State Buckeyes Football
Ohio State Buckeyes Football /

Scouting Report

Shaun Wade is undoubtedly a first round talent in the 2020 NFL Draft. What position rankings does he fall into and will the traits add up?

Ohio State cornerback Shaun Wade has become the enigma of this year’s draft class. A consensus 5-star recruit coming out of high school according to 247 Sports, the only cornerback ranked ahead of him is current teammate Jeffery Okudah. Ohio State has become an embarrassment of riches when it comes to the cornerback position; like previous drafts, the 2020 NFL Draft may have more than two at the position taken on the first two days of the draft.

A redshirt sophomore, Wade had his true freshman season cut short due to injury and took a redshirt. Wade is only in his first year as a full-time starter because of the talent that has been around him. Despite only being a part-time player in 2018, he led the team in interceptions in his first full college football season. The talent he had couldn’t be hidden for long as the Ohio State coaching staff decided to move to a nickel base defense just to get Wade on the field.

This is where the enigma begins. Shaun Wade plays multiple roles in the Ohio State secondary as the starting nickel and he plays all at a high level. His versatility is exciting and will have teams guessing of where to put him. He made an appearance in my top ten cornerback rankings but his ranking is held down due to lack of film at the outside cornerback spot.

More from With the First Pick

He may see a move to the nickel cornerback rankings in the next install where he would undoubtedly take over the top spot. There’s so much to his game to like as an ultimate chess piece player that elite defenses yearn for. A permanent move to corner wouldn’t fully maximize his excellence as a football player.

His traits are so exciting though that it makes one wonder, if he stays at the cornerback spot, is the only person that could top him once again be Jeffery Okudah? The ceiling for Shaun Wade is high because the traits he displays make him a dynamic player that can solve a lot of problems for an NFL defense with his versatility.

Home/NFL Draft News