20. PK Mike Nugent — New York Jets (2005)
Yes, that’s a place kicker ranked among the top 20 Ohio State players currently in the NFL. Mike Nugent has earned his spot. Nugent was a two time consensus All American for the Buckeyes. He won the Lou Groza Award as the nation’s top kicker and was the first kicker ever to earn team MVP in 2002, which just so happened to be a year the Buckeyes won a national championship. If that doesn’t tell you how valuable Nugent was, nothing will.
The Jets didn’t need much convincing. They spent a top 50 pick on a kicker and saw him nail 75 field goals his first three seasons in the NFL before injuring his quad and subsequently losing his job. Nugent has bounced around the league since. He played seven seasons with the Bengals and has also played for the Cardinals, Bears, Cowboys, Raiders, and Bucs. Such is the life of a kicker. Nugent has made 253 field goals in his career, making 81% of them.