Ohio State then-redshirt junior cornerback Damon Arnette (3) carries the ball after an interception in the second half of the B1G Championship Game vs. Northwestern on Dec. 1. Ohio State won 45-24. Credit: Casey Cascaldo | Photo Editor
Former Ohio State cornerback Damon Arnette was selected with the No. 19 pick in the first round of the NFL draft by the Las Vegas Raiders
Arnette is the second Ohio State cornerback taken in the opening round, as former teammate Jeffrey Okudah was taken No. 3.
The redshirt senior had considered entering the 2019 draft, but decided to remain in Columbus for his senior season which proved to be a fruitful decision.
He tallied 35 tackles, a forced fumble, eight passes defended and an interception — a 96-yard pick-six — in his senior season. His play earned him a spot on the All-Big Ten second team.
The performance was enough to jump him from a projected third- or fourth-round pick to the Xth player taken in the draft.
Arnette played a key role in the Buckeyes’ top-ranked pass defense in 2019, which held opposing quarterbacks to just 156 passing yards per game. The Ohio State secondary was also the only unit in the country to hold opposing quarterbacks to an average passer rating below 100.
The Florida native played in four seasons with the Buckeyes following a redshirt season in 2015. He finished his Ohio State career with 140 tackles, five interceptions and 22 passes defended.
