As the 2025 NFL regular season winds down, the league has unveiled its rosters for the 2026 Pro Bowl Games - and once again, Ohio State alums are making their mark among the NFL’s elite. Two former Buckeyes, wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba of the Seattle Seahawks and cornerback Denzel Ward of the Cleveland Browns, have been named to represent their conferences in the annual all-star showcase.
Let’s start with Smith-Njigba, who’s putting together the kind of season that not only earns Pro Bowl nods - it commands attention across the league. Now in his third NFL season, the Seahawks wideout has officially arrived as one of the game’s premier offensive weapons. This is his second straight Pro Bowl selection, but it’s his first as a starter, and it’s hard to argue he didn’t earn every bit of it.
Through 15 games, Smith-Njigba leads the entire league in receiving yards with a jaw-dropping 1,637. He’s also hauled in 104 catches, setting a new single-season franchise record in Seattle, and he’s found the end zone 10 times.
He’s not just racking up stats - he’s doing it with style, turning routine plays into game-changing moments. His knack for creating separation and turning short throws into chunk gains has made him quarterback Sam Darnold’s go-to guy - and Darnold, also a Pro Bowler this year, has benefited big-time from that connection.
Smith-Njigba’s season has been filled with highlight-reel performances. A 167-yard, two-touchdown clinic against the Titans in November.
A clutch 113-yard outing in a key win over the Colts. Nine games with over 100 receiving yards.
These aren’t just numbers - they’re the backbone of a Seahawks offense that’s sitting at 12-3, leading the NFC West, and already locked into the postseason.
On the other side of the ball, Denzel Ward continues to build his legacy in Cleveland. The Browns cornerback has earned his fifth career Pro Bowl selection, a milestone that now puts him alone atop the franchise’s history books for most Pro Bowl nods by a cornerback, surpassing Frank Minnifield.
While the Browns have faced their share of adversity this season, Ward has been a steady force in the secondary. He’s a cornerstone of a defense that leads the NFL in passing yards allowed - just 164.1 per game.
That’s not just good; that’s elite. And it’s not a fluke.
Cleveland has now gone 43 straight games without giving up a 300-yard passing performance, and Ward’s presence is a huge reason why.
His raw numbers - 38 tackles, eight pass breakups, one interception - don’t tell the whole story. What makes Ward so valuable is how often quarterbacks simply avoid throwing his way.
That kind of respect doesn’t show up in the box score, but it says everything about the kind of lockdown defender he is. Now in his eighth season, Ward continues to set the standard for defensive backs - and he’s keeping the “BIA” (Best in America) tradition alive and well for Ohio State.
The 2026 Pro Bowl Games will take place in the San Francisco Bay Area during the week leading up to Super Bowl LX, moving from its recent home in Orlando. For Smith-Njigba and Ward, it’s another well-deserved honor - and for Buckeye fans, it’s more proof that Columbus continues to be a pipeline to NFL greatness.