NFL Draft: Kirk Herbstreit, ‘ESPN College GameDay’ crew to be part of expanded coverage

Credit: Mike Stobe

Credit: Mike Stobe

A local legend is set to be part of the latest expansion of NFL draft coverage by ESPN.

The network announced recently Centerville native Kirk Herbstreit will be a featured part of ABC’s broadcast of the draft on the first two nights, April 25-26, in Nashville.

>>RELATED: Which Buckeyes could be drafted? 

Herbstreit will be will be joined by NFL analyst Booger McFarland along with the entire College GameDay crew for a show that is to differentiate itself from the usual draft coverage on ESPN, which will run concurrently.

While the latter is to feature some of the network’s NFL analysts breaking down the picks from an NFL perspective, the GameDay team will focus on the journey of the NFL Draft prospects, taking viewers “up close and personal to understand the part their families play in their success and the hard work involved in attempting to become an NFL Draft selection” according to a press release from the network.

Longtime GameDay analyst Lee Corso will join Herbstreit, Rece Davis, Desmond Howard, former Bengal David Pollack, Jesse Palmer, Maria Taylor and Tom Rinaldi on the ABC broadcast, which will also feature Robin Roberts of Good Morning America.

>>RELATED: Dwayne Haskins explains decision to leave Ohio State, goals for draft process

Round one of the draft is set to take place April 25 beginning at 8 p.m. with round two starting at 7 p.m. the following night.

Rounds 4-7 are set for April 27 with ABC simulcasting the typical ESPN coverage of the event, which will also be broadcast by the NFL Network and streamed online.

Buckeye DE invited to Music City 

Ohio State defensive end Nick Bosa is one of 23 draft prospects who will be in Nashville for the draft.

He is not expected to wait long to hear his name called on night one.

The former five-star prospect who had 29 tackles for loss in 30 games at Ohio State was widely considered the favorite to be the No. 1 overall pick until Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray shot up the board over the past two months.

>>RELATED: Bosa looking forward to draft after ‘dark days’

If the Arizona Cardinals take Murray with the first pick, Bosa could go No. 2 to the San Francisco 49ers. That would put him on the West Coast with his older brother, Joey, a former Buckeye who plays for the Los Angeles Chargers.

The younger Bosa looked to be on track for a monster junior season before having his career cut short by a core muscle injury in September.

He was fully recovered in time for the NFL Scouting Combine in February.

Buckeyes to Announce Picks 

In addition to Bosa and Herbstreit, four former Buckeyes who excelled in the NFL are set to announce picks in the second or third round of the draft on April 26.

Nick Mangold, who was a standout at Alter High School before becoming an All-American center at Ohio State, will announced a pick for the New York Jets.

Orlando Pace, a College Football Hall of Fame offensive tackle who was the No. 1 overall pick in 1997 and had a standout career for the Rams, will announce a pick for that franchise.

Eddie George, the 1995 Heisman Trophy winner and workhorse running back, will announce a pick for the hometown Titans while receiver Santonio Holmes will announce a pick for the Steelers, the team for which he caught the game-winning touchdown pass in the Super Bowl XLIII.

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