Former Ohio State Buckeye cashes in with $25 million deal with New Orleans Saints before NFL preseason Week 1 begins

The Ohio State Buckeyes continue to see former players do well in the NFL. That NFL pipeline continues to push good recruits to the program. On Thursday, the New Orleans Saints rewarded linebacker Pete Werner with a three-year, $25 million deal with $17.5 million guaranteed.

It essentially translates to a two-year contract with an additional "prove-it" year in 2027. If he keeps improving, Werner stands to justify every cent of his pay.

Since being selected in the second round from Ohio State in 2021, Werner has appeared in 43 games for the Saints, starting in 35 of them. During this period, he has accumulated 235 tackles (152 of them solo), 11 tackles for loss, and has added an interception, two forced fumbles, two recoveries, and half a sack with a few hits on quarterbacks to his name.

Up until now, Werner's performance has been notably inconsistent, to the extent that Willie Gay Jr. was brought in to challenge him for his spot. Nevertheless, Werner addressed these issues during training camp, leading the Saints to believe in his continued strong performance on their behalf.

Those inconsistencies probably don't sound unfamiliar for Ohio State fans who watched Werner be a good but not great player in college. Though he posted three straight years with at least 54 tackles, Werner always left some room for more. He's a freakish athlete but struggled to provide consistent impact plays.

Even the fact that he was selected in the second round was shocking. Werner is gifted and improving, so it's possible he's just someone who is a bit of a late-bloomer who benefitted from a long leash and plenty of opportunities along the way.