What NFL Teams Said about the Oklahoma State Players They Drafted

Four former Oklahoma State players heard their names called in the NFL Draft this past weekend, which is the most the program has had since 2021.

It started Friday when Nick Martin went 75th overall to the San Francisco 49ers — higher than many had him projected. Collin Oliver was next to go when the Green Bay Packers took him in the fifth. Then came Ollie Gordon, who the Miami Dolphins took in the sixth before the New York Giants took Korie Black in the seventh.

Now that the dust has settled on the NFL Draft, here are some things NFL teams said about their former-Poke selections.

Martin a ‘Run-and-Hit Player’

Two things that aren’t all that surprising to people who have watched Martin play at OSU: He is fast, and he is physical.

When Martin made 140 tackles in 2023, it was the most any OSU player had compiled in a season since 1984. Martin missed much of 2024 with injury, but 49ers general manager John Lynch raved about his third-round pick. Lynch compared Martin to Dre Greenlaw, who left the organization in free agency this past season after making 56 starts over the past six years.

“Nick Martin, he’s the linebacker, he’s a run-and-hit player,” Lynch said. “He fits our style of physicality and playing the game the right way. Two-time captain at Oklahoma State. Just had our type of player all over it.

“Swarms to the football, and you feel him on the field. Not the biggest guy but has long arms. It kind of mimics Dre (Greenlaw) in a lot of ways. That’s high praise, and he’s got a long way to go to show that he can be like that, but that was a guy that was reminiscent of that.”

Packers Like Oliver’s Speed, Versatility

One of the big question marks surrounding Oliver’s NFL future was what position he was going to play.

Oliver spent his first two seasons at OSU as a defensive end before moving back to linebacker, with his size falling somewhere between those positions. It sounds as if that versatility was a plus in the Packers’ eyes as it projects to Oliver’s future.

“I would say he’s a little bit more of a DPR (designated pass rusher) at this standpoint,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said. “But one thing that I think was pretty evident throughout the course of the season is we needed a little bit more speed and a speed rusher on the edge, and I think that’s exactly what he does. But he’s another guy that has versatility in terms of we feel he can play as an off-the-ball linebacker, as well.”

Packers’ GM Brian Gutekunst also spoke glowingly about Oliver’s speed and his ability to develop into a linebacker.

“We talked a lot about just having guys like that that can chase the quarterback down,” Gutekunst said. “There’s not a lot of guys in our league that win with pure speed on the edge, but there are some guys that have some really good get-offs and quickness. One thing that I’m always concerned about with guys if all they can do is rush the passer and they’re that size, when you have injuries and they gotta play more on first and second down, that can put you in a spot. I think with Collin, with his situation, he can actually stand up and play some linebacker, too. He can play some Sam linebacker. I think that versatility made us comfortable with it.”

Ollie ‘Eager to Prove Himself’

After being named a consensus All-American and winning the Doak Walker for the 2023 season, it felt as if Ollie Gordon was the next big thing when it comes to running backs. But a down 2024 saw Gordon fall to the sixth round before the Dolphins scooped him up.

Gordon ran for 1,732 yards and 21 touchdowns as a sophomore in 2023 before putting up 880 yards and 13 scores this past season. Dolphins’ coach Mike McDaniel was asked about Gordon’s 2023 tape.

“Saw a lot of really good stuff,” McDaniel said. “It’s not the first time that we’ve come across an evaluation, even at that particular school, where you have someone have a really big year followed by maybe a year that they didn’t anticipate or is underwhelming for them. What’s interesting is really unpacking that. You watch any differences in play, you try to really understand the totality of the environments, but the biggest thing is you try to meet the player, engage with him and see what the experience, how it’s affected him. You’re hoping that it burns a fire inside, and I think it’s pretty evident when we visited with him that he is eager to prove himself.

“I think the ’23 tape was very impressive. Based upon our interactions with him, we feel optimistic that is the version that we’re gonna improve upon moving forward, which will be up to him and what he does with this opportunity.”

Giants Value Black’s Speed, Special Teams Acumen

Korie Black has been a staple on the OSU defense the past five years, where he’s taken part in 62 games and made 38 starts.

Black’s speed started getting some more pub going into this past season, with a bunch of his teammates labeling him as the fastest player on the team. Speed is always good to have, and it sounds like another reason the Giants were high on him was his knack as a special teamer. That speed off the edge saw Black block a handful of field goals in his time as a Cowboy.

“Korie Black — 6-foot, 200 (pounds) and ran 4.3,” Giants GM Joe Schoen said. “Press corner that late in the draft has traits that you look for. Tough kid. He’s also a good tackler. Has special teams value, as well.”