As the 2017 season draws nearer by the day, it’s time to start taking a look at some of the top players to watch in the Big Ten Conference.

We continue our Ranking the Big Ten series today with the defensive ends, a group in which Ohio State is a hefty cut above everyone else.

Previous Rankings: QB | RB | WR | TE | OT | OG | C | DT

There likely hasn’t been a more loaded defensive end unit in college football in a long, long time than what Ohio State is bringing to the table in 2017.

There’s also little arguing that senior Tyquan Lewis is the best of that group.

Regarded as one of the top ends in the country, Lewis turned down a chance to potentially be a first-round draft pick to return the Buckeyes for his senior season.

The 2016 Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year, Lewis was consensus first-team all-conference pick who led OSU with 10.5 tackles for loss and 8.0 sacks.

The 6-foot-4, 265-pound native of Tarboro, N.C., has led Ohio State in sacks each of the past two seasons, and he’s just seven more away from cracking the school’s top-five list for career sacks.

As if having Lewis on one side of the defensive line wasn’t a big enough luxury, Ohio State also boasts the Big Ten’s second-best player at the position on the other side in junior Sam Hubbard.

A Freshman All-American in 2015, Hubbard started every game for the Buckeyes last season as a sophomore and racked up 46 tackles, 8.0 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks.

The 6-5, 265, native of Cincinnati, OH, earned honorable-mention All-Big Ten for his efforts, and he was also tabbed a first-team Academic All-American.

Having already played in 26 career games with 14 starts, Hubbard now ranks second on the team in both career tackles for loss (16) and sacks (10). Those numbers should only continue to rise over the next two seasons.

Rashan Gary signed with Michigan as a five-star prospect ranked the No. 1 overall player in the country for the 2016 class.

He definitely did not disappoint in his debut with the Wolverines last season.

The 6-5, 287, native of Plainfield, N.J., played in all 13 games as a true freshman despite being part of maybe the best and deepest defensive line in the county.

He finished with 27 tackles, five tackles for loss and a sack, and the potential he flashed has UM salivating over his future.

Gary was named 2017 preseason first-team All-Big Ten by both Athlon and Street & Smith’s and second-team all-conference by Lindy’s.

The rich just keep getting richer.

On top of boasting the best two defensive ends in the Big Ten, Ohio State adds another top-level talent in sophomore Nick Bosa.

Brother of San Diego Chargers top pick and former OSU star Joey, Nick lived up to the lofty expectations set for him last year as a true freshman.

Playing in all 13 games, the 6-4, 270, native of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., posted 29 tackles, seven tackles for loss and ranked second on the team with five sacks.

The former consensus five-star prospect earned Freshman All-American honors and now enters his sophomore campaign as a preseason first-team All-Big Ten selection by Street & Smith’s and second-team by both Athlon and Lindy’s.

Given the fact that he serves as block-eating, run-stuffing strong side end in Wisconsin’s 3-4 scheme, Conor Sheehy hasn’t put up the same type of numbers or highlights as the other players on this list.

But all you need to do is take a closer look at the film to quickly understand how important the 6-4, 290, senior is to the Badgers’ consistently stingy defense.

Sheehy ended last season with 27 total tackles, four tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks, but he also helped free up UW’s linebackers to put up some huge numbers and led the Badgers to finish third in the conference in total defense, scoring defense and rushing defense.

He was named preseason second-team All-Big Ten by Athlon and third-team by Lindy's.