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Ohio State QB C.J. Stroud is off to the NFL. Where is he in the latest 2023 mock drafts?

January 16, 2023

C.J. Stroud made it official Monday: his Ohio State career is complete.

The two-year Buckeye quarterback announced that he would enter the 2023 NFL draft after finishing consecutive seasons as a Heisman Trophy finalist, Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year and Big Ten Quarterback of the Year, leading the Buckeyes to 21 wins in two seasons.

Stroud is not the only Ohio State player to announce the jump to the NFL with players like center Luke Wypler, offensive tackle Dawand Jones and safety Ronnie Hickman all aiming to be selected in April’s draft. But consensus seems to indicate that three former Buckeyes are on a path to be first-round selections: Stroud, offensive tackle Paris Johnson Jr. and wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

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C.J. Stroud is off to the NFL: Ohio State QB CJ Stroud makes it official: He’s headed to the NFL

Here’s where each is picked to end up according to multiple recent 2023 NFL mock drafts.

QB C.J. Stroud

Dec 31, 2022; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) runs for a first down past Georgia Bulldogs defensive lineman Mykel Williams (13) and defensive back Kamari Lassiter (3) during the second half of the Peach Bowl in the College Football Playoff semifinal at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Ohio State lost 42-41. Mandatory Credit: Adam Cairns-The Columbus DispatchDec 31, 2022; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) runs for a first down past Georgia Bulldogs defensive lineman Mykel Williams (13) and defensive back Kamari Lassiter (3) during the second half of the Peach Bowl in the College Football Playoff semifinal at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Ohio State lost 42-41. Mandatory Credit: Adam Cairns-The Columbus Dispatch

Dec 31, 2022; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) runs for a first down past Georgia Bulldogs defensive lineman Mykel Williams (13) and defensive back Kamari Lassiter (3) during the second half of the Peach Bowl in the College Football Playoff semifinal at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Ohio State lost 42-41. Mandatory Credit: Adam Cairns-The Columbus Dispatch

In two seasons as Ohio State’s starting quarterback, Stroud recorded 8,123 passing yards with 85 touchdowns and 12 interceptions while completing 69.3% of his 830 pass attempts.

Those numbers have brought Stroud as a consensus top-10 pick and one of the top three quarterbacks taken in 2023 mock drafts along with Alabama quarterback Bryce Young and Kentucky quarterback Will Levis.

Stroud seems to be on the path to become the third Ohio State quarterback since 2019 to be selected in the first 15 picks of the NFL draft along with Justin Fields in 2021 and Dwayne Haskins in 2019.

OL Paris Johnson Jr.

  • CBS: No. 10 Philadelphia Eagles

  • USA Today: No. 11 Tennessee Titans

  • Yahoo Sports: No. 7 Las Vegas Raiders

  • Pro Football Focus: No. 11 Tennessee Titans

  • Draft Wire: No. 13 New York Jets

  • Draft Network: No. 7 Chicago Bears

With his 6-foot-6, 315-pound frame, Johnson will likely be one of the first offensive linemen off the board in April’s draft.

Johnson was a part of an Ohio State offensive line that allowed 12 sacks in 13 games, while finishing third in the Big Ten with 198.5 rushing yards per game and 5.5 yards per rush during the regular season.

Johnson, who is in the running with Northwestern’s Peter Skoronski and Georgia’s Broderick Jones as the first offensive lineman off the board, would be the Buckeyes’ first first-round offensive lineman since Billy Price in 2018 and the first first-round tackle selected since Taylor Decker in 2016.

WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Sep 17, 2022; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) warms up prior to the NCAA Division I football game against the Toledo Rockets at Ohio Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Adam Cairns-The Columbus DispatchSep 17, 2022; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) warms up prior to the NCAA Division I football game against the Toledo Rockets at Ohio Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Adam Cairns-The Columbus Dispatch

Sep 17, 2022; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) warms up prior to the NCAA Division I football game against the Toledo Rockets at Ohio Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Adam Cairns-The Columbus Dispatch

  • CBS: No. 26 New York Giants

  • USA Today: No. 22 New York Giants

  • Yahoo Sports: No. 20 Seattle Seahawks

  • Pro Football Focus: No. 32 Philadelphia Eagles

  • Draft Wire: No. 22 New York Giants

  • Draft network: No. 15 Green Bay Packers

After missing the majority of his junior season with a hamstring injury, Smith-Njigba still has a chance to be one of the first four wide receivers selected in the 2023 draft.

Along with USC’s Jordan Addison, TCU’s Quentin Johnston and Boston College’s Zay Flowers, most mocks have Smith-Njigba as a first-round pick after his record-breaking sophomore season in 2021.

A Smith-Njigba first-round selection would be Ohio State’s third first-round receiver in two years.

Ohio State football schedule 2023

Here’s what Ohio State’s 2023 football schedule looks like.

  • Sept. 2: Ohio State vs. Indiana, Memorial Stadium, Bloomington, Indiana

  • Sept. 9: Ohio State vs. Youngstown State, Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio

  • Sept. 16: Ohio State vs. Western Kentucky, Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio

  • Sept. 23: Ohio State vs. Notre Dame, Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, Indiana

  • Oct. 7: Ohio State vs. Maryland, Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio

  • Oct. 14: Ohio State vs. Purdue, Ross-Ade Stadium, West Lafayette, Indiana

  • Oct. 21: Ohio State vs. Penn State, Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio

  • Oct. 28: Ohio State vs. Wisconsin, Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, Wisconsin

  • Nov. 4: Ohio State vs. Rutgers, SHI Stadium, Piscataway, New Jersey

  • Nov. 11: Ohio State vs. Michigan State, Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio

  • Nov. 18: Ohio State vs. Minnesota, Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio

  • Nov. 25: Ohio State vs. Michigan, Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, Michigan

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Where will Ohio State QB CJ Stroud be picked in the 2023 NFL draft?

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