Ohio State Buckeyes Players Entering The 2023 NFL Draft
A plethora of the NFL’s top players right now graduated from the marquee Ohio State Buckeyes’ football program.
The long list includes Joey Bosa (Los Angeles Chargers), Nick Bosa (San Francisco 49ers, Ezekiel Elliott (Dallas Cowboys), Marshon Lattimore (New Orleans Saints), Terry McLaurin (Washington Commanders), Chase Young (Commanders), Garrett Wilson (New York Jets) and Chris Olave (Saints).
The 2023 NFL Draft will once again see several Buckeyes greats turn professional when they’re called to the stage — with one of them in a realistic spot to go first overall.
Sports betting went live in The Buckeye State in January after a long wait. NFL fans living in the state should know that Ohio sportsbook promos are sure to have all the best deals if you’re looking to try your luck at who might get drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft this year.
With the draft now less than three months away, let’s take a look at several of the top Ohio State Buckeyes players who are about to officially turn professional.
C.J. Stroud
Orlando Pace is the last Ohio State player that went first overall in the NFL Draft, and that was back in 1997. Pace went on to enjoy a Hall of Fame career with the St. Louis Rams, earning seven Pro Bowl nods and helping the club to a Super Bowl 34 championship.
There’s a good chance that C.J. Stroud breaks the drought by going first overall in this year’s draft. The Chicago Bears own the No. 1 pick, but they already have a quarterback in ex-Buckeye Justin Fields, so it’s widely expected that GM Ryan Poles will end up trading the selection to a QB-needy team.
Stroud and Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Bryce Young are widely viewed as the top two QB prospects in this class. But Georgia’s Jalen Carter (defensive tackle) or Alabama’s Will Anderson Jr. (outside linebacker) are sure to get consideration for going first overall as well.
The two-time first-team All-Big Ten selection completed 66.3 percent of his pass attempts for 3,688 yards and 41 touchdowns against only six interceptions in his final season for the Buckeyes.
The Houston Texans (holders of the No. 2 pick) and Indianapolis Colts (the No. 4 pick) are the teams to watch here in the Stroud sweepstakes. The Seattle Seahawks hold the No. 5 pick but may prioritize re-signing 2022 Comeback Player of the Year Geno Smith. But if Stroud is somehow there at No. 5, GM John Schneider may find it too difficult to pass on a world-class talent like the Ohio State star.
Paris Johnson Jr.
While the quarterbacks, Carter and Anderson Jr. dominate headlines ahead of the draft, one shouldn’t forget that this is also a very deep class for stalwart offensive linemen.
Among them: Ohio State star Paris Johnson Jr. And Stroud would be more than happy to tell scouts, coaches and GMs about his talent level and game-changing abilities.
Offensive linemen don’t draw as much attention as players who play the “skill” positions like QBs, wide receivers and running backs. But it’s no coincidence that this year’s two Super Bowl finalists, the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs, had top-level offensive lines in 2022.
That’s why nobody should be surprised if Johnson Jr. is a top-10 selection in the April draft. The 6-foot-6, 310-pound offensive lineman was one of the nation’s top blockers over his final two years of college, earning Second-team All-Big Ten and First-team All-Big Ten honors in 2021 and 2022, respectively.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba
Smith-Njigba missed most of the 2022 season dealing with a hamstring injury, but scouts sure aren’t going to overlook the (many) highlight reels he displayed in the 2021 season.
The 6-foot-1, 200-pound wideout was almost impossible to cover in 2021. Smith-Njigba hauled in 95 passes for 1,606 yards and nine touchdowns — averaging an impressive 16.9 yards per reception.
Smith-Njigba’s ideal combination of size and speed will make him an immediate impact player at the NFL level right away. Like his Ohio State teammates in Stroud and Johnson Jr., Smith-Njigba could be the first player selected at his position in April.
He has all the pieces to be a multi-time Pro Bowler, just like several other Ohio State graduates like Garrett Wilson, Terry McLaurin and Chris Olave.
