NFL Mock Draft: Three Buckeyes Projected First-Round Picks, No Smith-Njigba?

Ohio State could have as many as nine players selected in the NFL Draft, three of those players are projected to go in the first-round.

Author:
Harrison Reno
Feb 2, 2023 8:00 AM EST

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Ohio State Buckeyes

The Ohio State Buckeyes will be well represented for April's NFL Draft; nine players declared for the next level and hope to hear their names called on the three-day extravaganza.

In a recent mock draft from the 33rd Team, three of those nine players went in the first round.

No surprise, quarterback C.J. Stroud was the first Buckeye off the board, with the 33rd Team projecting Stroud as the first signal-caller to be selected by the Houston Texans with the No. 2 overall pick.

"Houston resists the urge to move up one spot, preserves its draft capital and still get the top quarterback on their board. Stroud showed his full potential in the semifinals against Georgia. Of the top three quarterbacks in this class, Stroud may have the best combination of arm strength, touch and ball placement."
- The 33rd Team

Following Stroud was left tackle Paris Johnson, who the Atlanta Falcons selected with the No. 8 pick.

"The Falcons land the extremely athletic Johnson to give them a tackle for years to come. Johnson has all of the tools to be a top-level NFL starter, he just needs to get a bit stronger in the upper body."
- The 33rd Team

While right tackle Dewand Jones was the last projected first-rounder for Ohio State, going No. 13 overall in a projected trade where the New York Jets sent the pick to the Green Bay Packers in a move to acquire quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

The 33rd Team said of Jones, "This gives the Jets a chance to make a run at a Super Bowl with their talented roster. Green Bay uses the pick to inject more youth into the offensive line and protect Jordan Love's blind side."

Jones's participation in the Reeses' Senior Bowl may help him climb draft boards. The 6-foot-8, 375-pound lineman set a record with the longest wingspan in the bowl's history, 89 and a half inches, before impressing those in attendance with his ability to win one-on-ones.

While those three selections may not surprise the Buckeye-faithful, there was a potentially surprising omission of Jaxon Smith-Njigba. The former Ohio State wide receiver played in three games after sustaining a hamstring injury and may now slide into day two.

Smith-Njigba burst onto the scene as a sophomore with over 1,600 yards receiving and nine touchdowns on 95 receptions. After ending his second year on a very high note, with a record performance in the Rose Bowl, racking up 347 yards and three touchdowns on 15 receptions, he looked set to be a top prospect.

But the lack of game tape has created skepticism about whether an NFL team will spend a first-round pick on him.