C.J. Stroud at No. 1, Zach Harrison stays in Ohio in latest CBS Sports 2023 NFL mock draft
In CBS Sports' latest seven-round mock 2023 NFL draft, one more Ohio State football player than last season is expected to be selected.
After the 2022 draft saw two first-round receivers off the board in the first 11 picks, CBS Sports NFL draft analyst Ryan Wilson has three Buckeyes off the board in the first 12 picks, including the highest-selected quarterback in school history.
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Here's where Ohio State players could end up after the 2023 NFL draft is complete next week.
C.J. Stroud headlines three Ohio State first-round NFL draft picks
QB C.J. Stroud — No. 1 Carolina Panthers (from Chicago Bears)
OT Paris Johnson Jr. — No. 9 Chicago Bears (from Carolina Panthers)
WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba — No. 12 Houston Texans (from Cleveland Browns)
While sportsbooks seem to favor Alabama quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young as the No. 1 overall pick, Wilson like C.J. Stroud as Ohio State's first No. 1 overall pick since Orlando Pace by the St. Louis Rams in 1997.
"C.J. Stroud had a great pro day and it further solidified his case as one of the top two QBs in this draft class," Wilson wrote. "We've heard that the Panthers are high on Stroud -- and for now, we have him going No. 1 because it's easy to envision him transitioning from Ohio State to a Carolina staff that includes Frank Reich and Jim Caldwell."
In this mock draft, Wilson has two other Ohio State players to be the first at their position off the board.
Offensive tackle Paris Johnson Jr. is the first offensive lineman off the board at No. 9 to the Chicago Bears, saying protecting former Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields is the team's "Priority No. 1."
Jaxon Smith-Njigba is the first wide receiver selected at No. 12 to the Houston Texans, pairing Young at No. 2 with a "legit Day 1 playmaker."
Zach Harrison stays in Ohio, Luke Wypler joins Paris Johnson Jr. in 2023 NFL mock draft
OT Dawand Jones — No. 34 (Round 2) Arizona Cardinals
C Luke Wypler — No. 64 (Round 3) Chicago Bears
DE Zach Harrison — No. 163 (Round 5) Cincinnati Bengals
SAF Ronnie Hickman — No. 189 (Round 6) Los Angeles Rams
Stroud, Johnson and Smith-Njigba are not the Ohio State players that are expected to come off the board next week. Four other Buckeyes were selected in Wilson's latest seven-round mock draf.
Offensive tackle Dawand Jones comes off the board as the third pick of the second round by the Arizona Cardinals. Jones would be the seventh offensive lineman off the board behind Johnson, Northwestern's Peter Skoronski, Georgia's Broderick Jones, Tennessee's Darnell Wright, Florida's O'Cyrus Torrence and Oklahoma's Anton Harrison.
In the third round, Luke Wypler is selected in the third round by the Chicago Bears after the team selected Johnson in the first round.
With a fifth-round selection by the Cincinnati Bengals, Zach Harrison becomes the first Ohio State player drafted by the Bengals since offensive lineman Michael Jordan in 2019.
Ronnie Hickman comes off the board in the sixth round, following in the footsteps of former Ohio State safety Jordan Fuller by being drafted by the Los Angeles Rams.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Seven Ohio State football players selected in CBS Sports mock draft
