'Exactly where Justin Fields was taken': Could C.J. Stroud fall in 2023 NFL draft?
Could C.J. Stroud fall outside of the first 10 picks of the 2023 NFL draft?
CBS Sports senior writer Will Brinson shared that as a possibility with his latest NFL mock draft one week before the draft kicks off in Kansas City, Missouri.
In his first round, Brinson has Alabama quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young as the No. 1 overall pick to the Carolina Panthers, while he has the Indianapolis Colts selecting Kentucky quarterback Will Levis at No. 4. Brinson does not have another quarterback selected until Stroud at No. 11 by the Tennessee Titans.
"Exactly where Justin Fields was taken," Britton wrote. "Stroud fits the Mike Vrabel culture (we're leaning heavily on Ohio State here) and certainly the archetype of QB (accurate, sneakily mobile, etc.)"
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In Levis' selection by the Colts, Brinson said Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson could be the team's pick at No. 4, but that Levis "might profile as more likely to win right now and save jobs."
Of the four quarterbacks that are projected to be selected first in the 2023 NFL draft — Young, Levis, Richardson and Stroud — Stroud had more passing yards (3,688), touchdowns (41) and a better completion percentage (66.3%).
Stroud finished his Ohio State career as a two-time Heisman Trophy finalist and two-time Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, throwing 85 touchdowns compared to 12 interceptions with 8,123 passing yards and a 69.3% completion rate in two seasons as the Buckeyes' starter.
Most mock drafts still have him as the second quarterback taken.
Per Vegas Insider, Young is a -1200 favorite to be the No. 1 overall pick. He recently canceled his remaining pre-draft visits after meeting with the Carolina Panthers, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. Vegas Insider has Stroud's best odds at +175 to be the No. 4 pick.
Where will Paris Johnson Jr. and Jaxon Smith-Njigba land in the 2023 NFL draft?
Stroud is not the only Ohio State player Brinson has going in the first round.
His mock draft has the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selecting Ohio State offensive tackle Paris Johnson Jr. at No. 19 overall behind Northwestern's Peter Skoronski (No. 7), Syracuse's Matthew Bergeron (No. 13), Tennessee's Darnell Wright (No. 14) and Georgia's Broderick Jones (No. 17).
Brinson also has Jaxon Smith-Njigba as the second wide receiver off the board at No. 22 to the Baltimore Ravens behind TCU's Quentin Johnston.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: C.J. Stroud falls out of top-10 in recent 2023 NFL mock draft
