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Before NFL combine workouts, where are Ohio State football players in 2023 mock drafts?

colin gay, the columbus dispatch
·4 min read

The next step in the NFL draft process for eight Ohio State football players has begun in Indianapolis.

The 2023 NFL combine has begun at Lucas Oil Stadium with position on-field workouts starting Thursday.

Eight Ohio State players — quarterback C.J. Stroud, offensive tackle Paris Johnson Jr., wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, offensive tackle Dawand Jones, center Luke Wypler, defensive end Zach Harrison, cornerback Cameron Brown and safety Ronnie Hickman — were invited to showcase their skills in front of NFL scouts and coaches.

Heading into the combine, Stroud, Johnson and Smith-Njigba are projected to be first-round NFL draft picks in April, while Jones continues to boost his draft stock potentially into the first round.

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Here's a look at where Stroud, Johnson, Smith-Njigba and Jones stand heading into the combine's on-field workouts.

C.J. Stroud is one of the first quarterbacks taken in 2023 NFL mock drafts

Dec 31, 2022; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) drops back to pass against Georgia Bulldogs during the first quarter of the Peach Bowl in the College Football Playoff semifinal at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Dec 31, 2022; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) drops back to pass against Georgia Bulldogs during the first quarter of the Peach Bowl in the College Football Playoff semifinal at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Stroud is projected to be one of the first quarterbacks off the board in April.

Consistently behind Alabama quarterback Bryce Young, Stroud usually falls in the top-four picks as the second signal caller to be selected, while CBS' Chris Trapasso has him behind Florida's Anthony Richardson, Young and Kentucky's Will Levis.

Whether Stroud is selected by the Houston Texans at No. 2, Indianapolis Colts at No. 4 or even dropping to the New York Giants at No. 8, he could be the highest Ohio State quarterback has ever been selected since Art Schlichter was picked No. 4 overall by the Baltimore Colts in 1982.

When is the 2023 NFL combine? When is the 2023 NFL combine? How to watch C.J. Stroud, Ohio State NFL combine workouts

"In many ways, Stroud fits the bill of what Indianapolis has recently sought behind center: a well-built (6-3, 218 pounds), decisive distributor," USA Today's Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz wrote in his latest mock draft.

In his latest mock draft, ESPN analyst Mel Kiper called Stroud's accuracy and arm strength "underrated" with a touch to all levels of the field "the best in his class."

Paris Johnson Jr. hovers around end of top-10 in 2023 NFL draft

  • USA Today: No. 11 Tennessee Titans

  • ESPN: No. 11 Tennessee Titans

  • Sporting News: No. 8 Atlanta Falcons

  • PFF: No. 10 Philadelphia Eagles

  • CBS (Ryan Wilson): No. 13 New York Jets

  • CBS (Chris Trapasso): No. 11 Tennessee Titans

Johnson has the chance to be the first offensive lineman off the board in April.

Projected to be the first Ohio State lineman taken in the first round since Billy Price in 2018, Johnson seems to be a favorite to be the first offensive lineman to hear his name called at the 2023 NFL draft along with Northwestern offensive tackle Peter Skoronski.

To Schwartz, who has him at No. 11 to the Tennessee Titans, Johnson is "the best available blocker."

"Johnson has the physical makeup to be a long-term starter at left tackle, though he might be in for some growing pains as he sorts out his hand usage," Schwartz writes.

Could Jaxon Smith-Njigba be the first wide receiver taken in the 2023 NFL draft?

  • USA Today: No. 26 Dallas Cowboys

  • ESPN: No. 14 New England Patriots

  • Sporting News: No. 22 Los Angeles Chargers

  • PFF: No. 20 Seattle Seahawks

  • CBS (Ryan Wilson): No. 25 New York Giants

  • CBS (Chris Trapasso): No. 23 Minnesota Vikings

Ahead of the NFL combine, Smith-Njigba remains near the end of the first round in most mock drafts.

The Ohio State wide receiver, who missed the majority of his junior season with a hamstring injury, is consistently behind USC's Jordan Addison and TCU's Quentin Johnson, along with Boston College's Zay Flowers and Tennessee's Jalin Hyatt on occasions.

Kiper has Smith-Njigba higher than anyone, taking the Ohio State wide receiver first ahead of Johnson and Addison.

"Assuming his medicals check out and his hamstring won't be an issue," Kiper writes, "he'll be my top-ranked wideout in this class."

Dawand Jones shoots up 2023 NFL draft boards

  • USA Today: N/A

  • ESPN: N/A

  • Sporting News: No. 44 New York Jets

  • PFF: No. 33 Houston Texans

  • CBS (Ryan Wilson): No. 21 Los Angeles Chargers

  • CBS (Chris Trapasso): N/A

Ahead of the NFL combine, Jones continues to seemingly shoot up draft boards.

Coming into the Senior Bowl at 6-foot-8 and 375 pounds — 16 pounds heavier than he was listed on Ohio State's 2022 roster — Jones has jumped to the beginning of the second round and even at the end of the first in some mock drafts.

According to PFF's Vinnie Iyer, who has him at No. 44 to the New York Jets, Jones has a "clear shot to use his big frame to dominate in pass protection for the new QB" at right tackle.

cgay@dispatch.com 

@_ColinGay

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Where Ohio State players are in NFL mock drafts ahead of NFL combine