ESPN’s long-time NFL draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. is at it again.
During this time of year, there’s a good chance that Kiper has his head down and in a bunker, only to come out for meals and haircuts as he sifts through all the possibilities of the upcoming NFL draft. He’s been at it for a long time and is still one of the most well-respected among all the noise and multiple NFL mock drafts out there.
And … if we’re talking about an NFL draft, then we have to be discussing some Ohio State football players hearing their names called on day one. It’s just the way the American football universe is balanced.
Kiper has now released a few iterations of his first-round NFL mock draft for 2023, and he just dropped a new one (subscription required). In it, he has three Buckeyes landing to teams on the first day but has moved things around from his last effort.
Here is where Kiper projects each Ohio State player to go in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft once the curtain is lifted in Kansas City next month.
C.J. Stroud, Quarterback
Landing Spot
No. 2 overall to the Indianapolis Colts (via trade)
What Kiper Says
“Over the past 25 years, the Colts have taken two quarterbacks in the first round: Peyton Manning, a Hall of Famer, and Andrew Luck, who was on a Hall of Fame track before he retired at age 29. Can they nail their quarterback pick again?
“Stroud’s accuracy and arm strength are underrated, and his touch to all levels of the field is the best in this class. In Indianapolis, he would have a No. 1 wideout (Michael Pittman Jr.) and a top-tier running back (Jonathan Taylor). I don’t think the Colts are that far from contending in the AFC South. Stroud would give new coach Shane Steichen a jolt of energy to get this team back on track.”
Paris Johnson Jr., Offensive Tackle
Landing Spot
No. 11 overall to the Tennessee Titans
What Kiper Says
This is the same projection as January’s mock draft, when I wrote that left tackle Taylor Lewan could be a cap casualty. Well, Lewan was released recently along with a handful of other veterans, leaving a gaping hole on the left side of the line. Johnson played some guard in college, but he came into his own as the Buckeyes’ left tackle last season, allowing just two sacks and 10 pressures as C.J. Stroud’s blindside protector. If he lands in Tennessee, he could play on the same line as Nicholas Petit-Frere, whom he replaced at left tackle for Ohio State. Petit-Frere, a third-round pick last season, played right tackle for the Titans as a rookie.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Wide Receiver
Landing Spot
No. 14 overall to the New England Patriots
What Kiper Says
“The Patriots have a new offensive coordinator in Bill O’Brien and could look completely different on that side of the ball in 2023. That’s a good thing, because quarterback Mac Jones regressed last season. He’d benefit greatly from Smith-Njigba, a true No. 1 wideout who knows how to get open. Smith-Njigba is coming off a season in which a nagging hamstring injury limited him to five catches total, but he led Ohio State in catches (95) and yards (1,606) in 2021. Assuming his medicals check out and his hamstring won’t be an issue, he’ll be my top-ranked wideout in this class. There’s no consensus within the league on this receiver class at the top.
“If Bill Belichick & Co. go a different direction, cornerback Joey Porter Jr. (Penn State) could be the pick, particularly if free agent corner Jonathan Jones departs. I also wouldn’t be surprised if the Pats targeted an offensive tackle.”
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