Ohio State Stars Receive Player Comps Ahead of 2023 NFL Draft

Which professional players do experts say Ohio Buckeyes quarterback CJ Stroud and receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba take after the most?

Two of the biggest names on the Ohio State Buckeyes football team will take their talents to the next level when their names are called during the 2023 NFL Draft, as both quarterback C.J. Stroud and receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba are expected to be first-round picks.

As has become custom in the weeks and months leading up to the draft, experts chose a current NFL player with a similar play style and skillset to each of the prospective draft picks. ESPN NFL draft expert Matt Miller joined in, recently sharing his thoughts about who most resembles Stroud and Smith-Njigba.

Miller began with Stroud, his projected fourth overall pick, saying watching the Buckeyes quarterback reminds him of the Dallas Cowboys’ signal-caller Dak Prescott.

His ability to move throughout the pocket and connect with his receivers in stride with lofted but accurate passes are the two main reasons Miller compared Stroud to Prescott. These observations are affirmed by Stroud’s use of his legs to evade pressure during the 2023 Peach Bowl against No. 1 Georgia, and his combined 69.1 completion percentage over the two years in which he recorded a pass.

Miller then turned his attention to Smith-Njigba, writing that the Rockwall, Texas native was comparable to Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb, the top receiving option for the aforementioned Prescott.

Smith-Njigba is 6-1 and 200 pounds, a similar build to the 6-2, 200-pound Lamb. According to Miller, both receivers use their length to position themselves around defenders when rising up to make a catch, as well as out-pace members of the secondary when running routes.

It is unlikely that Stroud and Smith-Njigba will end up on the same NFL team, unlike their player comparisons, since 11 picks separate them in Miller’s mock draft (Miller has Stroud going fourth and Smith-Njigba at 15th overall).

However, the comparison of the Ohio State stars to two Cowboys has to have Buckeyes wondering what the college teammates would look like on the same squad in the pros.

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