Four Buckeyes Land on Todd McShay's 2-Round Mock Draft

ESPN's Todd McShay thinks the Ohio State Buckeyes' eight-year streak of a first-round selection will continue in his latest two-round 2023 NFL Draft projection.

In ESPN's Todd McShay's latest two-round NFL mock draft, four Ohio State Buckeyes found their way on there with three first-rounders, which was tied for the most of any school.

Quarterback C.J. Stroud was projected to go No. 1 overall to the Carolina Panthers — which acquired the first pick from the Chicago Bears March 10 — followed by former pass-catching mate Jaxon Smith-Njigba at No. 11 to the Tennessee Titans and tackle Paris Johnson Jr. with the 13th pick to the New York Jets.

Tackle Dawand Jones was the only Buckeye projected to be selected in the second round at No. 51 overall to the Miami Dolphins.

Four Buckeyes projected to be taken in the first two rounds was tied with Alabama and Tennessee for the second most of any school, trailing only Georgia, which had five former Bulldogs to be selected.

Ohio State has had a first-round pick in every NFL draft since 2015, as its 87 all-time first-rounders are the most of any school. There have been 479 Buckeyes selected in the NFL draft — the third-most of any program and trailing USC's 519 and Notre Dame's 522.

Stroud is the odds-on favorite to be taken first overall, according to SI Sportsbook, and it appears he will be a Panther after 11 team representatives, including head coach Frank Reich and owners David and Nicole Tepper, made the trip to Columbus for Ohio State's Pro Day.

As for Smith-Njigba, Tennessee needs receivers as its leading pass-catcher from last season, Robert Woods, only amassed 527 yards on 53 catches. If the Titans take Smith-Njigba, it would mark the second-consecutive season they've used a first-round pick on a wide receiver, as 2022 first-round selection Treylon Burks caught 33 passes for 444 yards and a touchdown, missing six games due to injury last year.

The Jets and Dolphins surrendered 42 and 35 sacks, respectively, last season, but both franchises have quarterbacks that are in dire need of protection.

Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is coming back from a series of scary concussions sustained a season ago that forced him to miss four games, and the Jets are still in trade talks with the Green Bay Packers for gunslinger Aaron Rodgers, so building a formidable offensive line for a quarterback-driven league is pertinent for those two franchises.

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