Ohio State third-year quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) is one of several Buckeye invitees to the NFL combine. Credit: Zachary Rilley | Photo Editor
The next step on the path toward the NFL Draft will begin this week.
The NFL Combine is set to take place at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, and Ohio State will have plenty of representation on hand to take part in a number of evaluations.
Former Buckeyes cornerback Cameron Brown, defensive lineman Zach Harrison, safety Ronnie Hickman, offensive linemen Paris Johnson Jr., Dawand Jones and Luke Wypler, wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and quarterback C.J. Stroud make up the eight-man group set to participate in the combine.
The early part of the week will include meetings and medical evaluations before workout drills and skill evaluations begin Thursday.
Here are three things to note before the Buckeyes embark on combine week.
Smith-Njigba will return to the field to show his skills
Playing in three games while being sidelined for nearly all of last season due to a hamstring injury, Smith-Njigba will display his route running and flashy pass-catching ability once again on the football field.
Smith-Njigba exited early in the season opener against then-No. 5 Notre Dame in September 2022, and returned two weeks later against Toledo. He had two catches in each game for a combined 36 yards before becoming unavailable in Weeks 4-6.
The Rockwall, Texas, native caught one pass for seven yards in Week 8 against Iowa, but his leg injury persisted and kept him from playing the rest of the season and College Football Playoff.
Wide receivers begin drill work Saturday, and Smith-Njigba has spent plenty of time rehabbing the injury that forced him to miss the Peach Bowl and much of his third season at Ohio State.
According to NFL.com analyst Daniel Jeremiah’s mock draft 2.0, he forecasts Smith-Njigba to go No. 20 overall in the first round to the Seattle Seahawks. According to USA Today’s NFL mock draft last week, Smith-Njigba is projected to be selected No. 21 overall to the Los Angeles Chargers.
His skill set and his health will be among the forefront of speculation surrounding Smith-Njigba amid a big week at the combine.
Jones has surged this offseason
Jones’ decision to play a fourth season at Ohio State last year may be paying off in a big way for the lineman.
The 6-foot-8, 350-pound offensive tackle dazzled during the Senior Bowl in January. He recorded a reported record-long wingspan of 89 1/2 inches that he’s long used up front as Ohio State’s starting right tackle for the past two seasons.
Mike Renner of Pro Football Focus named Jones as his “biggest riser” after the Senior Bowl, saying Jones has shown he’s more capable of stepping into a larger role at the NFL level than some may’ve previously foreseen.
“I think there is a role or a position for him at the NFL level that he can be a, not even just starting-caliber tackle, he can be a dominant tackle in certain schemes,” Renner said. “If someone wants to take him at the back end of the first round, I don’t think that’s the craziest draft pick I’ve ever seen.”
Stroud may sling his way to a top draft selection
After three years working with head coach Ryan Day and quarterbacks coach Corey Dennis and two seasons as Ohio State’s starting quarterback, Stroud is likely to become the Buckeyes’ next signal-caller selected in the first round of the NFL Draft.
Where in the draft is anyone’s guess.
What’s more certain, however, is Stroud’s departing impact on the Buckeyes quarterbacks room and program.
“I think one thing that separates C.J. just even from everybody is just, one, was his vision of the field was unbelievable, and the work ethic that he put in the film room,” Dennis said Feb. 1. “I think that what he’s done in the film room the past couple of years has really set a foundation for the young guys. It’s set a foundation for Kyle McCord, it’s set a foundation for Devin [Brown], and they know what it takes, and they know the work that you have to put in to compete at a high level at a place like Ohio State.”
Stroud will reportedly throw Saturday during the quarterback’s portion of the combine alongside other quarterback prospects, such as Kentucky’s Will Levis and Florida’s Anthony Richardson. Alabama quarterback Bryce Young will take part in the Crimson Tide’s pro day and won’t throw during the combine, according to reports.
The 6-foot-3, 216-pound Stroud is widely projected as not only a first round pick, but a top-10 selection, ranging from No. 1 overall according to CBS Sports to No. 9 in PFF’s Post-Super Bowl NFL Mock Draft.
Stroud’s Peach Bowl performance, which saw him throw for 348 yards and four touchdowns while also making plays on the ground such as a 27-yard gain late in the fourth quarter, capped a decorated college career that included two Heisman Trophy finalist selections.
Now Stroud, among several other Buckeyes, will make their latest impressions on their roads to the NFL Draft in April.
