Ohio State First to 90 First-Round NFL Draft Picks

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State University football program, for the eighth time in the last 10 years, has developed multiple players into first-round NFL Draft picks with three Buckeyes selected Thursday evening during Round 1 of the 2023 NFL Draft, being held at Union Station in Kansas City, Mo.

The three first-round picks increase Ohio State’s record total of first round draft picks to 90 all-time and to 23 in the last 10 years with multiple first-round Buckeyes selected in eight of the last 10 drafts (2014-16-17-18-19-20-22-23). Ohio State has produced multiple first-round picks 24 times in all.

Most First-Round NFL Draft Picks
All-Time
1. 90 – Ohio State
2. 85 – USC
3. 79 – Alabama
4. 70 – Notre Dame
5. 67 – Miami

C.J. Stroud No. 2 Overall to Houston
Two-time Heisman Trophy finalist, Big Ten offensive player of the year and Big Ten quarterback of the year C.J. Stroud was the first Buckeye drafted this year, with the Houston Texans taking the talented signal caller with the 2nd overall pick. Stroud is now the highest drafted quarterback in Ohio State history, the fourth-highest (tied) drafted player in school history, and the third consecutive Ohio State starting QB to be selected in the first round.

Paris Johnson No. 6 to Arizona
The Arizona Cardinals’ selection of 2022 consensus All-American Paris Johnson with the No. 6 overall pick gives Ohio State multiple Top 10 selections in one draft for the seventh time overall and for the third time in the last eight drafts. Most recently, Ohio State had Top 10 picks Chase Young (No. 2 to Washington) and Jeff Okudah (No. 3 to Detroit) in 2020 and it had three Top 10 picks in 2016: Joey Bosa (No. 2 to San Diego), Ezekiel Elliott (No. 4 to Dallas) and Eli Apple (No. 10 to the NY Giants).

Jaxon Smith-Njigba No. 20 to Seattle
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, the record-setting receiver for Ohio State in 2021 who missed the majority of 2022 with an injury, was the third Buckeye selected in the first round of the draft, by Seattle with the 20th overall pick. Smith-Njigba is the third Ohio State receiver taken in the first round in the last two drafts, after Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave went to the NY Jets and New Orleans in 2022, respectively, with the Nos. 10 and 11 picks.

First-Round Fun Facts

• Alabama (15 consecutive years), Ohio State (8), Georgia (6), Michigan (5) Florida (4), Oregon (4) and USC (4) extended streaks of having a first-round draft pick.
• Ohio State, Georgia and Alabama led the way in 2023 with three first-round draft picks apiece. Iowa and Clemson had two first-rounders apiece.
• Stroud is the third Ohio State quarterback taken in the first round in the last five years but only the fifth Ohio State QB taken in the first round.
• Stroud is the first Ohio State Buckeye taken in the first round by the Texans. Braxton Miller (3r round) was the last Buckeye drafted by Houston, in 2016.
• The last Buckeye drafted by Arizona was Chris “Beanie” Wells in the first round (No. 31 overall) in 2009.
• Paris Johnson was the number one offensive lineman/tackle selected in this draft.
• Johnson is the first, first-round OT from Ohio State since Taylor Decker went No. 16 overall in 2016.
• Smith-Njigba was the first wide receiver selected in this draft.
• Cornerback Shawn Springs was the last first-round pick by Seattle from Ohio State. He went No. 3 overall in 1997. One other Ohio State WR great, Joey Galloway, was selected in the first round by Seattle (No. 8 overall) in 1995.
• Ohio State is now tied with Tennessee for the most first-round WRs taken: 11.
• Ohio State has now had 10 players drafted among the Top 3 overall picks in the modern draft era (since 1970). USC, with 11 such picks, is the only school with more, according to research by @ChrisFallica.

Rounds 2 and 3 of the NFL Draft will take place Friday with Rounds 4-7 on Saturday. Start time is 7 p.m. Friday and 12 noon on Saturday.