ESPN's Todd McShay: Buckeyes Jaxon Smith-Njigba 'Tough Evaluation'

Harrison Reno

Feb 15, 2023

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Harrison Reno

Feb 15, 2023

Partner

Playing in only three games this past season has muddied the waters on the draft stock of Ohio State wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

The NFL offseason is fully underway after Sunday's Super Bowl, meaning all the attention is starting to turn towards the NFL Draft. The Ohio State Buckeyes will have as many as nine players hoping to hear their names called over the three-day event.

The latest mock draft from ESPN's Todd McShay has three Buckeyes selected in the first round.

After a mock trade that sees the Indianapolis Colts trade up with the Chicago Bears for the No. 1 pick and select Alabama quarterback Bryce Young, McShay projects that Ohio State's C.J. Stroud will go at No. 2 to the Houston Texans.

"Stroud, meanwhile, finished the 2022 season with an 88.9 QBR and threw 41 touchdown passes to just six picks," McShay said. "His touch, timing and smooth delivery really pop on tape, and we saw flashes of his mobility toward the end of the season." McShay later pointed to the College Football Playoff Semifinal against Georgia as an example of Stroud's best stuff.

Then at No. 13 overall, the next Buckeye goes off the board to the Tennessee Titans, who take left tackle Paris Johnson Jr.

"Johnson is such an easy mover and allowed only three sacks over 26 starts since the start of 2021," McShay stated. "He's versatile, too, moving over from right guard to left tackle this season and not missing a beat."

Johnson going at 13 made him the second offensive tackle to be drafted, only behind Northwestern's Peter Skoronski.

Finally, Jaxon Smith-Njigba closes out the day-one selections for Ohio State as ESPN has him being taken at No. 24 by the Jacksonville Jaguars.

McShay notes that Smith-Njigba is a "tough evaluation" as he missed all but three games in 2022 due to a hamstring injury. Although when he was on the field, specifically in the 2021 Rose Bowl game, he showed he has what it takes to be a first-round pick.

"JSN displays soft hands, precise route running and good after-the-catch ability, and he could be a steal for Jacksonville if he falls here," McShay says of Smith-Njigba.