The 2023 NFL Draft is loaded with talent from all of the top schools in the country. In most mock drafts, the top four picks are from Alabama, Georgia or Ohio State. That's become a common trend over the last few years as those three schools have dominated college football.
But one school that routinely produces NFL talent year in and year out is Ohio State. There is just no such thing as a talent drought for the Buckeyes. And the 2023 NFL Draft will be no different as they could have the No. 1 pick in the class in quarterback C.J. Stroud.
But how many Ohio State players will go in Round 1 this year and how many total are expected to be drafted?
BetOhio.com – your source for Ohio sports betting - examined the past five drafts to see how many Buckeyes went in Round 1 and how many were drafted overall by year:
Ohio State Players Drafted Since 2018
How Many Buckeyes Will Be Drafted?
Earlier this month BetOhio.com assessed the draft needs of the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals.
Now, back to the Buckeyes . . .
Ohio State has had many players drafted each year and has had at least one first-round selection in every draft since 2016. The last time there were no Ohio State players drafted at all was in 1998 and that was only the time in NFL history that there wasn't a Buckeye drafted.
Ohio State routinely has a ton of players selected in the NFL Draft and there have been two instances in the last two decades in which 12 or more Buckeyes were drafted in the same year. No other team in college football history has had multiple draft classes with 12 or more selections in a single year. Currently, Ohio State has the third-most players ever drafted into the NFL (474) with Notre Dame (520) and USC (513) ahead of them.
College football season is months away, but interest is high. And for the first time this fall, fans and bettors in the state can wager on the Buckeyes at Ohio sports betting apps.
So, how many Ohio State players can we expect to be drafted in Round 1 this year? The expectation is that at least three will go in Round 1: C.J. Stroud (QB), Paris Johnson (OL) and Jaxon Smith-Njigba (WR). If Stroud ends up being the first quarterback off the board, there is a chance that each of the three players listed above are the first players to be selected at their respective positions. All three are expected to be top-16 picks in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Another player that could sneak into Round 1 is right tackle Dawand Jones. He is routinely being mocked inside of the top 50 selections and with the value of offensive tackle in the NFL, it wouldn't be a shock if he were picked in the late 20s or early 30s.
Outside of those four, Ohio State can expect to see at least four other players drafted (Luke Wypler, Zach Harrison, Ronnie Hickman, Cameron Brown). This should be another year in which where Ohio State has at least eight players selected in the NFL Draft.
Expect the Ohio State players to be selected early and often during the 2023 NFL Draft. But as we’ve come to learn, that’s nothing out of the ordinary for the Buckeyes.
Expectations are high, as always. BetMGM Sportsbook Ohio has Ohio State (+600) as the third favorite to win the national title, behind Georgia (+225) and Alabama (+500).
Count on BetOhio.com to follow the Buckeyes closely and be your source for Ohio sportsbook promo codes.
