NFL scouts will arrive in Columbus on Wednesday for a chance to catch a glimpse at Ohio State's top pro prospects at the Buckeyes' Pro Day. They'll have a pair of wide receivers in Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson, both of whom are projected to go in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
But scouts should be just as drawn to the player throwing to them. The Columbus Dispatch reported QB C.J. Stroud will be throwing passes to both Olave and Wilson.
While the focus will likely be on Olave and Wilson, Stroud himself has garnered plenty of praise for NFL evaluators after his first season as QB1 for the Buckeyes. As a redshirt freshman, he completed 71.9 percent of his passes for 44 touchdowns, six interceptions and 4,435 yards. He ended the campaign by setting Rose Bowl records with 573 passing yards and six touchdowns in a 48-45 win against Utah.
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College football fans enjoyed watching Stroud shred opposing defenses in 2021. But NFL fans are now wondering when he will be in the pros. When can they expect to see Stroud in the NFL?
When is C.J. Stroud eligible for the NFL Draft?
Stroud will be putting his talents on display in front of scouts at Ohio State's 2022 Pro Day, but don't expect to hear NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announce his name during the draft in April.
Stroud will not be eligible for the NFL draft until 2023 after he completes his redshirt sophomore campaign.
He is already expected to be one of the top quarterbacks taken in his draft class, joining Alabama's 2021 Heisman Trophy-winning signal-caller Bryce Young near the top of the draft in 2023.
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Players have to be in college for at least three seasons before going to the NFL. Stroud took a redshirt in 2020, when he backed up Justin Fields. Fields was selected 13th overall by the Bears in the 2021 NFL Draft.
C.J. Stroud NFL Draft projection
Most mock drafts at this point are going to be focused on the 2022 draft, which is scheduled to begin on April 28 and end on April 30.
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But that hasn't stopped some from looking ahead to the 2023 NFL Draft class and making early projections. Here's where a few mock drafts expect Ohio State's quarterback to land:
- Pro Football Network has projected Stroud to go first overall to the Texans.
- Walter Football has projected Stroud to go first overall to the Texans.
- Draft Countdown has projected Stroud to go third overall to the Vikings.
- Fueled by Sports has projected Stroud to go fifth overall to the Broncos.
Evaluators are clearly high on Stroud already, and that's before he plays in his second season with the Buckeyes. Scouts praise his accuracy and size that help him standout from the rest of the field.
