KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Houston Texans made former Buckeye quarterback C.J. Stroud the second overall pick in the NFL draft Thursday night, one of three Ohio State players selected in the opening round.
Still searching for a franchise quarterback, the Texans drafted the two-time Heisman Trophy finalist for the Buckeyes where he threw for 8,123 yards with 85 touchdowns and just 12 interceptions as Ohio State went 21-4.
“I know that it’s meant to be,” Stroud said. “And I know that, with this franchise, it’s going be something that I’m really going to take very, very seriously and I’m going to work my tail off to get some wins.”
Stroud joins a team that has failed to find a reliable quarterback in the two seasons since Deshaun Watson requested a trade before being traded to the Cleveland Browns. Davis Mills has started most of the last two seasons, going 5-22-1 in 28 games with 26 starts as the Texans were among the NFL’s worst teams.
Stroud was followed by consensus All-American offensive tackle Paris Johnson, who went No. 6 to the Arizona Cardinals, and wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, selected 20th by the Seattle Seahawks.
Smith-Njigba set receiving records for Ohio State in 2021 but missed the majority of 2022 with an injury.
Ohio State’s total of 90 all-time first-round picks is the most of any college program in the country.
UPDATE 4/29/23 10:15 a.m.: Defensive end Zach Harrison was picked in the third Round with the 75th overall pick by the Atlanta Falcons.
2:43 p.m.: The Cleveland Browns selected Ohio State offensive tackle Dawand Jones in the fourth round.
4:35 p.m.: Cleveland picked Ohio State center Luke Wypler in the sixth round.
The six draft picks increase Ohio State’s all-time total of NFL Draft picks to 486, third-most all-time behind Notre Dame and USC.