NFL Draft 2023: Ohio State quarterback CJ Stroud declares, experts predict he will be a top five pick

Ohio State quarterback CJ Stroud declared for the NFL Draft on Monday, instantly becoming a potential top-five pick in the eyes of pundits.

Stroud, a 21-year-old junior, made his announcement on Twitter on the last day players can declare for the April event. He joins a crowded quarterback class that includes former Heisman winner Alabama’s Bryce Young and Kentucky’s signal caller Will Levis.

“The process has been difficult, and the decision, one of the most difficult I have had to make,” Stroud in his statement. “As a child I dreamed of playing soccer at the highest level and after much prayer, I have made the decision that it is time to make those dreams come true.”

Stroud concluded his statement with a message to Ohio State fans, many of whom were hopeful he would return for his senior season: “This is not goodbye…Buckeye for life!”

As long as Stroud is in the top five, he will be guaranteed $35 million in his first contract. NFL rookie contracts are predetermined by guidelines included in the collective bargaining agreement, which went into effect in 2011.

And why is Stroud considered one of the top five talents?

After attending Rancho Cucamonga High School in California, Stroud was nearly unbeatable at Ohio State, going 21-4 as a starter, throwing for 85 touchdowns, just 12 interceptions and setting 16 Buckeyes records.

He was at his best in the College Football Playoff semifinals against eventual national champion Georgia.

With Stroud’s four touchdowns and 348 passing yards, the Buckeyes came close to defeating the defending champions and preventing a replay until a late field goal went wide, giving Georgia a 42–41 victory.

Stroud, a 21-year-old junior, made his announcement on Twitter on the last day players can declare for the April event.

His only misses at Ohio State may have been his two losses to rival Michigan, which he tackled after losing to the Wolverines, 48-31, on Nov. 26.

“People are going to say I never won The Game, and I understand that,” Stroud said after the loss. ‘People are going to say I never won a Big Ten championship. I understand. When it comes down to it, I just have to eat it.

ESPN’s Todd McShay currently has Stroud going to the Detroit Lions with the fourth pick, behind Young at No. 1 Chicago Bears but ahead of Levis at No. 6 Atlanta Falcons, while Pro Football Focus has him as the third quarterback. picked, going No. 7 to the Las Vegas Raiders.

The NFL Draft will take place in Kansas City from April 27-29.

With Stroud’s four touchdowns and 348 passing yards, the Buckeyes were on the verge of upsetting the defending champions and avoiding a replay until a late field goal went wide, giving Georgia a 42–41 victory.