On Wednesday, one of the most anticipated pro days in the pre-draft process takes place. As many as four potential first-round picks and six expected top-100 picks will be on the field together in Columbus, Ohio for Ohio State’s Pro Day.
Given that level of talent, NFL evaluators are heading to Columbus in massive numbers. According to Zak Keefer of The Athletic, 118 reps representing a total of 30 of the 32 NFL teams are expected to be in attendance on Wednesday. That includes 10 general managers and seven head coaches. Senior Bowl director Jim Nagy noted that while most teams send two or three reps on average to a Pro Day, 11 teams will have five or more staffers there.
QB C.J. Stroud
EAST LANSING, MICHIGAN – OCTOBER 08: C.J. Stroud #7 of the Ohio State Buckeyes plays against the Michigan State Spartans at Spartan Stadium on October 08, 2022 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Stroud is the top player in Ohio State’s draft class this year, and some project him to be the first overall pick. He won’t be an option for the Patriots.
LT Paris Johnson Jr.
Ohio State Buckeyes offensive lineman Paris Johnson Jr. (77) blocks Clemson Tigers defensive tackle Jordan Williams (59) during the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Allstate Sugar Bowl in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans on Friday, Jan. 1, 2021. (Kyle Robertson/Columbus Dispatch/USA TODAY Network)
Johnson has a real chance to be the top tackle taken in April, and should be one of the first two along with Broderick Jones of Georgia. At 6-foot-6, 313 pounds with 36 1/8-inch arms, he has ideal size for the position and matches that with strong technique and good athleticism. If the Patriots are looking for a long-term franchise tackle, he should be in consideration – assuming he makes it to the 14th pick.
WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba
Ohio State WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba carries the ball in the open field. (Kyle Robertson/Columbus Dispatch via Imagn Content Services)
At this time last year, Smith-Njigba was viewed as the consensus top receiver in this draft and a potential top-10 pick. However a hamstring injury cost him most of his 2022 season, which has resulted in his stock dipping. Still, he’s still in the running to be the first receiver off the board. An elite route-runner with tremendous short-area quickness (his 6.57 second 3-cone and 3.93 second short shuttle paced all players at this year’s Combine), the biggest question about his game coming into the process was straight-line speed. After not running a 40 at the Combine, teams had him timed between 4.50 and 4.53 on Wednesday. That would have ranked between 23rd and 26th among wideouts at this year’s Combine.
Heading into free agency, Smit-Njigba looked like an ideal fit for the Patriots as a slot receiver to replace Jakobi Meyers. However, there would be significant overlap between him and JuJu Smith-Schuster. If Bill O’Brien can figure out a way to get them both significant snaps, he could be an option for the Patriots at 14. But the way things have played out over the last week and a half, the selection seems less likely now.
RT Dawand Jones
Ohio State Buckeyes offensive lineman Dawand Jones (79) lines up during the NCAA football game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Ind. on Sunday, Oct. 24, 2021. Ohio State won 54-7. (Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch/USA Today Network)
Jones is projected to go slightly later – late first or early second round – than the top group of tackles, but that’s more a product of positional value than anything else. Teams value left tackles more than right tackles, but in terms of talent Jones is up there with any blocker in this class. At 6-foot-8, 374 pounds, defenders can’t run through him. But with quick feet (he received D-I offers to play basketball as well as football), it’s tough to run around him too. The Patriots have Riley Reiff as a bridge right tackle right now, but Jones could be a long-term answer there.
DE Zach Harrison
COLUMBUS, OHIO – NOVEMBER 20: Zach Harrison #9 of the Ohio State Buckeyes plays against the Michigan State Spartans at Ohio Stadium on November 20, 2021 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Harrison is a projected Day 2 ‘traits’ pick. Between his size (6-foot-5, 274 pounds) and explosiveness, he can set the edge with power. He’ll enter the NFL primarily as an early-down player, with upside as a pass rusher in the right system. In 40 career college games he has 24 tackles for a loss and 11 sacks.
C Luke Wypler
Sep 24, 2022; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes offensive lineman Luke Wypler (53) blocks during the NCAA Division I football game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Wisconsin Badgers at Ohio Stadium. Credit: Doral Chenoweth/The Columbus Dispatch
Wypler was Ohio State’s starting center for the last two years, and one of the top players at the position in this class. Current projections have him as a third-round selection. Center isn’t a monumental need for the Patriots with David Andrews still under contract for multiple years and the development of 2022 UDFA Kody Russey, but if they do feel the need to address the position early Wypler would be an option.
S Ronnie Hickman
Ohio State Buckeyes safety Ronnie Hickman (14) during the NCAA football game at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Ind. on Sunday, Oct. 24, 2021. Ohio State won 54-7. (Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch/USA TODAY Network)
Hickman, a projected late Day 3 pick, screams Patriots fit (and not only because he was an All-American lacrosse player in high school). At 6-foot, 203 pounds he split his time evenly last year as a box safety, free safety, and slot corner. He’s a tremendously smart player, and has proven he can make plays in coverage. In 408 coverage snaps last season he was targeted just 30 times, allowing 13 catches for 107 yards with an interception, five pass breakups, and only one penalty called. He may not have the straight-line speed to be a single-high deep safety in the Patriots’ system, but he’d give them depth at a number of other spots in the secondary while also contributing on special teams. Hickman played on DeMarcus Covington’s team at the Senior Bowl.
K Noah Ruggles
COLUMBUS, OHIO – OCTOBER 22: Kicker Noah Ruggles #95 of the Ohio State Buckeyes kicks a field goal in the second quarter against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Ohio Stadium on October 22, 2022 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Gaelen Morse/Getty Images)
The Patriots have a history of targeting kickers with experience in inclement weather. That’s Ruggles, who has spent the last two seasons with Ohio State after beginning his college career at North Carolina. In the last two seasons Ruggles has hit 37 of his 41 field goal attempts, including a 37-of-39 mark inside 50 yards. He’s also missed just once on 149 extra points.