C.J. Stroud and Jaxon Smith-Njigba were two of the biggest stars of the show at the NFL Scouting Combine, and several other Buckeyes made waves with their performance, too.
The Ohio State quarterback and wide receiver both excelled during their throwing and catching session at the NFL Scouting Combine on Saturday, making their case for being the best QB and WR in the 2023 NFL draft class.
Paris Johnson Jr., Dawand Jones and Luke Wypler followed them up with impressive performances in their on-field workouts during the final day of the combine on Sunday.
Defensive end Zach Harrison was supposed to be the first Buckeye to go through the workout process on Thursday afternoon, but he ended up being unable to do any on-field drills due to a minor hamstring injury. Defensive backs Cameron Brown and Ronnie Hickman did not participate in on-field workouts on Friday afternoon.
In schedule changes from previous years, all prospects were measured by NFL Combine staff on the morning of their workout day while they had the opportunity to participate in the bench press on the day after their workouts before leaving Indianapolis.
We’ve compiled all of the Buckeyes’ workout numbers and measurables in the table below.
| Player | Ht | Wt | Hand | Arm | Wing | 40-Yd Dash | Vert | Broad | 3-Cone | 20-Yd Shuttle | Bench |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C.J. STROUD (QB) | 6’3” | 214 | 10” | 32 5/8” | N/A | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA (WR) | 6’0 5/8” | 196 | 9” | 30 1/2” | 75 1/2” | DNP | 35” | 10’5” | 6.57 | 3.93 | DNP |
| PARIS JOHNSON JR. (OT) | 6’6 3/8” | 313 | 9 1/2” | 36 1/8” | 85 1/8” | DNP | DNP | 9’2” | DNP | DNP | 29 |
| DAWAND JONES (OT) | 6’8 1/4” | 374 | 11 5/8” | 36 3/8” | 87 7/8” | 5.35 | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| LUKE WYPLER (C) | 6’3” | 303 | 9 5/8” | 31 5/8” | N/A | 5.14 | 30.5” | 8’10” | 7.64 | 4.53 | 29 |
| ZACH HARRISON (DE) | 6’5 1/2” | 274 | 10” | 36 1/4” | 85 1/2” | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | 25 |
| CAMERON BROWN (CB) | 6’ | 199 | 9” | 31” | N/A | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| RONNIE HICKMAN (S) | 6’0 1/2” | 203 | 9 3/8” | 33” | N/A | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
Harrison was the first Buckeye to go through the weigh-in process on Thursday morning. As expected, the former Ohio State defensive end measured up impressively, checking in at 6-foot-5 and 274 pounds with 10" hands, 36 1/4" arms and an 85 1/2" wingspan. He also participated in the bench press on Friday, where he put up 25 reps of 225 pounds.
Hickman measured in at just over 6 feet and 203 pounds with 33-inch arms while Brown measured in at 6 feet and 199 pounds with 31-inch arms on Friday. Stroud measured in at 6-foot-3 and 214 pounds with 10-inch hands while Smith-Njigba measured in at 6’0 5/8” and 196 pounds with 9-inch hands Saturday.
Johnson and Jones went through the weigh-in process Sunday morning and as expected, both of them measured in with massive numbers. Jones checked in at 6’8 1/4” and 374 pounds with gigantic 11 5/8” hands, 36 3/8” arms and an 87 7/8” wingspan while Johnson checked in at 6‘6 3/8” and 313 pounds with 36 1/8” arms and an 85 1/8” wingspan. Wypler also weighed in on Sunday, checking in at 6-foot-3 and 303 pounds.
Below, you can find the full schedule from the week of workouts, links to all of our stories from Indianapolis, videos of every Buckeye who participated in media interviews and more updates from the combine as it unfolded.
Schedule
| Thursday | 3/1 | 3-8 p.m. |
Defensive linemen and linebackers Participating Buckeyes: Zach Harrison |
| FRIDAY | 3/2 | 3-8 p.m. |
Defensive backs Participating Buckeyes: Cameron Brown and Ronnie Hickman |
| SATURDAY | 3/3 | 1-8 p.m. |
Quarterbacks, wide receivers and tight ends Participating Buckeyes: C.J. Stroud and Jaxon Smith-Njigba |
| SUNDAY | 3/4 | 1-7 p.m. |
Offensive linemen and running backs Participating Buckeyes: Paris Johnson Jr., Dawand Jones and Luke Wypler |
Stories
- How Ohio State’s Top Draft Prospects Impressed at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine
- C.J. Stroud, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Luke Wypler Receive 2023 All-Combine Team Recognition
- C.J. Stroud, Jaxon Smith-Njigba Excel in NFL Scouting Combine Throwing Session
- Paris Johnson Jr. Strengthens His Case for Being NFL Draft’s Top Offensive Tackle with Scouting Combine Performance
- Dawand Jones is the Largest Player at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine
- Jaxon Smith-Njigba Runs Fastest 3-Cone Drill and 20-Yard Shuttle at 2023 NFL Scouting Combine
- C.J. Stroud Strongly Considered Returning For Fourth Season With Buckeyes: “It Was Really Hard For Me to Leave a Place Like Ohio State”
- Jaxon Smith-Njigba “Ready to Show People What I Can Do” at NFL Scouting Combine After “Very Frustrating” Final Season at Ohio State
- Luke Wypler Felt It “Made More Sense” to Enter NFL Draft After Three Years at Ohio State
- Jaxon Smith-Njigba Will Do Everything But 40-Yard Dash at NFL Combine
- C.J. Stroud and Jaxon Smith-Njigba Defend Former Teammate Justin Fields: “He Ain't No Damn Running Back”
- C.J. Stroud Wishes He Would Have Run More at Ohio State: "I Feel Like I Should Have, And That's Something I Regret"
- NFL Scouting Combine Participants Have High Hopes for Ohio State’s Defensive Backs in 2023
- Cam Brown’s Confidence on Full Display at NFL Scouting Combine, Where He Hopes to Run 4.2-Second 40-Yard Dash
- Zach Harrison Sits Out On-Field Workouts at NFL Scouting Combine Due to Minor Hamstring Injury
- Zach Harrison “Very Confident” His Best Football is Still In Front of Him As He Begins NFL Career
- Ronnie Hickman, Cameron Brown Expect "Great Competition Between Two Great Quarterbacks" in Kyle McCord and Devin Brown
- Zach Harrison Has the Longest Arms of Any Defensive Lineman at NFL Scouting Combine Since 2014
- Zach Harrison Believes Caden Curry is a Breakout Candidate For Ohio State in 2023: “He's Gonna Be a Really Good Player”
- What Each of Ohio State’s Eight NFL Combine Participants Have to Gain This Week in Indianapolis
Videos
(Note: Dawand Jones was unable to make his scheduled interview session due to his medical exams running long.)
Updates
MARCH 6, 2023
Ohio State’s Top Combine Performances
There were no shortage of impressive performances and eye-popping measurables from Ohio State players at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine. We wrap our combine coverage with a look at how C.J. Stroud, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Paris Johnson Jr., Dawand Jones, Luke Wypler and Zach Harrison stood out in Indianapolis.
MARCH 6, 2023
Big Number on the Bench
The NFL Scouting Combine wrapped up with the bench press on Monday morning, and Paris Johnson Jr. followed up his outstanding performance in offensive line drills with an equally impressive performance in the bench press, putting up 29 reps of 225 pounds.
pushin @ParisJohnsonJr
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) March 6, 2023
: #NFLCombine on @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/giVo9DV2nV
Johnson appeared to be jubilant with his performance in the video posted by Ohio State, and he has good reason to be. Longer arms are typically viewed as a disadvantage in the bench press, making his performance all the more impressive when considering he has the third-longest arms of all players (36 1/8”) at this year’s combine.
Luke Wypler also put up 29 reps on the bench press as he and Johnson tied for sixth among all offensive linemen in the drill.
MARCH 5, 2023
Wypler Shows His Agility
Photo: Kirby Lee – USA TODAY Sports
After a strong positional workout in which Wypler appeared to be one of the most agile offensive linemen on the field, the former Ohio State center backed that up in the agility drills by running the third-fastest 20-yard shuttle time (4.53 seconds) and the eighth-fastest 3-cone drill time (7.64 seconds) among all offensive linemen at the combine.
Wypler also ran the 40-yard dash in 5.14 seconds, which was the 15th-fastest time among offensive linemen but the best among linemen listed as centers by NFL.com.
MARCH 5, 2023
Paris Shows Why He’s A Top Prospect
Paris Johnson Jr. looked like a prototypical NFL offensive tackle on Sunday as he impressed in position drills and posted impressive weigh-in numbers.
MARCH 5, 2023
The Combine’s Largest Man 
Dawand Jones is officially the NFL Scouting Combine’s largest man, leading all combine participants in height (6/8 1/4”), weight (374), hand width (11 5/8”), arm length (36 3/8”) and wingspan (87 7/8”).
Jones also became the first Buckeye to run the 40-yard dash at this year’s combine on Sunday afternoon, completing his first attempt in an official time of 5.35 seconds.
Big Thanos coming through
Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) March 5, 2023
: #NFLCombine March 2-5 on @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/RZlKTYZPxN
MARCH 4, 2023
Most Agile Man in Indianapolis 
Jaxon Smith-Njigba showcased his elite agility by running the fastest 20-yard shuttle (3.93 seconds) and 3-cone drill (6.57 seconds) times among all players at the NFL Scouting Combine.
MARCH 4, 2023
Stroud, Smith-Njigba Shine in Throwing Session 
C.J. Stroud and Jaxon Smith-Njigba made their case for being QB1 and WR1 in the 2023 NFL draft by excelling in their throwing session Saturday.
MARCH 4, 2023
Stroud, Smith-Njigba Skip 40
The trend of Buckeyes skipping the 40-yard dash at this year’s NFL Scouting Combine continued Saturday as neither C.J. Stroud nor Jaxon Smith-Nigba participated in the 40.
Unlike Ohio State’s defensive prospects, Stroud and Smith-Njigba are participating in other combine drills. Stroud will throw the ball on Saturday while Smith-Njigba will run routes and catch passes. Smith-Njigba is also participating in the jumps and agility drills.
Smith-Njigba posted marks of 35 inches in the vertical jump and 10-foot-5 in the broad jump. While both of those numbers were in the bottom half of receivers who participated in those drills at this year’s combine, they compared favorably to the numbers posted last year by Garrett Wilson (36” vertical, 10’3” broad) and Chris Olave (32” vertical, 10’4” broad).
MARCH 4, 2023
Wypler Discusses Draft Decision 
Luke Wypler felt he “couldn’t have really made a bad decision” but decided it “made more sense” to enter the 2023 NFL draft after three years at Ohio State.
MARCH 4, 2023
Stroud Weighs In at 6’3”, 214
C.J. Stroud measured in at the NFL Scouting Combine before his workout on Saturday at 6-foot-3 and 214 pounds with 10-inch hands – all numbers that are more than big enough for a top quarterback prospect.
C.J. Stroud
— The Draft Network (@TheDraftNetwork) March 4, 2023
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 214 pounds
Arm Length: 32 5/8"
Hand Size: 10"#RatedRookie | #NFLDraft
By comparison, Stroud’s top competition to be the first quarterback drafted – Alabama’s Bryce Young – weighed in at 5’10 1/8” and 204 pounds. The two other projected first-round quarterbacks measured in larger than Stroud, as Florida’s Anthony Richardson weighed in at 6-foot-4 and 244 pounds and Will Levis measured in at 6-foot-4 and 229 pounds.
MARCH 4, 2023
Smith-Njigba Weighs In at 6’0 5/8”, 196
Jaxon Smith-Njigba went through the weigh-in process at the NFL Scouting Combine on Saturday morning and measured in at 6’0 5/8” and 196 pounds with 9-inch hands, 30 1/2-inch arms and a 75 1/2-inch wingspan.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba
— Daniel Jeremiah (@MoveTheSticks) March 4, 2023
6005
196
9 hand
30 1/2 arm
75 1/2 wing
That makes Smith-Njigba both taller and bigger than Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson were at last year’s NFL Scouting Combine, when Olave measured in at 6’0 3/8” and 187 pounds and Wilson measured in at 5’11 3/4” and 183 pounds.
MARCH 4, 2023
Johnson Will Do Position Drills, Bench Press
Paris Johnson Jr. will not run the 40-yard dash during the final day of NFL Scouting Combine workouts on Sunday, but plans to do position drills with the rest of the offensive linemen and participate in the bench press Monday morning.
Paris Johnson Jr. said he plans to do position drills and bench press at the NFL Scouting Combine. pic.twitter.com/F2xmZxKagD
— Dan Hope (@Dan_Hope) March 4, 2023
MARCH 3, 2023
No Workouts for Brown, Hickman
While Cameron Brown said Thursday he was aiming to run a 4.2-second 40-yard dash, he did not end up running the 40 on Friday, which means we’ll have to wait until Ohio State’s pro day to see whether he can actually run that fast.
Brown did not participate in cornerback drills either, while Ronnie Hickman did not work out with the safeties. It was not immediately clear why they didn’t work out, as Brown said Thursday that his “body feels amazing” while Hickman did not disclose any injury during his Thursday interview session.
MARCH 3, 2023
“Very Frustrating” Final Season for JSN 
Jaxon Smith-Njigba has added motivation to show what he can do this weekend at the combine after missing nearly all of last season with a hamstring injury.
MARCH 3, 2023
Stroud Considered Staying 
C.J. Stroud said it was “really hard for me to leave a place like Ohio State” and that he seriously considered returning for his senior season.
MARCH 3, 2023
Harrison Puts Up 25 Reps
Zach Harrison had an impressive showing in the bench press on Friday morning, putting up 25 reps of 225 pounds – a great number for a long-armed defensive end like Harrison, as prospects with shorter arms typically put up bigger numbers in the bench press.
.@zacharrison_ put on a show 25 reps
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) March 3, 2023
: #NFLCombine March 2-5 on @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/3b83upmWw4
MARCH 3, 2023
JSN Won't Run 40 at Combine 
Jaxon Smith-Njigba will not run the 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine but will do every other drill at the event.
MARCH 2, 2023
Hamstring Sidelines Harrison 
Zach Harrison did not run the 40-yard dash or participate in any other on-field workouts at the NFL Scouting Combine due to a minor hamstring injury.
MARCH 2, 2023
Confident Cam 
Cam Brown’s confidence was on full display in his interview session at the NFL Scouting Combine, where he hopes to run a 4.2-second 40-yard dash.
MARCH 2, 2023
Very Long Arms 
Zach Harrison measured in with the longest arms (36 1/4 inches) of any defensive lineman at the NFL Scouting Combine since 2014.
MARCH 1, 2023
Harrison “Very Confident” Entering Combine 
Zach Harrison believes his best football is in front of him and that whichever team drafts him will be getting both a playmaker on the field and a leader off the field.
FEB. 28, 2023
What Each Buckeye Has to Gain in Indianapolis 
Before the combine started, we previewed the week ahead for all eight Buckeyes by looking at what each of them could do to bolster their draft stock in Indianapolis.
