It depends on what type of IO you're talking.
Wire-bond (inline, stagger...) or flip-chip...? Is it a Bondpad Over Active Circuit (BOAC)?
In general, you want the signal/current from passivation openning go thru ESD first then connect to secondary ESD to input buffer or output driver.
You need to know what type of IO before you start your layout planning.
A lot of IO materials on line you can also search JDEC for more.