Bryce Young went first overall in the 2023 NFL Draft, but Ohio State QB C.J. Stroud was right behind him. Stroud ended up being selected by the Houston Texans with the second overall pick, and he’ll have a chance to prove himself as the Texans’ next franchise quarterback. What does he have to offer at the most important position?
C.J. Stroud NFL Draft Profile
- Position: Quarterback
- School: Ohio State
- Current Year: Redshirt Sophomore
- Height/Weight: 6’3″, 214 pounds
- Arm: 32 5/8″
- Hand: 10″
If there’s a word that can tie together Stroud’s entire career across his time with the Ohio State Buckeyes, it’s “progression.”
The Buckeyes‘ signal-caller progressed all through high school and closed out his tenure with a senior season that saw him amass 3,878 yards and 47 touchdowns in 13 games.
Stroud progressed through the Elite 11 quarterback competition showcase in 2019 and was ultimately named MVP of the event. In his first full season as a starter at Ohio State, he progressed into a Heisman finalist.
The stats are a strong indicator of Stroud’s growth. After completing just 62.3% of his passes through his first three games in 2021, Stroud closed out the year on a tear, completing 74.7% of his remaining throws and landing with 4,435 yards, 44 touchdowns, and just six interceptions.
2022 brought similar production and success for Stroud. His Buckeyes finished the regular season 11-1, with their lone loss coming to the Michigan Wolverines, and they reached the College Football Playoff. Stroud himself was the primary engine for Ohio State’s prosperity, completing 258 of 389 passes (66.3%), 41 touchdowns, and six interceptions.
Stroud’s efficiency was nearly unmatched among 2023 NFL Draft QB prospects, and it’s a byproduct of a very translatable process at QB. But beyond that, Stroud’s positive progression carried on all the way to his very last game — a heartbreaking but hard-fought defeat in the CFP semifinal against the Georgia Bulldogs.
In his career finale with the Buckeyes — against college football‘s most menacing defensive unit — Stroud completed 23 of 34 attempts for 348 yards, four touchdowns, and no interceptions, and also added a 27-yard carry.
He brought his trademark efficiency and accuracy to the fold but also showed off playmaking ability he hadn’t always gotten credit for.
Some will say Stroud left meat on the bone in his two-year starting career, and they’re not wrong. He never won a championship, never won a Big Ten title, and he never won the Heisman. But that lack of over-arching accomplishments doesn’t change the tape. And the tape is resoundingly in favor of Stroud’s game.
C.J. Stroud Scouting Report
Stats can be misleading at times. But for Stroud, the production confirms what’s visible on tape. Not only is he a high-level passer who’s progressed a lot in his young career, but he has the tools to potentially be a franchise signal-caller.
Positives
To identify a first-round worthy QB, you start with the talent. Stroud no doubt has that. He passes the eye test with a sturdy 6’3″, 214-pound frame. With that frame, he flashes a crisp, tight release. He’s fast and efficient with his throwing motion and generates great velocity with ease to all levels of the field.
Stroud has stellar arm strength, and with it, he pushes the ball outside the numbers and puts passes where only his receivers can get it. He can effortlessly fit the ball into tight windows and push passes up the seam against tight coverage. His velocity generation isn’t necessarily explosive, but he generates the necessary push to fit passes past coverage with ease.
Stroud’s arm is not only strong but also elastic. This combined strength and elasticity grants the Ohio State QB exceptional overall arm talent.
Stroud can masterfully mix pace and touch on his throws. With his arm talent and methodical shoulder adjustments, he actively manipulates the trajectory of his passes. When on the move, or when his base is fading back, Stroud has enough arm elasticity to deliver accurate throws. On the run, he’s shown to cultivate solid velocity from different arm angles as well.
As accurate as Stroud is, his overall processing and mental work might be even more impressive.
Stroud is an extremely smart passer, who’s shown to quickly go through progressions and process leverage with stellar processing speed and field vision. He’s able to quickly diagnose coverages, make pre-snap checks, and pinpoint mismatches to exploit based on coverages.
Expanding on Stroud’s processing, the Ohio State QB can anticipate stems and maximize efficiency, especially on quick throws. He reacts quickly to WR option breaks and has the anticipation, high-level arm talent, and, most importantly, the confidence to make high-difficulty throws.
Manipulation and Mechanics
Beyond simple processing, Stroud has shown to manipulate the field in real-time. He actively uses his shoulders and eyes to manipulate and displace defensive backs, while simultaneously anticipating windows. Additionally, Stroud can feign the run as a scrambler to pull linebackers in, opening windows which he quickly capitalizes on.
In the pocket, Stroud does very well to feel pressure and can preemptively step up into lanes to buy himself time in the pocket. He’s exceptional at managing space — patient and poised, with active feet.
He’s comfortable reading the field and can stand in amidst contact to deliver passes. When Stroud has to roll out, he keeps his eyes up and alert. He also has enough speed to beat edge rushers outside and keep plays alive.
Mechanically, there’s far more good than bad with Stroud. The Ohio State QB often has a steady, uniform base in the pocket, and rarely goes too wide with that base. He’s able to sustain hip rotation and level shoulders with this base and also brings a crisp release.
Even when worked off his base, Stroud has shown to snap back to congruence ahead of throws. He has that corrective failsafe and can use quick gather steps to recollect his base.
Going further, Stroud can quickly reset his feet after rolling out, to load his hips and get adequate rotation. He’s also able to keep his shoulders level and generate hip rotation on the move. In that phase, Stroud has the arm elasticity to generate velocity off-platform.
He’s a composed, measured decision-maker who comfortably works through his progressions with discretion, all the way to his checkdown. Still, Stroud is more than willing to take high-reward risks with his arm.
His risks are often calculated, and he also shows the wherewithal to throw the ball away when worked into a corner. Rarely does he force throws when encountering pressure.
Among other things, Stroud has shown he can perform pre-snap work, identifying blitzers and assigning protections to running backs.
Areas for Improvement
While he’s strong mechanically, there are few details that Stroud can work to improve, even after 2022. The Ohio State QB sometimes dips his front shoulder on passes, causing throws to sink and fall behind receivers.
He could also better manage his shoulders on the move. In a similar vein, Stroud sometimes fails to fully transfer his weight forward on throws and can lock his hips, causing passes to fall short.
Going further, Stroud needs more discipline with the placement of his front foot. He sometimes overcorrects when snapping into place, resulting in inaccuracy. Additionally, the Ohio State QB’s release point sometimes varies. While often compact, his release is occasionally concave, which can push passes high.
Expanding on his mechanics, Stroud’s lower body can get tied up when manipulating DBs, and he occasionally has scissor feet on the drop back. He’ll also be a bit frantic with his alignment at times when encountering pressure. He generally senses and reacts to pressure well but doesn’t always feel edge pressure looping around and can be panicked when he comes across it.
Looking elsewhere, while Stroud has phenomenal precision and ball placement, his situational placement can be subject to occasional lapses. There are times when he could place the ball better to accommodate receivers, allow for RAC, and lead away from contact.
His passes to the middle of the field are occasionally behind receivers, forcing them to decelerate. And on end-zone fades, Stroud could find a better balance of pace and touch.
Stroud doesn’t quite have the elite arm elasticity to correct faulty lower body angles consistently. He also plays less athletically than he is.
There’s still room for Stroud to become more comfortable as a creator. He has the athleticism and arm to work off-script, but at times, passes up opportunities to create and struggles to stay in control in those situations. Luckily, Stroud’s final game against Georgia was a very promising development in that regard.
Among other things, Stroud occasionally stares down receivers, keying in defenders, and he sometimes tries to force passes with his arm. Lastly, he may need a slight adjustment from a WR-option-heavy offense.
C.J. Stroud’s 2023 NFL Outlook
Stroud wasn’t announced as his team’s official starter as early as Bryce Young or Anthony Richardson, but he took starting reps from the jump with the Houston Texans, and he’s expected to be the team’s starting quarterback for the 2023 season, barring unexpected injuries or regressions.
Stroud himself has enough operational refinement to hit the field early, and he also has a competent supporting cast around him. His offensive line is one of the stronger units in the league, pending Tytus Howard’s return from injury.
He has a strong RB stable alongside him, and he has a deep, diverse WR corps that includes Nico Collins, Robert Woods, rookie Tank Dell, John Metchie III, and Noah Brown, to go along with TE Dalton Schultz.
In regards to Stroud individually, some will rightly question his creative freedom as a playmaking QB. Especially when juxtaposed with Richardson and Young, those concerns are warranted.
Nevertheless, Stroud has flashed the necessary control and athleticism when creating off-script. And in structure, he was competing with Young as the top 2023 NFL Draft QB prospect.
Stroud fits the prototypical QB mold with his frame and durability. As a passer, he’s tremendously accurate and precise, composed, and extremely adept as a processor. He can anticipate windows and read the field quickly, plus has the eye discipline to manipulate defenders before capitalizing with his elastic touch and arm strength.
Stroud can still be more consistent in sensing and working against pressure, but it’s not something he can’t do effectively. He has the necessary athleticism and short-area twitch for his size, and more experience should only bode well for him in that phase.
Off-platform, his arm elasticity allows him to generate velocity and maintain accuracy. And it helps that Houston’s quality offensive line will prevent him from being bombarded early on.
In Stroud, there is arguably the best blend of intangibles and baseline talent to fulfill the requirements of a franchise-caliber passer in the 2023 NFL Draft. And though he may need time to acclimate a bit with his timing and pocket management in Year 1, he’s a worthy long-term investment as a starting QB.
