C.J. Stroud, QB Ohio State: Offseason 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Stroud was a four-star recruit from Rancho Cucamonga High School in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. in the class of 2020

The Ohio State Buckeyes have produced several first round quarterbacks over the past few years. Redshirt sophomore C.J. Stroud looks like he’s next in line to join that group. Stroud struggled early in his first year as a starter before turning everything around and becoming a Heisman Trophy candidate. He has a chance to be a top-five pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.

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C.J. Stroud, QB Ohio State: 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Redshirt sophomore quarterback from Inland Empire, Calif.

Background: Stroud was a four-star recruit from Rancho Cucamonga High School in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. in the class of 2020. He was the No. 42 recruit according to 247Sports, No. 51 for Rivals, and No. 38 for On3.com. ESPN ranked him 104th in the nation with an 84 grade out of 100. As a high school senior, Stroud completed 66% of his passes for 3,878 yards and 47 touchdowns in 13 games. He totaled 6,221 passing yards between his junior and senior seasons. Stroud only threw 15 interceptions in high school despite attempting 754 passes. He was invited to the All-American Bowl in San Antonio, Texas.

2021 Production: 12 games, 441 attempts, 317 completions, 4,435 yards, 44 touchdowns, 6 interceptions

2020 Production: 2 games, 1 carry, 48 yards, 1 touchdown (Redshirt Year)

Injuries & Off-Field: Separated his AC joint in 2021 and missed a game

Awards: 2021 First-Team All-Big Ten, 2021 Third-Team All-American (Associated Press), 2021 FWAA Freshman All-American, 2021 Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, 2021 Big Ten Freshman of the Year, 2021 Big Ten Quarterback of the Year, 2021 Heisman Trophy Finalist

Pros: Time to throw is within NFL expectations, anticipates pass catchers becoming uncovered, showed significant improvement over the course of his redshirt freshman season, buys time but keeps his eyes downfield instead of ducking and looking to scramble, senses pressure and uses his athleticism to escape the pocket and buy time, pocket presence is above average in this class, pre-snap adjustments and reads and post-snap progressions are ahead of schedule for a one-year starter, puts touch on short passes and screens, comfortable and frequently accurate throwing on the run, active feet in the pocket, throwing motion looks smooth, not the fastest release but it’s quick, escapes collapsing pockets to buy time, many instances of hitting targets in-stride downfield, flashes of elite accuracy, good size to see over the line and command the field, possesses the arm strength to regularly make deep throws, drives the ball with enough velocity to fit it through tight windows, will take his checkdowns and short crossing routes when plays don’t develop downfield

Cons: Six fumbles in 2021, pocket passer with limited to no upside as a runner, ball placement was erratic throughout the year, seems like Stroud second-guessed himself sometimes which led to missed open throws, lots of low throws, a couple of lame duck throws that died before reaching their mark, decision-making sometimes leads to challenging double coverages, tight coverages, and trying to scramble too much behind the line of scrimmage, refuses to run even when he has open grass

Overview: Stroud is unofficially listed at 6'3", 215 lbs. Despite his statistical production, Stroud struggled early in his first season as a starter. Ohio State fans wanted the redshirt freshman benched in favor of true freshman Quinn Ewers. However, Stroud began to turn the corner after sitting out Ohio State’s game against Akron and healing the AC joint he injured in Week 1 against Minnesota. At the end of the year, he finished fourth in the Heisman voting. Stroud has above-average arm talent that unlocks the deep third of the field and allows him to throw darts. He also understands when to use touch. Stroud demonstrated many tendencies that are advanced for a first-year starter, including how he handled pre-snap and post-snap reads. The California native has a good feel for the pocket and knows when it’s time to escape and extend plays. Stroud showed flashes of elite accuracy last year, but he still had several wild throws that often came up short of intended receivers. Sometimes he trusted his arm too much and attacked tight coverages or double teams. Stroud’s ball placement also varied throughout the year. He had his fair share of overthrows.

Overall, Stroud is far ahead of schedule for a player who just finished his first year as a college starter. His mental processing and analysis set him apart from many other quarterbacks in this class. Stroud also has more flashes of high-level play than most of his peers. Barring injury or a substantial slide in 2022, he should be a top 15 pick in next year’s draft. 

Role & Scheme Fit: Pocket passer in a spread offensive scheme

Round Projection: Top 15 Selection

Player Comparison: N/A

Submitted: 07-31-22