Breaking down NFL Draft QB S2 Scores: Bryce Young soars, CJ Stroud raises red flags

The S2 cognitive test is a test administered ahead of the NFL Draft that has garnered a strong reputation within the NFL. As Bob McGinn explained, “And, in interviews with several football executives this month, S2 testing has developed a reputation so strong in the industry that it undoubtedly will affect to some degree how quarterbacks are drafted.”

The S2 has been used since the 2016 NFL Draft. It’s designed to test how quickly and accurately a player can process information. Those test results are now in, showing Alabama quarterback Bryce Young soar while Ohio State quarterback CJ Stroud struggled, according to McGinn.

Take a look at how the quarterbacks did, with their total score as a percentage, here:

• Bryce Young, 98%
• Jake Haener, 96%
• Will Levis, 93%
• Jaren Hall, 93%
• Clayton Tune, 84%
• Anthony Richardson, 79%
• Hendon Hooker, 46%
• CJ Stroud, 18%

That S2 score for Stroud is a major concern for NFL teams considering the Ohio State signal caller.

“Stroud scored 18,” an anonymous executive said. “That is like red alert, red alert, you can’t take a guy like that. That is why I have Stroud as a bust. That in conjunction with the fact, name one Ohio State quarterback that’s ever done it in the league.”

Ohio State has had its fair share of first round busts, like Dwayne Haskins and Art Schlichter. While the jury is still out on Justin Fields, there is concern that CJ Stroud could be a bust himself. One scout even said that the low S2 score confirmed what he saw on tape.

“That was my concern with him,” the scout said. “His personality is just sort of calm and mellow and laidback, and that’s the way he plays. You look at how Bryce Young plays and how Stroud plays, I don’t see how anyone can look at those two play football and you’d want that guy (Stroud) over Young. Bryce’s mind is so quick and he processes so fast. Whereas with Stroud, everything is much, much more programmed.”

Young, unlike Stroud, did excellent on the S2 test. That doesn’t confirm that he’s going to thrive in the NFL. However, it does confirm what scouts already believe about him.

“Then they started doing it in football. If you get a high score as a quarterback it’s not saying you’re going to be a great player. But if you get a low score, it’s 100% — none of the quarterbacks that got a low score became good players,” the executive said.

“The benchmark is 80. Eighty and above is good. Stroud was 18. It’s incredibly terrible. He’s going to be off (some team’s) boards. He will not be picked by those teams.”

NFL Draft analyst explains the S2 test

NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein spoke to one of the co-creators of the S2 test. This helped him explain the test on Twitter.

“We had one of the co-creators of the S2 on my radio show. He said if a player scores lower in one or more of the testing areas, it simply means a team might build the offense around his other strengths. Not dissimilar to how a team may not ask weak arm QB to make certain throws,” Zierlein tweeted.

“And furthermore, any psychological or cognition tests are also part of the big puzzle teams put together. Physical profile, athletic profile, leadership and character profile…. many pieces go into this for each position and not just QB. Football character is right at the top.”