Daniel Jeremiah evaluates the drop-off between Bryce Young, CJ Stroud
One of the many quarterback comparisons we’ll see plenty of during this draft season is between Alabama’s Bryce Young and Ohio State’s CJ Stroud. The pair have competed as top prospects in high school and college and will now bring that competition to the NFL. With that said, how much of a difference is there really between the two?
From what Daniel Jeremiah, a media analyst for the NFL, thinks, he doesn’t see much. In a preview of the combine, Jeremiah addressed the idea of how a team would feel if they got Stroud at No. 2 if a team were to trade with Chicago for the No. 1 pick and select Young. He thinks Stroud is a more than worthy ‘consolation prize’, especially after what he put on display during this season’s College Football Playoff.
“I would be fine with it,” Jeremiah said. “I like Bryce Young better on the tape but I think CJ Stroud is a really good player. If you’re not comfortable with that price to go up to get to that No. 1 pick? Stay where you are and get CJ Stroud? I would feel just fine about that.”
“I think he is just a pure thrower. The big question with him was, okay, not a lot of off-schedule, not a lot of playmaking. But then all of a sudden you see the semifinal game and you are like, dude, where has this been? He showed you he has that ability,” said Jeremiah. “The old scouting adage is if you can do it once, you can do it. So you know he does have that ability.”
Young finished as the No. 1 QB in On3’s 2020 Consensus Player Rankings. As for Stroud, he finished as the QB3 behind DJ Uiagalelei as well. Then, in the race for the Heisman Trophy in 2021, Stroud came up short of Young again.
Still, that says more about Young and less about any issues with Stroud. You’re not going to complain about ending up with the Buckeye after he threw for just over 8,100 yards and 85 touchdowns on a 69.1% completion rate in his two seasons as a starter.
Young might be rated as the better prospect when it’s all said and done but, when it comes to Stroud, Jeremiah believes he has put together a resume that’s nothing to sneeze at when comparing the two.
“I think Bryce is just a little bit more of a playmaker to me consistently when you watch him. I just love his instincts and feel, his ability to maneuver within the pocket I think is better. So I think Bryce Young is a better player. But I would not be totally bummed if you sat there at No. 2 and ended up with CJ Stroud.”