Texans QB C.J. Stroud on his adjustment to the NFL: 'Feel like I've done well'

Houston Texans first-round draft pick C.J. Stroud mingled with the masses on Sunday at a newly-opened Dick’s House of Sport in Katy. The appearance gave the quarterback the opportunity to update the media on his progress before training camp.

The Texans rookies will check in for training camp at the end of the month. For Stroud, the work has been ongoing since OTAs and mandatory minicamp.

“I feel like I’ve done well,” Stroud told KPRC2. “(Organized team activities and minicamp) was something I wanted to just put my best in and just be a great leader as well as a great player, soak in the playbook, soak in coaching and be as best I can. I think that was a good start, a good routine to get into training camp and do better there.”

Stroud building chemistry with Texans top receivers

Stroud has been hard at work creating chemistry with his new targets, including Robert Woods, Tank Dell and Dalton Schultz. The group worked out at the University of Houston, along with Davis Mills, who is also still competing for QB1.

“It was good, definitely just building chemistry trying to get timing down and trying to be as best we can so we can get to training camp and dominate,” Stroud said of the workouts. “That was the goal for that one to keep building and have a good offseason.”

Rookies Stroud, Dell and Xavier Hutchinson are all looking to carve out roles for themselves in Year 1. The former Ohio State Buckeyes star has strong belief in the Texans’ 2023 draft selections.

“Yeah, we’re together 24-7,” Stroud said of Dell and Hutchinson. “We’re doing all the hard stuff together, all the good stuff and we’re blessed enough to have a great rookie class. Those guys are at the forefront of that and we’re going to do well.”

DeMeco Ryans ready for real competition to start

The Texans surprised with some aggressive moves in the 2023 NFL Draft. With a new head coach and some exciting new additions, Houston could follow in the footsteps of the Jaguars. Jacksonville went from irrelevant to the top of the division in one season.

“For right now and where we are, we’re in a really good spot,” head coach DeMeco Ryans said of his team heading toward training camp. “We just ended on the field. Like the way the guys are competing back and forth, offense, defense, both making plays, both challenging each other, iron sharpening iron. That’s exactly what I wanted. And now I just told our guys, this just only sets you up to come back in training camp and compete for that job because we’re all competing.

“So, guys are in a good spot right now and we’re leaving on a really good note. Guys are confident in what they’re doing, what we’re asking of them and that’s all we wanted to make sure. We installed our schemes, installed our terminology. We wanted to make sure that guys have a really great grasp of what we’re doing, and I feel like we accomplished that this spring. And so now, on to the competition.”

The Texans start the 2023 season with a road game versus Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens on Sept. 10.