Instant Reaction: What experts are saying about Houston Texans drafting C.J. Stroud

COLUMBUS — C.J. Stroud became the highest-drafted quarterback in Ohio State history Thursday night when the Houston Texans picked him No. 2 overall.

The two-time Heisman Trophy finalist is now an NFL signal caller.

Here’s what the experts had to say about Stroud, in addition to Stroud’s initial draft reaction.

What Mel Kiper Jr. said about C.J. Stroud going to Houston…

Kiper on Stroud going to Houston: “If one game can make a career, if one game can make you the second pick overall, it was the Georgia game. You talk about a semifinal game where, hey, he was the underdog and he went out there and played great football against that Georgia defense. If Marvin Harrison Jr. doesn’t get hurt that game, they probably beat Georgia, and they might go on to win a national title. Feels like he didn’t win the big game, well, he could have won that one if Marvin Harrison Jr. didn’t get hurt. C.J. stroud, accuracy to all levels is what really jumps out at you when you watch him on film.”

Kiper continued: “You talk about having great receivers. Five stars and four stars all over the place. He did. A lot of it was pitch and catch at Ohio State. But beautifully thrown balls. What he has to do — he did it in the Georgia game, he did it in the Northwestern game at Evanston with bad weather, wind and rain — is stress a defense with his legs. … He said, ‘If I need to do it, I can do it. I showed you in the Georgia game I could.’ If he can bottle that performance and take it on into the NFL, the Houston Texans have something special.”

What Louis Riddick said about C.J. Stroud going to Houston…

Riddick on Stroud going to Houston: “I truly do believe that quarterbacks need to win inside the pocket. That’s where you need to live. That’s where you’re protected. You don’t necessarily have to get outside the pocket if you don’t have to. And at Ohio State, he didn’t have to do it, although he showed later on in the season [that he could], as Mel alluded to. His pocket awareness, as far as being able to slide up in the pocket, feel pass rushers, keep his eyes down the field, two hands on the field…”

What C.J. Stroud said right after getting picked by Houston…

Stroud on what this means to him: “God has battle tested me. It’s something that I feel like it’s in me, not on me. He’s scarred me, so I’ve been battle tested. I have the armor of God on me. So everything I’ve been through is preparing me for this moment right here. … Believe in yourself. There was a point where no one believed in me, but I put my trust in God and my family and what I  did and I had discipline. Just consistency, man. … I’m a living testimony that you can really do anything because I came from nothing. I’m blessed to be on this stage.”

What Ryan Day said about C.J. Stroud hours before the draft…

Day on what Stroud brought to the table: “I felt right from the beginning that he could really handle himself well in the pocket. He can keep his eyes downfield and feel the pocket inside. And I think when you look at the way he came up in high school at Rancho Cucamonga, you know, he didn’t get a ton of protection. So he had to kind of make a lot of decisions on the move. He had to keep his eyes downfield. He would get hit. And I think that’s the big thing about C.J. is you look, he’s got a huge ceiling. He’s not a finished product by any means. And I know that when I was in the NFL, I was always looking for guys that weren’t finished products. And so only three years in college, when you look ahead, where’s he going to be in five to 10 years, I think you’re gonna see a quarterback that’s got a lot to grow.”

Day on how being an Ohio State quarterback prepares you for the next level: “It’s not the NFL, but it’s close. When you have to play quarterback at Ohio State, there’s a lot that comes with that. Certainly the good and the bad. He’s worked through some of those things. He understands what it’s like to have a tough game. Go through a tough loss, how to handle the media, how to handle your teammates, how to grow. And I think you saw him grow and play his best game at the end of the season. And I think you’ll continue to see that. But it’s a great way to kind of test if they can handle an NFL market.”