Scarlet Sunrise: Is C.J. Stroud's NFL Draft stock suddenly falling?
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Is C.J. Stroud’s NFL Draft stock suddenly falling?
Not long after the Carolina Panthers traded up for the No. 1 overall selection in this year’s NFL Draft, quarterback C.J. Stroud emerged as the projected top pick.
Stroud followed an impressive throwing session at the NFL Combine with another head-turning outing at Ohio State’s Pro Day, after which Panthers brass immediately greeted Stroud.
Even though it was viewed at the time as a toss-up between Stroud and Alabama quarterback Bryce Young for the No. 1 overall pick, Stroud appeared to get the edge because of his prototypical size and Panthers head coach Frank Reich’s experience working with taller signal callers.
As Peter King pointed out in his “Football Morning in America” piece back then, in 17 years, Reich has coached in just six games as a head coach or assistant coach where his team’s starting quarterback has been under 6-foot-4. Stroud actually checked in at the NFL Combine at 6-foot-3, 214 pounds, whereas Florida’s Anthony Richardson was 6-foot-4, 244 pounds. But Young — perceived to be Stroud’s biggest competition for the top pick — is only 5-foot-10, 204 pounds.
So Stroud became the betting favorite to go No. 1 overall. But, since, things have changed again.
Now, Young is back on top of most mock drafts, and, in some, Stroud has slid all the way to QB4. Why? It’s hard to tell if it’s just pre-draft smokescreens at this point or legitimate concern.
Here’s what NFL.com Draft Analyst Lance Zierlein recently said on The Bench Podcast with John Granato:
“I know that the rumors around the league, the rumors that I have heard, is that C.J. Stroud did not score great on this S2,” Zierlein said. “And there are a lot of teams, and I don’t know if the Texans are one of them to be honest with you, there are a lot of teams who highly value the S2 test because it’s a processing test, it’s a decision making — we had the guy on from yesterday.”
Zierlein continued: “It has been predictive. The very best quarterbacks — Joe Burrow, Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes — those are three guys who scored very high on S2. Brock Purdy was the highest score last year. … Has anyone ever become a good quarterback who scored low? The answer over the last seven years so far has been no. No one has. And the rumor is, that I’ve heard — not through teams but other sources — is that C.J. Stroud’s number’s pretty low.”
S2 is short for S2 Cognition. According to its own site, S2 is a “sports evaluation that scientifically measures an athlete’s game-speed, cognitive abilities down to a millisecond level.”
What’s more, Stroud appears to be dealing with similar pre-draft character attacks that confronted former Buckeyes quarterback Justin Fields two years ago. As was the case with Fields, what’s reportedly being said about Stroud doesn’t line up with the glowing remarks about the Ohio State star from coaches, players and others in the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.
Former NFL executive Michael Lombardi said on his podcast, “The Lombardi Line” recently that he’s unsure if Stroud would even go No. 2 to the Houston Texans.
“C.J. Stroud’s an interesting guy,” Lombardi said. “When you talk to people in the league, they’ll tell you C.J. Stroud is not — this is not a knock, this is just a conversation — not an easy guy to coach. I think the word that people use is he’s very not believing in what you’re saying, and so he’s a little bit challenging to coach. So it’s not like he comes in and embraces it. He’s got a little bit of a different style to him.”
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Again, what Lombardi is reporting is contrary to everything that’s been said about Stroud at Ohio State. It’s unclear if that coach-ability sentiment or the rumored S2 performance is what’s affecting Stroud’s place in recent mocks, but his dip from QB1 to QB2, and, in some cases, QB3 or QB4, is noticeable.
About a week from now in Kansas City, however, this could all be rendered obsolete when the draft gets underway.
Four freshmen who flashed with impressive spring-game performance
More than 75,000 Ohio State fans piled into the Horseshoe this past weekend to get a glimpse at what the 2023 Buckeyes look like. They didn’t get a full picture, given that it was the spring game and a handful of starters were out. That said, they had a chance to see some up-and-comers in the program.
Of Ohio State’s 11 early enrollees, four stuck out in particular.
Lettermen Row is breaking down their spring game performances, which they can use as a building block for the rest of the offseason.
Check it out here.
What addition of Baylor transfer Dale Bonner means for Ohio State
Ohio State men’s basketball added its second transfer of the offseason Monday: Baylor guard Dale Bonner. Like the Buckeyes’ previous grad transfer acquisition, former Minnesota forward Jamison Battle, Bonner has only one year of eligibility remaining.
Bonner spent the last two seasons at Baylor, but he started his college career at Division II Fairmont State in West Virginia. He redshirted his freshman year at Fairmont State before leading the team in scoring, assists and steals the following two seasons. Then came his transfer to Baylor, where he was a role player.
Bonner will likely take on a similar duty at Ohio State, where he can give point guard and captain Bruce Thornton a breather in the backcourt. The 6-foot-2, 170-pound Shaker Heights, Ohio, product is a playmaking ball handler on offense and a quick-thinking disruptor on defense.
For more on what he brings to the Buckeyes, go here.
Counting down
Buckeyes vs. Indiana: 137 days
Buckeyes vs. Michigan: 221 days
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