Scarlet Sunrise: Todd McShay says C.J. Stroud was as 'close to perfect as he could have been' during Pro Day

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Todd McShay says C.J. Stroud was as ‘close to perfect as he could have been’ during Pro Day

Earlier this month, NFL Network draft expert Daniel Jeremiah was wowed by former Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud’s performance at the NFL Combine. Stroud only participated in the throwing portion of the workout but turned in a set of passes that Jeremiah called “one of the best throwing sessions I’ve seen at the Combine.” Flash forward about three weeks to Stroud’s Pro Day in the Woody Hayes Athletic Center, and ESPN NFL Draft analyst Todd McShay was saying the same kinds of things.

In fact, in his takeaways piece, McShay wrote that Stroud was about “as close to perfect as he could have been during his throwing session.”

McShay continued: “It was almost like he was walking the ball directly into his receivers’ hands at times. We saw excellent ball placement over and over. Not that this was a surprise. His tape is littered with beautifully layered throws that demonstrate high-end touch and timing, and I don’t think there is an NFL-level pass that he can’t make. He’s accurate to all three levels of the field.”

As was the case during the NFL Combine, Stroud didn’t participate in the testing portion of Pro Day, either. That included the 40-yard dash.

Although Stroud put a lot of concerns to bed about his mobility and ability to make off-platform and off-schedule throws in the Buckeyes’ College Football Playoff Peach Bowl semifinal loss, those are the areas, if any, that remain questioned in his evaluation, according to McShay.

“The only mistakes I saw on Wednesday from Stroud came on a pair of passes when he was rolling to his left,” McShay wrote. “They were a bit off-target. But that’s not his strength, and it’s an area he can keep working on as he develops as a rookie. And he did look more effective throwing on the move to his right side.”

It was clear, however, that Stroud’s mistakes were few and far between. He put on a show in the Woody, just like he did in Lucas Oil Stadium the first week of March. Stroud wowed, and he did it in front of 118 NFL representatives, most notably a collection of personnel from the Carolina Panthers, who traded for the No. 1 overall pick from the Chicago Bears.

Right after his Pro Day throwing session, Stroud got to talk to Panthers head coach, and former NFL quarterback, Frank Reich as well as Panthers quarterbacks coach Josh McCown. It could have very well been a sneak peak at what’s to come for the well-deserving Stroud.

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• C.J. Stroud shows off talent, solidifies place at top of NFL Draft

Overview of Buckeyes 2023 Pro Day measurements, results

Are you curious about the measurements and results from Ohio State’s Pro Day? Lettermen Row has you covered. Stroud’s throwing session took center stage, but there was a lot of good stuff in the Woody before then, including safety Tanner McCalister maybe helping himself more than any of the other 14 former Buckeyes on the field.

McCalister registered 22 reps on the bench, a 4.44 40-yard dash, a 37-inch vertical and a 10-foot-3 broad jump. Those are numbers that certainly warranted an NFL Combine invitation, which McCalister did not receive. The former Oklahoma State transfer was just one of several Buckeyes prospects who helped his draft stock Wednesday.

Check out the complete Ohio State Pro Day measurements and results here.

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Jaxon Smith-Njigba proves he’s top receiver available in NFL Draft

There were also a ton of eye balls on former Ohio State wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who finally ran a 40-yard dash after electing to put the drill off at the NFL Combine earlier this month.

Smith-Njigba quieted critics Wednesday, clocking in the high 4.4s. That covers his long-distance speed. As for his short distance? Well, he was first among all NFL Combine-participating wide receivers this year with a 6.57-second three-cone (no other wideout was below 6.8 seconds) and a 3.93-second 20-yard shuttle (no other wideout was below 4.0 seconds).

Plus, Smith-Njigba showcased his elusive route-running ability while catching passes from Stroud. JSN has checked off all the boxes this month, homing in on the WR1 spot in this draft class after significant skepticism surrounded his draft position throughout 2022 while he dealt with a nagging hamstring injury that kept him out practically the entire season.

To read more about what Smith-Njigba accomplished at Pro Day, go here.

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