Analyst speaks on why he believes C.J. Stroud will be drafted after Bryce Young
Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud should be among the top quarterbacks taken in the 2023 NFL Draft, but ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay recently rebuffed the idea of Stroud going at No. 4 overall to the Detroit Lions. He went on to explain why he would be picked behind Alabama signal-caller Bryce Young, McShay’s No. 1 pick.
“He (Stroud) is the best pure passer in this class,” McShay said on Get Up. “And really like all three levels, the accuracy, the timing, the ball placement and just the trajectory, understanding it. The problem is when you compare him to Bryce Young, yes he’s bigger and he’s got the frame that you’re looking for, he’ll continue to bulk up and get stronger, but I worry about his ability to create when the initial play breaks down. If you start to hit him, if you get him off the spot, we’ve seen time after time, that’s when he struggles.
“So the creativity that Bryce Young has is what’s missing in Stroud’s game,” McShay said. “He’s athletic, he just doesn’t yet know how to use that athleticism to consistently extend plays and create. And that’s what I saw this year, was hoping that I would see something different from a year ago. Every scout I talk to says I want to see him use his feet more. And we just didn’t see it this year.”
247Sports ranked Stroud higher than the industry consensus as the No. 2 pro-style quarterback and No. 29 overall player in the 2020 class, making him a five-star prospect.
He took over the starting job as a redshirt freshman, completing 71.9% of his passes for 4,435 yards and 44 touchdowns and six interceptions a year ago. This year, he helped guide the Buckeyes to an 11-1 record and a spot in the College Football Playoff, connecting on 66.2% of his throws for 3,340 yards and 37 touchdowns with six interceptions, despite Ohio State facing a number of injuries to key offensive players.
And while McShay’s comments on Stroud’s athleticism largely dealt with Stroud’s ability to extend plays, he hasn’t been able to hurt defenses much with his legs as a runner either. After taking the lone carry of his true freshman season for 48 yards and a touchdown, Stroud has rushed 67 times for 54 yards and hasn’t scored as a runner over the last two seasons.
For reference, some of Young’s biggest plays this year came when he was able to escape pressure, including when he sealed the Crimson Tide’s win over Texas. And while he also wasn’t huge on leaving the pocket, he did average 4.2 yards per carry and score four touchdowns as a rusher.
While every player wants to go No. 1, many now believe wouldn’t be the worst thing for Stroud to head to the Lions rather than the Houston Texans, particularly with the Lions starting to hit their stride.
Read More: Analyst speaks on why he believes C.J. Stroud will be drafted after Bryce Young