QB C.J. Stroud Scouting Report: An Overrated, But Promising Prospect

Ohio States Quarterback C.J. Stroud has received a ton of draft hype, and while it seems reasonable, it should cool off a bit based on his film. He has some promising traits but he lacks the elite physical ones to project him as a superstar in the NFL. He is a prototypical modern pocket passer with a balanced skillset. With a ton of talent around him at Ohio State, it has been easy for Stroud to impress. While he has a good shot at succeeding in the NFL, it will be a struggle early on to get adjusted to the pro level. Most early first-round QB prospects have an elite skill to rely on early on like Bryce Young has and Stroud just doesn’t quite have that. Four games have been evaluated and this is a comprehensive analysis of those games. Video editing software allowed me to evaluate the precise throwing release times of draft prospects, which will be noted for each player. A lot of analytics such as PFF grades have gone into forming the grades as well. Please leave your feedback on Twitter @FootballIntell4.

Grades

Overall Draft Grade: 75.7

Traits/ Skills (see bottom of the page for scale)

All potential first-round prospects are graded and analyzed through ‘film’ of at least three games dedicated to each player. In addition, an array of various stats and analytics are also factored in. Each trait/attribute is graded 1-7.

Clip Analysis

This clip above demonstrates great playmaking ability and precise ball placement.

In this one, he shows he can move off his first read pretty quickly and be in sync with his receivers on a crucial down. It could be quicker, but this is what you want to see in a college player.

Here he is again, reading the middle of the field and making a quick decision. He also shows off really nice arm strength and touch on the throw.

Stats

2022 (through WK 11):

Player Notes

C.J. Stroud Bio

• Stroud is a modern prototypical pocket passer with the flexibility to extend plays.
• Is reportedly a very good leader and has good natural instincts for the position
• While his arm doesn’t wow on film, it’s plenty enough for the NFL and his release is very quick and with a wide-throwing base – his throwing release was consistently between .4 and .5 seconds.
• He looks very comfortable when throwing from the pocket and also doesn’t bail clean pockets.
• Goes through reads quickly, has shown the ability to anticipate occasionally, and has impressive decision-making.
• He consistently gets the ball out quickly and has good timing with his receivers.
• He has great ball placement in the intermediate-deep range of the field.
• Can escape the pocket pretty well and has an accurate arm on the move.
• Has consistency issues in his throwing mechanics; doesn’t always get his cleats in the ground – his short accuracy will improve if this is fixed.
• Doesn’t always have good footwork in the pocket and doesn’t have great agility to make up for it
• The talent around him and the playcalling greatly benefited his play – it will be a drastic transition.
• Will miss read coverages and stare down first read more often than you’d desire, but he has a good general feel for when to take aggressive shots – his processor shouldn’t be an issue with more experience.

Combine

40 yd:

10 yd:

Shuttle:

3 cone:

Bench:

Hand Size: 10

Grading Scale

Pot=Potential: players’ highest upside

Imp=Impact: player’s immediate impact

Individual trait scale (1-7):

7 – Rare world-class skill; best in the league and no room for improvement   |   6 – Great-elite skill; one of the best at that given trait but still has some room to improve   |   5 – Very good; above average and has potential to be elite   |   4 – Average; able to suffice but, not ideal long-term   |   3 – Below average; able to suffice at college level   |   2 – Poor; hinders overall play and is a liability to the team   |   1 – Awful; not good enough to play given position at any level above D2 | Note: Consistency plays a large factor.

Overall Draft grade scale (15-100):

84 – Perfect prospect | 81 – Bluechip prospect | 80 – Likely all-pro | 79 – Day one quality starter or superstar potential | 78 – Day one starter w/ all-pro upside | 77 – Day one starter w/ high-end upside | 76 – Boom or bust | 75 – Will become quality starter within 2-3 years

Thank you to TFG and PFF for inspiring this draft content.