Today’s prospect profile surrounds one of the best quarterbacks in the 2023 NFL draft, Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud.
Stroud is a proven winner that has put up some ridiculous numbers over his legendary college career. During his time as a Buckeye, Stroud accounted for 8,123 passing yards, 85 passing touchdowns and only 12 interceptions.
He also completed approximately 69.3 percent of his passes and added another 136 yards and one touchdown on the ground over his collegiate career.
As we all know by now, the Titans have several holes on their roster, and that’s especially true on the offensive side of the ball where the entire unit needs to be retooled over the coming months.
Up until draft weekend, I will be releasing several in-depth prospect profiles where I break down different college players from both sides of the ball. I started on Sunday with Bryce Young, which you can check out right here.
Keep in mind that all of the grades and individual rankings that are included over this entire series are my own opinions that I’ve reached after spending the last few months studying each of these individuals.
Now, let’s not wait any longer and jump right into my breakdown of the reigning two-time Big 10 player of the year.
College Accolades
- 2X Big 10 Player of the Year (2021-2022)
- 2X Big 10 QB of the Year (2021-2022)
- Third-Team All-American (2021)
- Second-Team All-American (2022)
2022 stats
- Passing Yards: 3,688
- Passing Touchdowns: 41
- Rushing Yards: 108
- Interceptions: 6
- Turnover Worthy percentage: 3.6 percent
- Big Time Throw percentage: 7.0 percent
- Adjusted Completion percentage: 72.8
Combine Measurements
- Height: 6’3’’
- Weight: 214 Pounds
- Hand Size: 10’’
- Arm length: 32 5/8
- 40-time: N/A
- RAS: N/A
Note: CJ Stroud only participated in the measurements and the on-field drills portions of the combine.
Grades, Projections, and rankings
- Overall Grade: 90.2 (blue-chip prospect)
- Ceiling Projection: No. 1 Pick
- Floor Projection: Top-10 Pick
- Position Rank: No. 2
- Consensus Rank: No. 2
C.J. Stroud’s strengths
- Pinpoint-accurate passer on all three levels, seemingly capable of placing the ball wherever he pleases – Stroud had the 18th-highest Big Time Throw Rate in the country (seven percent).
- Arguably the best anticipatory passer in the entire draft class, often showing the ability to throw his receivers open.
- Fundamentally sound, poised, confident, and clutch playmaker that wants to beat you with his arm.
- Cerebral signal-caller who is capable of manipulating the defense to create easier throws for himself whenever he wants to.
- Understands the difference between being aggressive and reckless, instead taking calculated risks when the opportunity presents itself
- Had the best game of his career on the biggest stage against a Georgia defense that was loaded with NFL talent.
C.J. Stroud’s areas of concern
- Completed only 43.9 percent of his passes under pressure, ranking 97th out of 144 qualifying QBs.
- Most likely won’t ever have the luxury of being protected by an elite offensive line similarly to what he had at Ohio State.
- Occasionally gets lazy with his footwork, which can lead to an inaccurate pass at random moments.
- Has to do a better job of consistently getting his body square when throwing on the move.
- Could do a better job of being more consistent with his ability to move defenders with his eyes. There are times when he ignores his progressions and stays attached to one WR.
- Leaves a lot of rushing yards on the table and will sometimes force a pass instead of taking what the defense gives him.
- Will likely have to prove that he is capable of elevating inferior WR talent instead of being aided by the WR factory that OSU is.
Conclusion and clips
Stroud has objectively been one of the best college quarterbacks of the last few seasons, often being at his best when the lights are at their brightest.
The Ohio State product finished with an overall grade of at least 90.0 in each of his two postseason contests, including having the second-highest graded game of his career (92.2) against Jalen Carter and the tenacious Georgia defense in the 2022 College Football Playoff.
In total, Stroud accumulated a combined 921 passing yards, 10 touchdowns, and one interception over his two bowl/playoff games (2021 Rose Bowl, 2022 Peach Bowl).
As far as his potential as a pro prospect goes, on top of being arguably the best anticipatory passer in the entire draft, Stroud is elite and precise with his eye-popping ball placements.
Every single time I study an Ohio State player or opponent, I end up having my attention stolen by something Stroud did.
Every single time I study a defender that’s playing Ohio State, I always get mesmerized by something CJ Stroud does. pic.twitter.com/V9ZLiAzhFq
— Shaun Calderon (@ShaunMichaels31) February 22, 2023
The California native has a natural ability to make some of the prettiest-looking throws that truly take your breath away.
On top of being a pinpoint-accurate passer, he’s also capable of being very cerebral and manipulative with the way he plays the position.
He’s able to identify defensive coverages pre-snap and knows where/how to attack them based off their defensive alignment.
I wish they would have connected on this because the way CJ Stroud holds that safety is a thing of beauty#GoBucks pic.twitter.com/BFQI6VTtir
— Shaun Calderon (@ShaunMichaels31) February 24, 2023
Overall, Stroud is mostly an advanced processor for his age and shows that he can rapidly go through his progressions in order to find the open receiver.
Truthfully, you would like to see this aspect of his game more consistently, but when he is on point, it can be a beautiful sight to behold.
Arguably the biggest question mark surrounding Stroud’s game will be whether or not he can produce at a high level without the ridiculous talent surrounding him at OSU.
Last season alone, Stroud had two receivers who will eventually be top 50 picks in all likelihood, one of which, Marvin Harrison Jr., is universally considered a generational talent.
Also, the Buckeyes quarterback had the luxury of being protected by two offensive tackles that will probably be top-40 picks in the very near future, as well as a center that should be picked by the end of Day 2 at the latest.
This is relatively worrisome for a few reasons. For starters, he will likely be a high draft choice, meaning the chances of joining an established offense right out of the gate are highly unlikely. Not to mention the fact that Stroud visibly struggled when he was under duress in 2022.
The talented young signal-caller completed fewer than 45 percent of his passes last season whenever he actually faced pressure.
Stroud will have to prove that he is capable of elevating an entire offense that will probably be surrounded with mostly inferior talent than what he’s used to.
Nonetheless, make no mistake about it, you only need one quick film session to see that he was a legitimate playmaking focal point of that offense and not just a beneficiary of the talent that was around him.
There is no doubt that the talented rookie is capable of being a plug-and-play starter upon his arrival, but more importantly, he possesses true star qualities that could blossom over the long haul.
He also owns the safest floor in the class. It’s hard to imagine someone with this type of surgical skill set not turning into a solid starting quarterback, at the very least.
Earlier this offseason, new Titans general manager, Ran Carthon, said he wanted a quarterback that is accurate and can throw with anticipation.
By his description, Stroud may be the perfect quarterback for Carthon to build around for the next decade.
To do so, it will likely take a monstrous trade into the top three, but if the Titans genuinely believe in the former Ohio State quarterback, then they should absolutely do everything in their power to get Stroud in Tennessee.
There is nothing more valuable in the modern-day NFL than a franchise quarterback on a rookie contract.
Yes, the team may be without a future first-rounder for a few years. However, that type of financial freedom undoubtedly allows you to surround your young quarterback with veteran talent so they won’t have to shoulder the entire load at such a young age.
And, considering how the Titans are just one season away from having a ridiculous amount of cap space at their disposal, this may be the perfect time to get a much-needed long-term solution at the most important position.
