Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud figures to be one of the very first players called to the stage in Kansas City in the 2023 NFL draft on Thursday night. Stroud could go as high as No. 2 overall via a trade.
One of the reasons for uncertainty surrounding Stroud and his draft stock is the result of an alleged poor result on the S2 cognition test. It’s a test designed to gauge decision-making under pressure and mental processing ability. Leaked, unverified results placed Stroud’s testing in the 18th percentile.
Stroud defended himself in a press conference from the draft on Wednesday.
“I’m not a test taker, I play football,” Stroud said. “At the end of the day, I don’t got nothing to prove to nobody, so I’m not gonna sit here and explain how I process football. The people who are making the picks know what I can do, so that’s all that matters to me. There’s a whole bunch of people who know how to coach better, know how to play quarterback better, know how to do everything on social media better. But the man in the arena, that’s what’s tough, stepping into the arena, 10 toes, and I’m gonna stand on that.”
Stroud continued to downplay the significance of the testing.
“I know what I can do, I know I can process well,” Stroud declared. “I know if I’m not the smartest quarterback in this draft, I’m one of the smartest quarterbacks in the NFL when I step in there. I have that confidence in myself. And I don’t think you can play at Ohio State and not be smart. I don’t got nothing to prove to nobody, man. At the end of the day, if you don’t trust and believe in me, all I can tell you is, watch this.”
