Comparison is the thief of joy. But this is the NFL, so we’re gonna do it anyway.
Exactly six months ago, the Carolina Panthers and the Houston Texans kicked off the 2023 draft. At the very top of the board would go University of Alabama quarterback Bryce Young followed by Ohio State University quarterback C.J. Stroud.
Since then, one team is flying relatively high while the other is pretty much as low as you can get. Nonetheless, the rookie passer who’s a part of the latter predicament said the inevitable comparisons between himself and his compadre don’t really matter to him.
“Whether it’s media or fans or people say—everyone’s obviously always gonna have an opinion,” Young said this past Wednesday. “That’s the beauty of sports. Everyone has a voice and everyone gets to talk, and I think everyone’s entitled to have opinions and comparisons. It’s always a part of the game. That’s not a me thing. It happens with everyone. So, that’s a part of it and it’s always gonna be a part of it.
“But for me, it’s not really something I focus on. It’s not really something I put energy into. Again, for me, I try to run my own race, be the best version of myself and focus on the things I can control. And I wish everyone well.”
Well, he’s not wrong. As much as he wants to run his own race, Young will always be running next to Stroud in some capacity.
So, as we enter the weekend of their first NFL showdown, let’s take a quick look at the “tale of the tape” between 2023’s No. 1 overall pick and 2023’s No. 2 overall pick:
| Bryce Young | C.J. Stroud | |
| 5 | Games | 6 |
| 0-5 | Record | 3-3 |
| 967 | Passing Yards | 1,660 |
| 193.4 | Yards Per Game | 276.7 |
| 5.3 | Yards Per Attempt | 7.8 |
| 6 | Passing Touchdowns | 9 |
| 4 | Interceptions | 1 |
| 78.7 | Passer Rating | 96.4 |
| 65 | Rushing Yards | 55 |
| 0 | Rushing Touchdowns | 0 |
| 8.7 | Total Expected Points Added | 20.9 |
| 51.0 | Pro Football Focus Offensive Grade | 73.3 |
