NGT- CJ Stroud

[MightyGiants]

1. Rookie C.J. Stroud is already one of the NFL's best quarterbacks

It's crazy to think that just seven months ago, there were draft pundits so consumed by reports that C.J. Stroud tested poorly on the S2 cognition test that they convinced themselves the former Ohio State star, who'd go No. 2 overall to the Texans, wouldn't live up to the hype as a top draft pick.


Not only is Stroud on pace to have one of the best rookie quarterback seasons ever, but he already looks like one of the NFL's best signal-callers, regardless of experience. I think his performance Sunday to lead his Texans to a thrilling victory over the Buccaneers — 450 passing yards, a single-game NFL record for a rookie, and a career-high five touchdowns plus a game-winning drive in a contest that saw five lead changes — cemented that status. In just eight games, we've seen that he's the rare breed of quarterback who can put a team on his shoulders.



Pending the results of Monday Night Football, Stroud ranks first among qualified quarterbacks in interception rate, third in yards per attempt, fourth in passer rating, sixth in EPA per dropback and seventh in passing yards and touchdowns. All the more impressive is that he's doing this with what on paper looks like a relatively average supporting cast (that's been playing fantastic football). How much better does Stroud start to look when Houston adds another game-breaking wide receiver? Or establishes a competent run game?

The Texans were desperate for a franchise quarterback after the trade (and fall from grace) of Deshaun Watson. They found one relatively quickly in Stroud, who has the talent to keep Houston in contention for a decade-plus. —Ben Arthur

https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/nfl-midseason-review-14-things-weve-learned-this-season-including-c-j-strouds-ascent

[Gmo11]

This is exhibit A as to why the Giants should and likely will draft a QB in April.  You get the right guy and things can turn around almost immediately.  The Giants may well have a better overall roster than the Texans. You put a QB like that on this roster and they might actually be a real playoff team!

[Bob In PA]

It's crazy to think that just seven months ago, there were draft pundits so consumed by reports that C.J. Stroud tested poorly on the S2 cognition test that they convinced themselves the former Ohio State star, who'd go No. 2 overall to the Texans, wouldn't live up to the hype as a top draft pick.

Rich: The key words in your post are Ohio State. 

I'm starting to believe that even more weight should be given to the school from which the QB comes. This was always true but nowadays the best college teams are essentially minor-league NFL teams.

IMO there are not many outstanding college coaches. Some guys seem to be, but they are IMO riding on the backs of their teams' past (and boosters, maybe) to coerce the very best players to choose their schools. 

That's true for Ohio State and Michigan as well, but they have something most colleges don't have: top-to-bottom excellent coaching staffs. That is why they're so hard to beat every year, IMO.

Bob

[MightyGiants]

Rich: The key words in your post are Ohio State. 

I'm starting to believe that even more weight should be given to the school from which the QB comes. This was always true but nowadays the best college teams are essentially minor-league NFL teams.

IMO there are not many outstanding college coaches. Some guys seem to be, but they are IMO riding on the backs of their teams' past (and boosters, maybe) to coerce the very best players to choose their schools. 

That's true for Ohio State and Michigan as well, but they have something most colleges don't have: top-to-bottom excellent coaching staffs. That is why they're so hard to beat every year, IMO.

Bob

It's funny.   Some are saying Stroud will hopefully end helmet scouting.  I understood that some ding QBs from Ohio State due to their success rate in the NFL.

[Gmo11]

It's funny.   Some are saying Stroud will hopefully end helmet scouting.  I understood that some ding QBs from Ohio State due to their success rate in the NFL.

More times than I can count I read people saying "Well he's from Ohio State so look at all the Ohio State QBs that have flopped therefore he must not be any good". Baffles me.  Those QBs have nothing to do with THIS QB.  Forget the helmet and focus on the player.  Is he good or not?  Stroud was excellent last year, and this year Caleb Williams should be the #1 pick regardless of the fact that USC hasn't had a great track record with QBs.

[PSUBeirut]

Yeah it's always interesting to look at...especially when you consider Joe Burrow was at OSU too....and he's not all that shabby. 

[DaveBrown74]

I don't subscribe to the view that a given school cannot under any circumstances produce a high quality player of a specific position, but I don't think the trends are meaningless either. Some schools are better at recruiting and developing certain positions than others. Some schools run offensive and defensive systems that suit certain positions as they develop into NFL players. These trends can also change over time. Again I have never been of the view that an NFL front office should avoid a player they might otherwise like completely out of hand because he happens to go to a certain school, but I do think some schools are particularly good at producing certain positions, and I don't think that's totally random.

[Jclayton92]

I don't think people knocked Strouds throwing ability it's just hard to judge a qb talent with 6 generational talents at Wr. I mean the guy had 6 top 10 picks at wr and wasn't mobile. I think that's why there were questions surrounding him.

[DaveBrown74]

I don't think people knocked Strouds throwing ability it's just hard to judge a qb talent with 6 generational talents at Wr. I mean the guy had 6 top 10 picks at wr and wasn't mobile. I think that's why there were questions surrounding him.

Agreed.

Burrow was in a similar situation at LSU, but he converted that into a national title in resounding fashion. Stroud had some success at OSU and was clearly good, but he didn't have that caliber of success despite playing with people like Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, Trevyon Henderson, and Marvin Harrison Jr. I think that's part of why he wasn't seen by most people as a clear lock to be a stud pro.

[Dgoodmantrublu]

Stroud's game against an amazing Georgia defense was enough for me. He was unreal against the very best college has to offer.

[Ed Vette]

Not everyone here was on the Bryce Young bandwagon. Some people saw the talent in Stroud. Still, let's not put him in the HOF just yet.

[Woody]

In words of Parcells.   The guy has only played a couple of games.    Let's not put him on HOF yet


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[Dgoodmantrublu]

You don't have to put him in the HOF. But he's a good example of how a rookie QB can completely change the trajectory of a franchise.

[AYM]

More times than I can count I read people saying "Well he's from Ohio State so look at all the Ohio State QBs that have flopped therefore he must not be any good". Baffles me.  Those QBs have nothing to do with THIS QB.  Forget the helmet and focus on the player.  Is he good or not?  Stroud was excellent last year, and this year Caleb Williams should be the #1 pick regardless of the fact that USC hasn't had a great track record with QBs.

This will be interesting to consider if somehow this team ends up over the next year or two in position to draft Riley Leonard.

[jgrangers2]

Stroud's game against an amazing Georgia defense was enough for me. He was unreal against the very best college has to offer.

Saw somebody on Twitter earlier today talking about how Stroud's tape through most of the season didn't really stand out and then his game against Georgia was some of the best play a college QB has ever put on tape. He's looked a heck of a lot like the QB in that Georgia game this season.