The top two quarterbacks in the NFL Draft are Bryce Young of Alabama and CJ Stroud of Ohio State. While many of the mock drafts and assessments feature Young as the better prospect, Stroud may very well have the best future at the NFL level
The Buckeye quarterback has a powerful arm with excellent accuracy, and he certainly looks the part at 6-3 and 218 pounds. He threw for 4,424 yards and completed 71.6 percent of his passes during the 2021 season, and he opened the eyes of NFL scouts with his 44-4 TD-interception ratio while earning a QB rating of 130.8.
The Ohio State offense certainly took off under his leadership, averaging 561.2 yards per game, which was the best in the nation.
The numbers weren't quite as prolific in 2022 as he threw for 3,684 yards and his completion percentage was 65.9 percent. Stroud had a 41-6 TD-interception ratio and he led the nation in pass efficiency with a rating of 177.7.
Overall assessment
Stroud looks like he has a chance to be the best quarterback to come out of this draft. He is not as athletic as his predecessor at Ohio State in Justin Fields, but he may be a better passer.
Stroud got quite a bit of time from his offensive line to find open receivers, and he did that as well as anybody. He has magnificent arm talent, which allows him to deliver the ball in stride to his receivers and away from defensive backs when they face tight coverage.
He has excellent command of the offense as well. He understands which plays are best for his team as well as those that can take advantage of a weakness in the defense.
He is not a great runner, but when he had to make plays with his feet in the College Football Playoff against Georgia, he was more than up to the task. That may suggest he will be athletic enough to get away from the pass rush in the NFL when protection breaks down.
Answering a key question
When Ohio State lost its second consecutive game to archrival Michigan in November, there were questions about Stroud's ability as a big-game performer.
He answered those questions with authority against Georgia in the CFP. While Ohio State dropped a narrow 42-41 decision — a missed field goal on the final play of the game cost the Buckeyes a chance to play in the title game — Stroud was simply brilliant against the best defense in the nation.
He completed 23 of 34 passes for 348 yards with 4 touchdowns and no interceptions. He was under pressure much of the game, but he was able to get away from the rush at key moments. He also ran for 70 yards, something that may have surprised NFL observers.
Draft position
The Chicago Bears have the No. 1 pick in the draft, and it seems likely that they will trade that pick to a team that has a desperate need for a quarterback — unless they come to the conclusion that Fields is not their guy. Remember, general manager Ryan Poles was not in charge of the Bears when Fields was drafted. Could he trade Fields and use the No. 1 pick to draft Young or Stroud?
It does seem likely that both quarterbacks will be selected in the top 5. Stroud's brilliant performance against Georgia answered a lot of key questions and should help make him one of the stars of this year's draft.
The prediction is that CJ Stroud is drafted with the No. 2 pick by the Houston Texans and new head coach DeMeco Ryans.
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