Last year leading up to the NFL Draft, CJ Stroud's test scores were leaked. It caused some speculation that he may not be worth a top pick that year, but luckily for the Houston Texans, they didn't listen to that speculation. Now, skip ahead to 2024, an agency is asking prospects to not take any cognitive tests.

Athletes First, a popular agency for NFL players, is asking players to not take cognitive tests leading up to the Draft, according to Kalyn Kahler of The Athletic. All 32 teams were notified of the agency's decision.

“Athletes First is directing its NFL Draft prospects not to participate in any cognitive testing in the pre-draft evaluation process this year. One of the leading agencies representing NFL players, Athletes First emailed NFL teams last month to notify them of the decision.”

Furthermore, Athletes First did not specifically name drop CJ Stroud as the reason for this decision. However, the fact his test scores were leaked seems to be what the agency wants to avoid for the incoming prospects.

“Houston Texans quarterback CJ Stroud is not mentioned by name, but this new directive is a clear response to Stroud's experience last spring. In April, veteran NFL writer Bob McGinn, a former contributor to The Athletic, reported Stroud scored an 18 out of a possible 100 on the S2 test, one of several cognitive tests that NFL teams request players take in the pre-draft process.”

The cognitive tests rarely mean anything as they don't necessarily translate to the field. Scores are so volatile and there's no correlation between high scores and success in the NFL. So, it's not even clear how they help a team evaluate the incoming prospects.

This is another example of the league changing and it might be for the better. If more agency's make the same decision as Athletes First, then the NFL could make some changes for the Draft process. As of now, some prospects will likely still take the test, but it could be less than ever before.