When the Houston Texans selected CJ Stroud with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, they found their quarterback of the present and future. It didn't take long for Stroud to find his groove at the NFL level.

After the Texans Week 1 matchup against the Baltimore Ravens, Stroud understood what it would take to succeed in Houston. While his team might've lost 25-9, Stroud's first game in the league set him out for an eye-opening rookie season, via Pivot Podcast.

“I knew when I turned on the film and watched Roquan (Smith), Patrick Queen, watched Kyle Hamilton, 92 up front,” Stroud said. “I watched them and I'm like yeah they're probably the best defense in the league on paper and they proved it that day.”

“I still had a pretty decent game, especially for my first game and from that point on I'm like, ‘I'm just going to go out there and be myself,” Stroud continued. “I feel like that first game I was trying to feel it out, and that was a terrible mindset to have.”

Against the Ravens, Stroud threw for 242 scoreless yards. He took what he learned from Baltimore and parlayed it into 384 passing yards and two touchdowns against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 2. Between Week 3 and 4, against the Jacksonville Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers respectively, Stroud had 586 passing yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions.

And from there CJ Stroud was off. He led the Texans to the playoffs while throwing for a grand total of 4,108 yards, 25 touchdowns and five interceptions. He is widely expected to win Rookie of the Year.

The Texans have found their quarterback in Stroud. All it took was his first NFL matchup against the Ravens for the QB to kick it into hyper speed.