Concerns about C.J. Stroud are piling up as the 2023 NFL Draft approaches.
First, Fox Sports’ Brady Quinn claimed the former Ohio State Buckeye quarterback skipped out on a commitment to the Manning Passing Academy.
Now, some league executives are calling Stroud a potential bust after Bob McGinn of Go Long released purported S2 test scores, a cognitive test for quarterbacks going into the draft, for this year’s class.
“Stroud scored 18 [percentile]. That is like red alert, red alert, you can’t take a guy like that,” one NFL executive told McGinn, a former Green Bay Packers beat writer. “That is why I have Stroud as a bust. That in conjunction with the fact, name one Ohio State quarterback that’s ever done it in the league.”
Bryce Young, the likely No. 1 overall pick, posted a 98 S2 score, according to McGinn, which is one of the highest in recent history.
Fellow potential top-ten picks Will Levis (93) and Anthony Richardson (79) posted solid scores as well, but Stroud was well behind his peers, according to the report.
“If you get a high score as a quarterback it’s not saying you’re going to be a great player,” another executive told McGinn. “But if you get a low score, it’s 100% — none of the quarterbacks that got a low score became good players. The benchmark is 80. Eighty and above is good. Stroud was 18. It’s incredibly terrible. He’s going to be off boards. He will not be picked by those teams.”
C. J. Stroud USA TODAY Sports
At times this spring, Stroud was favored to go first overall before Young overtook him on oddsmakers’ boards.
Despite recent concerns, most experts see Stroud, a two-time Heisman Trophy finalist while at Ohio State, as a likely top-five pick in the draft.
C.J. Stroud Getty Images
The 2023 NFL Draft starts Thursday, April 27.