C.J. Stroud Reminds Former NFL Scout of Warren Moon

I don’t know how much stronger I can be about it, when it comes to Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud.

Comparing him to 2006 NFL Hall of Fame Inductee quarterback (QB) Warren Moon lets my thoughts and feelings be known. Go big or go home.

The game film writes the reports and for two straight seasons, this Buckeyes’ field general has struck me as someone well beyond his years.

Stroud navigates the pocket like a ten-year vet, and he reads defenses like one as well.

This bolds well for the next level.

Command of the pocket

This is the first thing that jumps off the screen on game film.

Stroud tends to work out of shotgun formation, and he demonstrates smooth ball handling. It’s like he has eyes in the back of his head, how he feels and evades pass rushers.

While he can move around and pick up a few yards here and there on his feet, make no mistake, the pocket is where Stroud does his best work.

The game is won or lost from the neck up

This is an old saying in the game, and it is so true.

As someone who interned with Hall of Fame Coach Tony Dungy back when he was the Defensive Coordinator of the Vikings, and was hired when Hall of Fame Coach Bill Parcells was with the Jets, one of the things that impresses me the most about Stroud, is how smart he looks on game film.

Stroud is sharp as a tack and he processes what he is seeing pre-snap and post-snap incredibly fast.

Time and time again, Stroud shows he knows what he is looking at pre-snap and has good blitz recognition. While he is inconsistent going through his progressions setting up, he can look off a defender lickety-split, redirect and release.

He can also hold defenders in likewise manner, which creates throwing lanes.

Stroud’s rapid processing makes for a seamless transition to a faster and more complex NFL.

Throwing the ball

This circles back to my top four questions on Stroud in the 2022 college football season in my article, “Former NFL Scout Calls C.J. Stroud “Generational Talent.”

One of these questions was how Stroud would respond after losing receivers Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, and tight-end Jeremy Ruckert?

He didn’t skip much of a beat.

This is critically important because when Stroud goes to a whole new team in the NFL, being able to adjust successfully to new personnel is crucial.

Stroud checked that box while still maintaining awesome numbers.

Throwing the ball under a microscope

Not only did he not miss much of a beat with new receivers, but his ball placement was looking good too.

My affectionate nickname for Stroud is “The Human Jugs Machine,” that’s the machine that fires out footballs for receivers to catch in practice.

Stroud aggressively keeps firing the ball downfield like he is plugged into an electrical outlet.

He does tend to place the ball high, which is a double-edged sword, because it leads to vulnerable tipped passes or harmless overthrows. However, this is something I want to stress…

Stroud puts the ball right in receiver’s hands more times than not, and when he misses, it’s not by much.

He puts receivers in a great position to run right through the grab, and pick up that much coveted yardage after the catch.

#7 C.J. Stroud 6-foot-3, 218 pounds

Daniel Kelly’s Final 2023 NFL Grade: First-Round (top-five and I would select him)

First Round Mock Big Board: TBD

Projected by 99.0% (up from 97.0% on August 30, 2022) of the NFL Draft Community to be a first-round pick as of January 19, 2023

2022 game film reviewed: Wisconsin, Penn State, and Iowa (click to view games watched to form this evaluation)

Level of competition: High

2021 stats: 317/441 (71.9%) 4,435 yards (avg. 10.1), 44 TD/6 INT, 13 sacks

2022 stats: 258/389 (66.3%) 3,688 yards (avg. 9.5), 41 TD/6 INT, 12 sacks

2023 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Athletic downfield-minded pocket passer who leads with a calm, but urgent tempo, and has accurate NFL arm strength. Demonstrated excellent ball handling skills, pocket poise, and has a knack for dictating play flow. Tends to see the field well. Makes relatively quick decisions, and he can hold and look off defenders. Pats the ball pre-delivery. Makes all the throws. Delivers an easy ball to catch. Lethal on short to intermediate slants. Pro-ready with high ceiling.

Final words

Stroud is a franchise quarterback.

Daniel Kelly is a former NFL Scout with the New York Jets. He was hired on the regime which featured Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Scott Pioli, Mike Tannenbaum, and Dick Haley. He currently writes for Sports Illustrated New York Jets and he is the Editor-in-Chief for First Round Mock. For more information about him visit his website at whateverittakesbook.com. He can be followed on Twitter @firstroundmock.