If there’s one place scouts flock to every year, it’s Columbus. This year, QB CJ Stroud headlined OSU’s Pro Day event by raising his draft stock ten fold
COLUMBUS, Ohio– If there was ever a pressing question in recent NFL history, it’s who gets picked first overall in this year’s NFL Draft. With the Carolina Panthers holding the number one overall pick by way of a trade with the Chicago Bears, it’s clear-cut that they’re looking for a quarterback.
It’s been implied that Matt Corral isn’t the solution, and they traded big to claim the the number one spot, this is an opportunity that changes the trajectory of a franchise if not the entire league as a whole. Four quarterbacks are in the running de facto, based off incoming rankings and skill sets that the Panthers and teams have wanted. Almost all four will go sometime in the top 20. CJ Stroud’s performance at Ohio State’s pro day might have been his autograph on a masterful college career and an act that has shot his draft stock to a level that mimics Dogecoin back in 2021.
All in all, Stroud threw around 60 passes, with us counting two drops and five incompletions when all was said and done. CJ Stroud flashed spurts of brilliance, far overshadowing the five incompletions he suffered throughout the day. The quarterback went through an array of situations and positions, showcasing deep balls on off-platform throws to bootleg play actions. The football sifted elegantly through the soundwaves of Meek Mill and Lil Baby at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center in Columbus, completing passes to expected first-round pick Jaxon Smith-Njigba and upcoming prospect Marvin Harrison Jr– who’s already started making waves around the NFL.
Stroud showed off his arm all day, launching balls from his right-handed cannon in a way that emulated Brett Favre’s very own gunslinger style. Stroud, however brings a running aspect to the table. Although Stroud didn’t run along with the others during the 40-yard dash section of the event, he did show off his elusiveness with a simulated pass rush in the form of a staffer and proved to scouts that he could throw on the run.
While not on the level of Anthony Richardson, Stroud’s mobility has gotten the Panthers’ attention– the team who holds the key to the 2023 draft. Carolina has reportedly grown smitten with Stroud, and the team built off that hype by sending a small militia of 11 personnel to do their “due diligence” on Stroud before making their way to Gainesville to watch Richardson sling the ball.
The high brass in Charlotte also made the trip to the Buckeye State, taking Stroud out to dinner in a wine and dine fashion the day before the event. Owner David Tepper also had a conversation with Stroud.
“I appreciate them coming out and spending time with me. It definitely meant a lot,” Stroud said during his post-workout NFL+ interview. “Definitely had a great conversation. Didn’t talk Xs and Os, just really talked about not only just who I was as a person, but my faith and some of the things I want to do with working with (non-profit organization) REFORM Alliance, some of the things I’m doing off the field that I want to continue to do to help other people, to inspire others. That’s one of my biggest goals.
“So, I mean, they’re really on board with everything. We’ll see what happens. It’s not in my control. I can just let God do his thing and do what I do on the field.”
Panthers newly-hired head coach Frank Reich says the team is just trying to preliminary evaluations and do their complete analysis of players while holding the information they have tight to their chest.
“That’s the thing when you have the No. 1 pick, we don’t have to play games,” Reich told reporters. “It’s not like we’re trying to fool anybody. What we’re trying to do is take all the time we can on the evaluation.”
“I think they all have really good traits. I’m excited about all of them. I do believe all four (Stroud, Richardson, Levis, & Young) of these guys will make an impact in this league.”
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The 21-year old built on his already stellar performance at the combine by putting together a master class that looked surgical, clean, and well executed. While we didn’t get to see all of Stroud’s abilities, he did enough to make any team feel confident in solidifying his position within their war room. Scouts at the event reported that he made very few mistakes, physical or mental, and showed a level of poise one would expect from a seasoned NFL veteran.
He did this under the roof of one of college football’s most distinguished and decorated programs along with over 130 NFL staff and executives in attendance. All 32 NFL clubs were present, adding to the level of hype that surrounds Stroud– just the way he likes it.
“It’s as good of a workout as I’ve seen,” Ohio State head coach Ryan Day said. “Whether I was coaching in the NFL or now in last couple years here at Ohio State. It even goes back to when I was at Boston College, we had Matt Ryan and he had a great workout. But this is as good as I’ve seen. I just thought the ball came out with pace, he wasn’t uptight, he was loose, he was letting it rip. And the ball came out down the field really well as well, shots down the field. So I thought it was really well done.”
Stroud exemplified the fundamentals, focusing on things that are simple and will get him far in the league. A compact, quick fire of the arm is unlike some of the big-arm long-haul stretchers that this QB class holds, a big plus for a team that values modernity and an RPO-based offense.
Albeit, his day wasn’t perfect. Stroud missed on five incompletions and even on the passes he did complete. Below is a clip of CJ Stroud underthrowing a ball to Marvin Harrison which with a defensive back in a trail position might be going the other way.
Stroud’s performance was still good enough to garner the oohs and ahhs from the crowd as the way he made throwing the ball look effortless captured the notepads of some of the NFL’s upper echelon. The Panthers are vying for Stroud, with him well up on the draft board. Bryce Young and Anthony Richardson look like Carolina’s other targets, if that goes well.
David Tepper can’t afford to go wrong on this pick, the Panthers have given up too much. While Tepper practices insouciance, inside it’s a tough decision that will make or break an NFL franchise that had a Super Bowl appearance in 2015. Eight years later and the football world looks vastly different with the Panthers looking for their next Cam Newton.
If Stroud was low on any team’s draft board, his value and stock shot up right after the conclusion of OSU’s Pro Day. Nearly everyone in there came out with a higher valuation on the quarterback than what they came in with. Some teams are still wary however of basing a decision off of shorts and t-shirts in an enclosed field.
The cynicism rises from BYU quarterback Zach Wilson’s Pro Day performance in 2021, where he took the world by storm only for him to be benched and have an abysmal 2022 season in where he refused to take responsibility for his missteps. However, with Stroud, he’s had a proven track record of being one of college football’s finest– a Heisman finalist this past season, and a College Football Playoff semifinalist.
CJ Stroud has consistently been one of the nation’s best quarterback, and his value just got higher. When asked if he earned the number one overall pick with his performance, “that’s not my job. My job is to go out here and do the best I can as myself. I’m competing against myself every day to be the best version of myself, like coach Day always taught us to do. Whatever happens, happens. It’s not in my control, so there’s no reason to stress.”
