Rookie Scouting Profile: C.J. Stroud

FullTime Fantasy Rookie Scouting Profile: C.J. Stroud (QB)

C.J. Stroud (QB) Ohio State

Height	Weight	40-Time	DOB	NFL Draft	Dynasty ADP	NFL Comp
6-3	214	4.74	10/03/2001	Top-5	1.12	Justin Herbert

College Production

C.J. Stroud was a highly-coveted national prospect out of Rancho Cucamonga, California who signed with Ohio State to learn behind Justin Fields. Stroud red-shirted in 2020 and took over as the Buckeyes’ starter in 2021. That season, he guided Ohio State to the No. 1 offense ranking in the NCAA (45.7 points per game). Stroud passed for 4,435 yards, and 44 touchdowns en route to Big Ten Player of the Year, Thompson Randle-El Freshman of the Year, and Quarterback of the Year accolades. He also was a finalist for the 2021 Heisman Trophy- an honor he would repeat in 2022 after compiling 3,688 passing yards, 41 TD strikes, and ranking second in FBS in QB Rating.

Strengths

• Extremely accurate pocket passer with a field general mentality. Unbothered by pressure and adept at standing in the pocket, going through progressions, and delivering pinpoint throws anywhere on the field.

• Powerful throwing arm. Adept at leading receivers open. Also has the accuracy to challenge defenders short, over the middle, and on deep outs.

• Led all of NCAA with a 125.0 NFL QB Rating in 2022.

• Excellent size and frame.

• “Pro ready.” Stroud should step in and be a solid franchise signal caller from Day One.

• Although rushing wasn’t a large part of Stroud’s game, he flashed plus athleticism while accumulating 382 total yards and four scores in Ohio State’s 42-41 playoff loss to eventual national champ Georgia.

CJ Stroud percentile ranks among all QBs since 2005

Comp % – 97th percentile
TD/INT ratio – 99th percentile
Total Yds/GM – 98th percentile
Total TDs/GM – 99th percentile

*min 100 career passes

— Curtis Patrick 🥇 (@CPatrickNFL) March 8, 2023

Areas for Improvement

• May need to learn to improvise and escape the pocket more rather than continue to look downfield when receivers are blanketed.

• Scheme and elite supporting cast at Ohio State set Stroud up for his phenomenal production. This won’t be the case being drafted by a bottom-5 NFL roster.

• Willingness to weather duress and force the ball downfield will lead to interceptions.

• Only ranked 59th with a 72.7% adjusted completion rate per PFF.

Fantasy Outlook

It is widely believed that C.J. Stroud will be a top-2 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Anyone who watched his highlights knows that Stroud is a poised leader with a strong arm and very good accuracy. However, the lack of NFL success for Ohio State signal callers and the fact that Stroud was surrounded by one of the deepest and most talented supporting casts in college football has some fans wary.

Although he doesn’t run a ton, Stroud is a solid athlete and checks all the boxes to succeed in the NFL. He has all the tools to be a quality franchise passer and should be viewed as a solid QB2 in start-ups and redraft. In rookie-only drafts, expect Stroud to go near the 1-2 turn, or with a top-3 price in Superflex formats.