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CJ Stroud defends ability to analyze the game following negative pre-draft chatter
By Paul Harvey
Published:
CJ Stroud dealt with a campaign of negativity around his perceived draft stock heading up to the 2023 NFL Draft. Fortunately, teams weren’t bitting with the Houston Texans still opting to grab Stroud No. 2 overall when things kicked off.
The main thrust of the pre-draft chatter had to deal with a reported low score by Stroud on the S2 cognition test. At the end of the day, Stroud admitted in a conversation with Peter King on “Football Morning in America” that critics are going to critique but that doesn’t change the game tape he put on the field at Ohio State.
“A lot of people haven’t played the sport, and I mean critics are gonna critique,” Stroud told King per ProFootballTalk. “For me I know the film speaks for itself. Everything that I’ve done in college, I’ve been very consistent. I think I’ve been one of the most consistent players in college football for the last two years. If you turn on the tape, you can see, you can answer the questions. But those who don’t understand tape might want to go to other things and analyze other things. They’re more than welcome to do such. But the people who are making the choices and the picks, they knew what I can do. They understood the IQ that I do have.”
Stroud also said his memory is “great” as it relates to playing football while also defending a 3.0 GPA throughout high school and Ohio State. As far as processing information, Stroud noted his film shows how well he can move across his options when needed.
Either way, Stroud has landed with the Texans and has a shot to earn the starting job early in his NFL career.
Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.