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2023 4MR Draft Profiles

C.J. Stroud 4MR Draft Profile

2023 4MR Draft Profiles

C.J. Stroud (Quarterback #7)

6’3  214 lbs 

21 y/o Junior Ohio State University

(Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports)

Games watched: vs UGA (‘22); vs ND (‘22); vs IOWA (‘22); vs WISC (‘22); 

vs TUL (‘21); vs UTAH (‘21)

Summary:

C.J. Stroud hails from Inland Empire, California, where he attended Rancho Cucamonga High School and graduated in 2020. In his recruitment class, he was a top 50 prospect in the nation and 4th ranked in California. After receiving offers from Georgia, Michigan, Baylor, and Boise State, Stroud committed to Ohio State University in December 2019.

Coaches designated Stroud as a redshirt player as a true freshman. In 2021, Stroud played in 12 games, where he threw for 4,435 yards, 44 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions. Following a stellar year, he was named a Heisman Trophy finalist and eventually finished 4th in the voting. Stroud would receive Thompson-Randle El Freshman of the Year and First-team All-Big Ten recognitions.

As a redshirt Sophomore in the 2022 season, Stroud threw for 3,688 yards, 41 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions. Once again, he would be named a Heisman finalist but finish 3rd in the voting.

Stroud would become the first QB in Big Ten history to pass for over 30 touchdowns in back-to-back seasons. After deliberation, Stroud decided to forgo the final 3 seasons of his eligibility and declare for the NFL Draft.

 

Strengths:

  • Good Velocity
  • Throws with touch
  • Placement & Accuracy
  • Deep ball
  • Threat to all 3 levels of the field
  • Flashed movement skills in and out of the pocket
  • Flashes eye manipulation

Weaknesses:

  • Creation off-script
  • Can have spells of indecisive play
  • vs. pressure
  • Streaky thrower
  • Not elite in terms of arm strength

 

Conclusion:

C.J. Stroud is a highly talented thrower of the football. He has one of the prettiest deep balls in the class, with the ability to drop it in the bucket along the boundary. He also has the ability to exploit the intermediate portions of the field with timing and touch.

Mechanically, he generates natural velocity from a solid base. The team used him more than one would think on the run with Play-action rollouts and boots. When he is in a rhythm, not many can throw a better, more well-placed football than Stroud.

Many will say Stroud is not an excellent athlete, and that would be correct. However, he can make defenses pay for not accounting for his legs.

Many will claim that the Georgia Bowl game answers to Stroud’s reservations, but that game seemed to be an outlier. Stroud must improve at becoming more decisive. He did have moments where he locked on to a read too long.

Stroud would sometimes feel or see the pass rush too late to react. NFL coaching can help him stay on track and improve that internal clock.

As a rhythmic thrower, Stroud would benefit from a system where the offense allows him to build momentum. The game at the next level may need to slow down for him, so he may not be a good option for every team to start immediately. However, if given a patient OC who is willing to build around his strengths and teach on the fly, he is talented enough as a thrower to start.

 

The 4-1-1:

“When in rhythm, he’s surgical with pinpoint accuracy. Think of Klay Thompson for the Golden State Warriors.”

– Will; @4ourmanrush

“Stroud is a pop-warner quarterback in a grown man’s body. He’s not going to go through progressions or improvise. He’s literally throwing the ball to who the coach tells him to throw to. Plus, he from Rancho Cucamonga, California…He soft.”

– Smoove; @4mr_smoove

“I like his ball placement in the tightest of windows. I still question his accuracy on the move and on rollouts.”

– Kevin; @4mr_kountrykev

“He’s a taller QB, but he just isn’t Bryce Young”

– Norris; @norris4mr

 

Best Game vs Worst Game:

 

Overall Grade: 5.95 (Starter by end of Preseason/Game 3)

Filed Under: 2023 4MR Draft Profiles

Bryce Young 4MR Draft Profile

2023 4MR Draft Profiles, 2023 4MR Draft Profiles

Bryce Young (Quarterback #9)

5’10 195 lbs
21 y/o Junior Alabama

(Gary Cosby Jr./USA TODAY Sports)

Games watched: vs LSU (‘22); vs UGA (‘21); vs KSU (‘22); vs USU (‘22); vs MISS (‘22); vs AUB (‘22)

Summary:

Bryce Young is from Pasadena, California, where he attended Mater Dei High School. As a recruit, Young was a highly-touted 5-star player, the 2nd-ranked prospect in the nation, and the first-rated dual-threat QB. Young committed to the University of Alabama in September 2019.

As a true freshman, Young spent time behind eventual first-round NFL draft pick Mac Jones. He appeared in 7 games and threw for one touchdown.

In 2021, Bryce Young became the starter for the Crimson Tide and exploded onto the scene. He threw for over 4,800 yards, 47 touchdowns, 7 interceptions, and contributed three additional scores on the ground. His performance earned him many post-season awards and accolades, including winning the Heisman Trophy. He is just the 7th underclassman in history to win the award.

In 2022, Bryce Young threw for 3,328 yards, 32 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions, adding 4 scores as a rusher. With his production, he became the only QB in Alabama history to pass for over 3,000 yards in multiple seasons. Young was also named a first-team All-American by the Associated Press and PFF.

Young declared for the 2023 NFL Draft on January 3rd, 2023.

Strengths:

  • Excellent football IQ
  • Does an excellent job staying on schedule
  • Very good off-script and throwing on the move
  • Above average athlete
  • Adequate NFL arm and velocity
  • Very rarely puts the ball in danger
  • Vision of a quintessential point guard
  • Great at manipulating arm angles
  • Finds a good platform and throwing lanes consistently

Weaknesses:

  • Desire to make every play
  • Doesn’t have elite arm strength
  • Can abandon clean pockets

Conclusion:

The polarizing part of Young’s evaluations in the media and some draft rooms in the league will undoubtedly be his size (height and weight). However, the tape does not show those areas as legitimate concerns. He does an excellent job maneuvering himself into the best position to make a play, and with good velocity and a variety of arm angles, there are not many dark areas on the field for Young.

Bryce Young is the most polished QB in the class. The feel in the pocket, timing, and ability off-script makes him the most likely to succeed by a healthy margin. Factor in his work ethic and desire to get better, and the ceiling is sky-high for him.

He rarely finds himself not in control snap to snap and shows maturity beyond his years on and off the field. He is at his very best in the 4th Quarter and had among the best 3rd down execution in the country at the QB position.

His desire to make every play is an asset on most snaps, but he would be better off letting plays die in certain scenarios rather than forcing the issue.

There will be an adjustment period to the speed of the game, and the level of his success will depend on what team he ends up on. Young will be able to take over day-1 for a QB-needy team.

The 4-1-1:

“Bryce remains calm during the big-time moments in the game. His deep ball can come out flat at times”

–Kevin Avery; @4MR_KountryKev

“He’s the best QB in a bad QB draft. He’s got dawg in him and doesn’t waiver in big moments. The whole class benefits from how bad the last QB class was, and Bryce is little as hell. You can’t protect a guy from every hit, and he’s on the same field as athletically freakish guys like Aaron Donald — If he gets hit one time, Andy Dalton could be your starter for the rest of the year.”

-Smoove; @4mr_Smoove

Best Game vs. Worst Game:

Overall Grade: 6.5 (Day-1 Starter)

Filed Under: 2023 4MR Draft Profiles, 2023 4MR Draft Profiles

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