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CJ Stroud is at the start of the final month of his pre-NFL life and the countdown is on. While the NFL draft inches closer, pundits are trying to nail down what they see in him. Speaking on the "Herd with Colin Cowherd," NFL analyst Colin Cowherd compared him to an AFC West quarterback below the king of the division, Patrick Mahomes:
"It reminds me of Justin Herbert. I didn't know he could run until they played Wisconsin. I didn't think of C.J. as a runner until they played Georgia. But he really his natural innate game is sit, study, throw."
Fans of the college quarterback prospect can breathe a sigh of relief. Cowherd didn't compare him to Russell Wilson, who is coming off a four-win season. He also didn't compare him to Jimmy Garoppolo, whose injury concerns have arguably cast a shadow over his in-season accomplishments.
Will CJ Stroud outperform Justin Herbert in 2023 or 2024?
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Rather, he compared him to the quarterback who took his team to the playoffs for the first time last season. It was also the same quarterback who has thrown for at least 30 touchdowns in two of his first three seasons. Although the Chargers haven't seen the same level of success as the Kansas City Chiefs, Justin Herbert still gets plenty of praise around the league.
CJ Stroud's college production towers over Justin Herbert
According to Sports Reference, Justin Herbert threw for 61 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in his final two seasons in college. Meanwhile, Stroud threw for 85 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in that same span. Of course, Herbert played for four years, offering a larger sample size than Stroud's two starting seasons.
That said, in Herbert's first two starting seasons, he threw for 34 touchdowns and nine interceptions in 16 games. In the Ohio State quarterback's 25 games in his lone two starting seasons, he threw for more than double the number of touchdowns. In other words, the potential No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft is coming off a much more productive college career.
Will it be the same case in the pros?
If any of the above quotes are used, please credit the Herd with Colin Cowherd and H/T Sportskeeda.
