"Will be a fan whoever drafts you" - Fans speculate about where C.J. Stroud will land after declaring for NFL Draft

Modified Jan 16, 2023 18:05 GMT

C.J. Stroud at Ohio State v Northwestern

The NFL got a big new addition on Monday as quarterback C.J. Stroud announced that his college career is over. The Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback has declared for the 2023 NFL draft, leaving fans of quarterback-needy teams hoping to land him. Here's a look at what's being said:

C.J. Stroud's success with Ohio State has led him to be a top QB prospect in the 2023 NFL draft

C.J. Stroud's college career consisted of just two main seasons of action, but in those seasons, he shredded defenses. He didn't play in 2020 except for a brief appearance in one game. However, in 2021, he burst onto the scene. In 12 games of action, he completed 317 of 441 passes for 4,435 yards, 44 touchdowns, and six interceptions.

In 2022, Stroud proved that 2021 was not a fluke as he threw for 3,688 yards, 41 touchdowns and six interceptions in 13 games. A downtick in college production left some wondering if it was the start of a downward trend. But considering how good his statistics were the previous year, a regression is understandable.

Stroud's team finished 8-1 in the conference this year and reached the college football playoffs. The Buckeyes lost to eventual champions the Georgia Bulldogs. In 2021, Ohio State also finished 8-1 and came up just short behind Michigan in the conference race.

At 6'3" and 213 pounds, the quarterback will be tall enough to see over NFL linemen. He also won't be too tall, so won't create awkward throwing arcs when throwing to shorter receivers.

Some hope that he bulks up, but it isn't uncommon to see quarterbacks come into the league a little smaller than ideal. That said, the smaller a quarterback is, the more their longevity becomes a danger.

As it stands, Stroud is shaping up to be a first-round prospect at first glance. Some of the teams in the running could be the Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Las Vegas Raiders and the Carolina Panthers. Based on the level of hype surrounding Stroud, if more than four teams pass on him, it will be a surprise.

About the author

Ian brings with him more than 6.5 years of sports writing experience to the Sportskeeda NFL team. He played offensive line in middle school and high school, and also made it to the top 0% matchmaking ranking in MUT play in Madden.

He possesses the quality of identifying unique story angles from quotes in press conferences, social media and interviews. He assimilates facts for his stories with a lawyer-like precision and verifies each and every piece of information.

Ian admires Peyton Manning for his ability to beat teams with his mind despite not being the best athlete, and is also a fan of Tom Brady. The Denver Broncos are his favorite team, and their Super Bowl 50 win in Manning’s last game is etched in his memory forever. Bill Belichick is his all-time favorite coach.

He has also grown to admire the Los Angeles Rams mainly because he and Cooper Kupp went to the same college, Eastern Washington University, with both finishing their college careers at the same time.

In his career so far, Ian has had the privilege of exclusively interviewing Los Angeles Rams General Manager Les Snead, Kwity Paye of the Indianpolis Colts and Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jamari Thrash. When not writing, he likes to play video games and be outdoors.

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