For several months in the pre-draft process, two quarterbacks have been the focal point of conversations across the NFL.
Bryce Young is still seen as the consensus No. 1 overall pick.
C.J. Stroud, on the other hand, has been subject to scrutiny as of late and is no longer a lock to be drafted No. 2 overall.
Despite the recent discrepancy with Stroud, James Palmer of the NFL Network highlighted a few positive aspects of his game.
C.J. Stroud threw what PFF designates a “perfectly-placed pass” on 26.7% of his attempts in 2021 and 2022, the highest of any player in the FBS.
– His 2,158 yards and 30 touchdowns on deep passes (20+ air yards, per PFF) ranked 2nd in the Power 5 over the 2021-22 seasons.— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) April 27, 2023
As Palmer indicated, Stroud had “perfectly-placed” passes on 26.7% of throws last year, in data that was collected by PFF.
He also was the second-highest-rated passer among Power 5 quarterbacks in the last two years, given his deep ball accuracy.
Stroud has shown that he can play well under pressure and has no problem throwing the deep ball.
With this in mind, why has Stroud fallen so significantly over the past several weeks?
There are several theories to this, each with varying degrees of merit.
One theory could simply be a lack of need for the position.
The Houston Texans, for example, were initially said to need a quarterback, but recent reporting from the team has indicated otherwise.
This could be a tactic, not letting teams around the league be privy to their pre-draft process.
Another theory is that teams are very high on Young, and have just discounted Stroud, given their grade on Young.
Whatever the case, Stroud won’t have to wait long to find out what teams truly think of him, as the draft is almost here.
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Fans React To Mel Kiper’s Final NFL Draft Prediction
