QB, Ohio State
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 218 lbs
Class: rs-Sophomore
As a four-star recruit and the No. 2 pro-style quarterback in the 2020 class, Stroud wasn’t short of offers. He garnered interest from the likes of USC and Georgia but decided instead to make the move to Columbus. After redshirting his freshman season, Stroud won the starting job after Justin Fields’ departure to the NFL.
He had a somewhat slow start to the 2021 season, before growing into the starting role. Stroud finished the season as a Heisman Trophy finalist and a slew of honours. This included a First Team All-Big Ten nod, as well as being selected as the conference’s best freshman and best offensive player.
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Strengths
Arm talent is the first thing you look for in a quarterback prospect and Stroud ticks that box. He showcases outstanding arm strength, with the ability to work every level of the field effectively. He is able to deliver the football with plenty of zip, allowing him to make far hash and tight window throws consistently. Stroud also showcases one of the best deep balls in the class, with his 18 deep touchdowns in 2021 ranking third in the country.
He pairs this arm strength with high level accuracy. Stroud is extremely accurate as a passer, showing the ability to deliver the ball to the right place consistently. His understanding of how and when to vary touch to maximise opportunities for his receivers is outstanding. He also knows how to vary placement to maximise YAC opportunities or to shield his receiver from an oncoming defender. In 2021, Stroud logged an adjusted completion percentage of 79%, which ranked seventh in the FBS.
Another strength to Stroud’s game is his processing ability. Ohio State operate a large amount of true dropback passing concepts, asking Stroud to get through his progressions effectively. Despite his relatively short time as a starter in college he already looks comfortable executing these responsibilities and working through his reads. He is also very considered and careful when it comes to his decision making and you rarely see him put the ball in harm’s way. Since becoming a starter, he has logged a turnover-worthy play rate of just 2.6%.
Stroud is also effective when working outside of structure. He does an excellent job of keeping his eyes downfield when plays break down and is always looking to find an open receiver. He also shows the ability to deliver the ball effectively from a variety of arm angles and does not need to set his feet to deliver great throws. Ohio State had a tonne of success using Stroud on designed rollouts and this will lend itself well to success at the NFL level.
Weaknesses
There are no glaring weaknesses to Stroud’s game at present, though there is certainly room for improvement. Chief amongst these is his ability to handle interior pressure. He does have a bad tendency to panic when defenses collapse the inside of the pocket and will often ignore opportunities to escape in favour of throwing off his back foot. Whilst Stroud is not an elite athlete, he does have enough mobility to pick up yardage with his legs. You just wish he took more advantage of these opportunities.
There are also some broader issues with his lower body mechanics. Stroud has a tendency to lock his front leg when releasing the football. This happens a lot when he is working in a congested pocket. There were a number of times on tape when his poor technique resulted in errant ball placement and that will need fixing at the NFL level.
Bottom Line
Stroud offers the combination of arm strength and accuracy that all great quarterbacks possess. The fact that he combines this with the ability to read and process coverage in a timely manner is all the more impressive. If he can improve his ability to handle interior pressure and tidy up his lower body mechanics, he can develop into a high-quality NFL starter.
Ideal role: Pass-heavy spread offense
Round projection: 1st round
