2023 NFL Draft: Despite Loss, C.J. Stroud Played Well Versus Michigan

C.J. Stroud had his biggest resume game to date on Saturday, and did he do enough in his (likely) last start before the 2023 NFL Draft?

Every year, prospects get a couple “resume games”, often games against top competition to see how a prospect measures up, and if he can rise to the occasion. One of those for Buckeyes quarterback C.J. Stroud was “The Game” against the Michigan Wolverines, with the winner likely headed to a Big Ten title and College Football Playoff berth.

The potential top pick in the 2023 NFL Draft delivered a very solid performance, even in the 45-23 loss.

Stroud completed 31 of 48 passing for 349 yards and two touchdowns, but also threw two interceptions. On paper, it looks a bit up and down, but both picks were late in the game in desperation mode down multiple scores. One was an attempted shovel pass that his running back got a hand on, only to tip it to the nearest defender. The other was a deep ball just out of reach of Cade Stover, going off of his hand into the arms of a Michigan safety.

Moving past the picks, there was plenty of good. Stroud operated the quick passing game at a high level, as he often does, taking advantage of soft coverage and giving his receivers a chance to pick up chunk yardage after the catch. He led receivers back his way against tight coverage, giving them the ability to box out defenders.

On big money downs (third downs) we saw Stroud deliver on many occasions. On the first drive, he found Marvin Harrison Jr. on a deep shot on 3rd and one. He took advantage of man coverage in the red zone (along with a safety widening to the perimeter) and found Emeka Egbuka for a score. In the fourth quarter against middle of field open coverage, Stroud ripped one to Egbuka for 43 yards on 3rd and seven.

His touch and placement were impressive on the day as well. He found Harrison on two occasions on the drive to take a 20-17 lead, including the touchdown. The corner route beforehand was a big time throw, and his pass to Harrison for the touchdown was a great read with the safeties coming on a blitz.

Stroud has impressive feel in the pocket, and it showed against Michigan. His ability to climb while scanning the field is great, and he has a great feel for pressure. With pressure in his face, Stroud still had well-placed throws. One could argue a third down miss to his running back was affected by pressure, but the ball was catchable. Stroud also delivered on a huge play in the red zone, falling back and delivering to Cade Stover, a pass that was unfortunately broken up at the catch point.

This isn’t to say the game was perfect. He had a couple key misses, including on a fourth down early in the game. The pass was just out of reach of Stover, and landed incomplete. The same could be said about his second interception. A couple of wide misses that could be contributed to timing issues showed up as well.

Still, as good as Stroud is at operating within the pocket, it’s nice to have the escape plan in your back pocket. He had opportunities to run in this game and pick up chunk yardage, but he opted to remain in the pocket, committed to finding a receiver. At some point, he needs to understand that scrambling is often a net positive and can be a helpful ingredient in sustaining drives.

Overall, the game was a net positive for C.J. Stroud and should be viewed positively for the 2023 NFL Draft evaluations. Some will of course hang their hat on not winning the game, but it’s hard to feel like Stroud was the operator of a sinking ship. Embracing the idea of running will help, as will becoming a tick faster with his eyes consistently when working through the full field.