Getty Former Ohio State QB C.J. Stroud.
The Las Vegas Raiders are taking a close look at all of the draft’s top quarterbacks at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine. Armed with the No. 7 overall pick and a big need at the position, the team is going to meet with many of the top prospects. If the Raiders are planning to use their first-round pick on a quarterback, there are only four realistic candidates: Alabama’s Bryce Young, Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud, Kentucky’s Will Levis and Florida’s Anthony Richardson.
Stroud has been frequently linked to Las Vegas due to his fit in Josh McDaniels’ system. He’s a quarterback who likes to stay in the pocket and pick apart defenses apart with his arm. Due to the fact that he’s not as mobile as the other three top quarterbacks, he could fall to the Raiders at No. 7. He met with the team at the NFL Scouting Combine and gave some interesting details about his visit.
“You could tell they’re kind of stern, they’re kind of straightforward. They do what they do and they have no remorse for that,” Stroud said of McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler during media availability. “You can tell they love football.”
McDaniels and Ziegler both came from the New England Patriots so it’s no surprise they come off as stern to young players.
Stroud Says Meeting Went Well
Stroud is a player for Raiders fans to keep a close eye on prior to the draft. He’s the most logical fit in Las Vegas out of the top quarterback prospects. McDaniels and company are going to value smart quarterbacks so these meetings at the NFL Combine are going to be important. Stroud believes he nailed the meeting with Las Vegas.
“It went really well,” Stroud said, “I had a great conversation with them and got to explain what my offense was, and they asked me about my athleticism and things like that, if I could do it at the next level. They asked me about some family stuff as well. Just being really honest.”
Stroud may have played college football in Ohio but he’s a California boy. The star quarterback grew up in Rancho Cucamonga, California, which is a tad over three hours away from Las Vegas by car. That fact is appealing to Stroud.
“I would love to be close to home,” he said.
Stroud Discusses His Playing Style
The biggest knock on Stroud is that he doesn’t use his athleticism enough. He rushed for a total of 136 yards across 26 games at Ohio State. That doesn’t necessarily mean he can’t run. Stroud believes that his athleticism shines through when you watch his game tape.
“If you turn on the film and really watch what I do, really look at film, game to game, I have used my athleticism. Not just in the Georgia game, where I did it a lot. I did every other game,” Stroud said. “I have tough third-down runs. I’ve had tough fourth-down runs. But there are times where I didn’t run the ball, where maybe I should have. I feel like that’s something I’ve learned.”
Stroud also explained why it is that he’d prefer to stay in the pocket and throw than take off and run at the first sign of trouble.
“Sometimes I get so invested in the read,” Stroud said. “You spend eight hours on one play, I guarantee you you’re not going to go one, two, run! You’re going to go one, two, three, four, and really try to figure out who’s open. Because you really want to feed guys the rock.”