Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud is on the short list of players who are in the discussion to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft. He’d likely have a little more traction to land that lofty honor if he had shown more with his legs during his career with the Buckeyes.
Stroud is known for his precision passing, aggressive throws and ability to manipulate defenses. But he’s not known as a runner despite showing some impressive athleticism and speed at select times. It’s been a point of contention in the debate over Stroud as a prospect. He’s aware of that, and he now wishes he would have ameliorated those concerns on the field in college.
“I’ll be honest, I told them like I’ll tell y’all. I didn’t do it a lot in college and I feel like I should have. It’s something I do regret,” Stroud said at the NFL Scouting Combine on Friday. “I feel like I could have done it a lot more.”
Stroud ran the ball 47 times for 108 yards in 2022. He was sacked 12 times, and sacks count as runs in college. Those figures reflect a player who just didn’t choose to use his legs very often.
Stroud did stress how well he used his legs and athleticism within the structure of how he played.
“But I think when you turn on the film and you really watch what I do, and you really look at film game to game, I have used my athleticism not only just in the Georgia game where I did it a lot. I’ve done it in every other game. I’ve had tough third-down runs. I’ve had tough fourth-down runs. But there were times I didn’t run the ball when maybe I should have.”
He’s determined to learn from his college experience.
“I feel like that’s something that I learned and that’s what football is about. It’s about stepping back up to the plate and going back and working hard and fixing those problems. That’s something I plan to fix and I’ll show them my athleticism. I’ve done it before on film, but since people don’t think I can do it, I’m going to do it again.”
Should Stroud fall to the No. 6 pick, the Detroit Lions would have an interesting decision on their hands. That possibility seems unlikely to materialize, but Stroud would certainly hold appeal for a Lions offense based on pinpoint accuracy, timing and aggressive shots. It would also make for a great opportunity for GM Brad Holmes to trade back, if he chooses.