The draft process is exactly that: a process. Teams go through a series of events and tests to get a true idea of what players they may select.
One part of the draft process, at least for quarterbacks, is cognitive. Why not get a little insight as to how a player thinks before entrusting him with a position of leadership?
Such was the case for Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud, who didn’t score so well on the S2 Cognition test. Nevertheless, the Houston Texans took Stroud at No. 2 overall in the 2023 NFL draft and appear to be better for it. Stroud has just two interceptions on the year, the fewest among quarterbacks who have started every game.
Coach DeMeco Ryans told reporters Nov. 15 that the S2 test wasn’t going to make or break the team’s evaluation of Stroud.
“For me, with any evaluation of prospects, the thing is, you don’t look at one thing and make a decision based off of one thing,” said Ryans. “It’s — for me — you look at the tape. You watch C.J.’s film. You talk about playing quarterback — he’s one of the best quarterbacks coming out of this draft based on the decision making on film, speaking with him in person, getting to understand him, getting to know him better, his personality, seeing how he treats others, seeing how his teammates love him, seeing the care they have for him, seeing how his coaches speak about him. When you take all those things, you take all those things into consideration — that’s what helped me make the decision.”
With Houston sitting at 5-4 and their rookie signal-caller’s stellar play at the center of it all, it is fair to conclude the Texans conducted their due diligence.
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