S2 Cognition tests may have tanked Ohio State Buckeyes’ star quarterback CJ Stroud’s NFL Draft stocks after scoring 18 per cent, with rival QB Bryce Young finishing near perfect on 98.
The testing method has developed a strong reputation in the NFL and can play a considerable role when quarterback prospects are drafted later this month. S2 is a 30-to-45-minute exercise which will help measure athletes’ process information, make decisions and react to situations down to the millisecond on response pads.
And, according to Go Long, pre-S2 quarterback NFL Draft top-five prospect Stroud slumped to a miserable 18 per cent, which has been described as a “red alert” by an NFL executive. “Stroud scored 18,” an executive said.
“That is like red alert, red alert, you can’t take a guy like that. That is why I have Stroud as a bust. That in conjunction with the fact, name one Ohio State quarterback that’s ever done it in the league.”
The S2 people will say, ‘Hey, guys that graded high on this test don’t always play well,’” A club executive also said. “‘But, we’ve never had somebody grade low and play well.’”
In comparison to Alabama’s Young, who scored an impressive 98 per cent, Stroud’s chances of being drafted first have got slimmer. An experienced NFL exec gushed when talking about the quarterback. “The only guy play-style-wise I can compare him to is Joe Burrow in his LSU year,” they said of Young. “Bryce is the best combination of poise, processing, instincts, toughness. This kid feels and sees so much.”
Young’s ability to process information and react quickly also caught a scout’s attention, who said that Stroud’s “calm and mellow and laid back” playing style concerns him. “That was my concern with him,” the scout said. “His personality is just sort of calm and mellow and laid back, and that’s the way he plays.
“You look at how Bryce Young plays and how Stroud plays, I don’t see how anyone can look at those two play football and you’d want that guy (Stroud) over Young. Bryce’s mind is so quick and he processes so fast. Whereas with Stroud, everything is much, much more programmed.”
Although there is no guarantee that a high S2 test means the quarterback will go on to have a great NFL career, there has never been a player with a low score go on to make a name for themselves. In fact, the benchmark is 80, an NFL figure said. “If you get a high score as a quarterback it’s not saying you’re going to be a great player,” they said. “But if you get a low score, it’s 100% - none of the quarterbacks that got a low score became good players. The benchmark is 80. Eighty and above is good. Stroud was 18. It’s incredibly terrible. He’s going to be off (some team’s) boards. He will not be picked by those teams.”
Despite the S2 woes, Stroud was still ranked No2 out of all the top quarterback NFL draft prospects.
A survey of 16 evaluators were asked to rank their top quarterbacks on a one-to-five basis. First place is worth five points, a second-place vote is worth four, third place is three, fourth place is two- and fifth place is one.
Young picked up 72 points with ten firsts, Stroud came second with 56 points and two firsts, Will Levis came third, Anthony Richardson in fourth and Hendon Hooker in fifth.
