CJ Stroud Draft Breakdown: A Good Fit For Houston Texans?

Bottom Line For The Houston Texans And CJ Stroud

Overall, Stroud is a good NFL QB prospect who possesses great arm talent, size, and instincts that coaches love because of the potential present. That being said, Stroud could struggle mightily in the NFL if his footwork, decisiveness, and development of his play progression do not improve.

He would be best suited to sitting his first year and being a second-year starter. A preference for CJ would be that he goes to an offense with an established group of skilled players. As mentioned previously,  the more tape we watch the more evidence shows us that he would thrive in a system that protects him well as well as provides some talent to throw to. While that statement might have you thinking, “Wouldn’t every quarterback thrive in that situation?”, I am using it more to set expecations for his rookie season.

This leads me to his ideal fit and one of the worst fits for him.

Ideal fit: Detroit Lions

Bad fit: Houston Texans

Detroit represents the best-case scenario for CJ due to the talent already there (Jameson Williams, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jamaal Williams, and Deandre Swift), the potential to add more (a mid-first-round selection that could turn into Stroud’s running mate Smith-Njigba or Notre Dame’s Michael Mayer, as well as the opportunity to sit behind Jared Goff and learn for a year.

Going to a team like the Houston Texans, which is most likely losing its best receiver in Brandin Cooks this offseason, would present a potentially devastating fit for Stroud. The Texans need help everywhere, and Stroud is not the kind of playmaker that could mask some of their issues or bring up the roster around him.

CJ Stroud has the ability to turn into a good professional quarterback, and the Texans have an opportunity in this year’s upcoming draft, but doing both these things together does not look like it would be possible. It would be best for both parties to stay away from each other.