Stroud #7 of the Houston Texans throws a pass before the preseason game against the New York Giants at NRG Stadium on August 17, 2024 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)
Who is the next CJ Stroud in the NFL? What do we mean by that? Typically, rookie quarterbacks struggle to find their way during their first season in the NFL. Some are thrusted on to the field and make mistakes and throw interceptions. Others have to wait their turn and in the meantime learn from the veteran quarterback ahead of them on the depth chart.
It is a rare occurrence where a rookie quarterback steps into the starting lineup and makes the job look easy. But that is exactly what CJ Stroud did with the Houston Texans last season.
THE NEXT CJ STROUD
NFL teams chose 6 quarterbacks in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft. Do any of them have the potential to follow CJ Stroud's footsteps and have success right away?
Caleb Williams joins a Bears team that won 7 games last year. Usually the top pick of the draft lands with a team that is coming off a season with anywhere from 0-3 wins. Good QB play could get the Bears sniffing the playoffs.
Maybe Jayden Daniels will be the next CJ Stroud. He has the tools to be the most exciting rookie QB but he is joining a bad Washington franchise. Drake Maye seems to be a work in progress and the Patriots are the most boring offensive team in the league. Michael Penix Jr. won't see the field in Atlanta unless Kirk Cousins gets hurt. JJ McCarthy is hurt and will miss the season. And Bo Nix was the last QB taken in the first round. But he was picked by a coach that wanted him and can mold him into a pretty good player. In fact he was named the team's starter yesterday.
So who will be the next CJ Stroud? Since the season is upon us we will know fairly soon if any of these guys will be immediate superstars or if they will take a slow and steady path to stardom. For more NFL talk tune in daily to Craig Shemon and Company from 2-6 on ESPN Southwest Florida.
