C.J. Stroud’s stock could fall shortly before the draft on April 27-29 after a low score on a cognitive test.
Bob McGinn, who’s covered the NFL Draft for nearly 40 years, reported that the Ohio State QB scored in the 18th percentile on the S2 cognition test, well below the benchmark of 80.
Other potential first-round QBs scored much higher. Alabama’s Bryce Young scored in the 98th percentile, Kentucky’s Will Levis scored in the 93rd percentile and Florida’s Anthony Richardson scored in the 79th percentile.
The S2 test differs from the Wonderlic, a 50-question test the NFL implemented to examine potential job performance. Per The Athletic’s Matt Barrows, the S2 is a 40-45 minute test on a specially designed laptop and notepad that records reactions in two milliseconds, faster than the blink of an eye (100-150 milliseconds).
Since reaction time is an essential quality for an NFL QB, the test has accurately predicted the success of some star QBs.
According to Barrows, Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs) and Josh Allen (Bills) scored within the 90th percentile. Bengals QB Joe Burrow, who agreed to reveal his S2 results, scored in the 97th percentile.
Consequently, some teams will take Stroud off their draft board.
A league executive told McGinn, “(Stroud’s score) is like red alert, red alert, you can’t take a guy like that. That is why I have Stroud as a bust.”
In his recent mock draft, CBS Sports’ Will Brinson predicts Stroud will fall out of the top 10, and the Titans will select him with the No. 11 overall pick.
A team still may like Stroud because he threw 85 TDs in two seasons as the Buckeyes’ starter and posted the FBS’ second-highest QBR (88.9) in 2022, but the test score may impact his draft status.
However, Stroud will likely be a first-round draft pick since several teams need a QB.
