There was a time in the NFL offseason when all indications were that the Carolina Panthers were zeroing in on drafting Ohio State quarterback prospect C.J. Stroud with the first overall pick in the NFL Draft. Those assumptions appear to be incorrect, with nearly every sportsbook and analyst operating under the belief that Carolina will go with Bryce Young. However, a report just hours before the draft kicks off indicates the Tennessee Titans are making a push to move up the draft board in order to select Stroud.
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2023 NFL Draft Odds: Titans Trying To Move Up To Select C.J. Stroud?
PFT’s Mike Florio reported that the Titans were working on the framework of a deal that would send them the No. 3 pick, along with star receiver DeAndre Hopkins, for a massive return. But shortly thereafter, NFL reporter Ian Rapoport reported that while the Titans have had discussions about the No. 3 pick, those talks did not involve Hopkins.
Nevertheless, it sure appears that the Cardinals are making their first round pick available to QB-needy teams desperate to improve their draft position. After the Titans’ trade report, Stroud (-160 on DraftKings Sportsbook) is now the odds-on favorite to be selected with the third overall pick. he is followed by
Most analyst have Stroud rated as the second best quarterback in the draft, reports have also indicated the Houston Texans (who hold the No. 2 pick) are planning to pass up on Stroud to select edge-rusher Will Anderson.
Perhaps Stroud has scared some potential teams off with his score on the S2 Cognition Test. Stroud scored just an 18% on the mental skills test, which had him among the worst of all the quarterbacks in the draft.
“I’m not a test-taker, I play football,” he said of the score, per Yahoo Sports. “At the end of the day, I don’t got nothing to prove to nobody, so I’m not going to sit here and explain how I process football. The people who are making the picks know what I can do, so that’s all that matters to me. There’s a whole bunch of people who know how to coach better, who know how to play quarterback better, who know how to do everything on social media, but the man in the arena, that’s what’s tough.”
Despite the low score on the Cognition Test, it is hard not to see the potential in the gunslinger. Stroud put up massive stats in his two seasons under center in Columbus, throwing for 85 touchdowns and just 12 interceptions for the Buckeyes.
While he may have fallen out of favor in Carolina, Stroud will still make someone’s fanbase extremely excited on Thursday night. And based on the latest C.J. Stroud NFL Draft odds, the Titans just may be the team that gives the haul in order to make Stroud their next franchise quarterback.
Readers can follow along with some of OddsShopper’s best analysts for the NFL Draft watch-along on Thursday night!
