Leading up to last year’s NFL Draft, many evaluators were wondering just how promising of a prospect quarterback C.J. Stroud was.
There were doubts about Stroud’s mechanics and his overall football-IQ … Some proclaimed that he had “bust” written all over him.
Thankfully for Houston fans, the Texans didn’t buy into any of that nonsense and showed zero hesitation with their decision to draft him second-overall.
Stroud would go on to set the NFL on fire as he became one of the biggest surprises in the entire league. He helped lead the young Texans to the playoffs and earned a Pro Bowl nod in the process.
Most impressively, Stroud remained humble throughout the whole season. He had the poise and maturity of a 15-year veteran.
Entering the 2024 season, many fans are looking at the Texans as a true dark-horse to potentially win the Super Bowl – and make no mistake about it, Stroud is the main reason why.
Stroud has become more outspoken publicly.
Appearing on the “Million Dollaz Worth of Game” podcast, Stroud strongly named who he believes are the top 5 quarterbacks in the entire NFL.
“Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, myself, (Dak) Prescott, and Jalen Hurts,” Stroud said.
Two important notes about the list…
First, the list was meant to indicate who the top quarterbacks in the league are based on how they performed last season (which is why Stroud didn’t name a clear choice like Joe Burrow).
Also, Stroud would later rethink his Jalen Hurts selection.
Of course, Hurts struggled mightily in 2023 so Stroud offered a revised top 5. This time he dropped Hurts and added Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen.
Stroud was confident (and honest) enough to put himself on the list … Some people love that. Some people don’t.
But regardless of how you look at it, there are many fans who consider Stroud a top 5 NFL quarterback already. So him including himself isn’t the craziest thing in the world.
Predictably, what garnered the most attention about Stroud’s list was his inclusion of Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott.
“Dak’s that boy,” Stroud said as he defended his decision amidst criticism.
“Y’all aren’t gonna say that because he ain’t won the big one yet…Dak is that dude bro. Dak tough bro. Dak is one of the most accurate quarterbacks in the world,” he added while acknowledging Prescott’s lack of success in the postseason.
The inclusion of Prescott, who led the NFL with 36 touchdown passes last season, ignited a heated debate.
Stroud pointed to Prescott’s accuracy as being one of his biggest strengths and something that separates him from the majority of quarterbacks in the league.
Unsurprisingly, Stroud still got plenty of pushback on his choice. But fair or unfair, that is to be expected whenever anyone tries defending the Cowboys quarterback.
It’s up to Dak himself to shut all of the haters up by getting over the hump and finally winning a Super Bowl in Dallas. (Or at least winning multiple games.)
Despite consistent regular season success, Prescott holds a miserable 2-5 career record in the postseason.
Last year’s season-ending loss to the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Wild Card Round was perhaps the most alarming of them all.
After all, there were some people (not all) who thought Dak had conquered his playoff demons and would be able to rise to the occasion under the bright lights of the big stage.
But not yet…
Interestingly, Stroud’s Texans will face the Cowboys in an in-state showdown in Week 11 this season.
The matchup will take place in Dallas in front of a national audience on ESPN’s Monday Night Football.
What are your thoughts on Stroud’s top 5?
What did he get right? … What did he get wrong?
Is Prescott truly a top 5 quarterback in the NFL?
What would YOUR personal top 5 QB ranking be???