Ohio State's C.J. Stroud Proving He Should Have Been 1st Pick Of Draft, Not Alabama's Bryce Young

NEW ORLEANS - Houston Texans No. 2 pick C.J. Stroud of Ohio State has sure been playing like a No. 1 overall pick so far this season.

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young, who was the first pick of the 2023 NFL Draft out of Alabama? Not so much.

C.J. Stroud is No. 4 in the NFL in passing yards with 1,461 on 114 of 186 passing for a .612 completion percentage and seven touchdowns with zero interceptions. He will lead the Texans (2-3) against the Saints (3-2) on Sunday in Houston (1 p.m., FOX).

Young is No. 30 in passing yards with 750 on 92-of-144 passing for a .638 completion percentage and five touchdowns with four interceptions. He has played one fewer game as Young missed the Seattle loss on Sept. 25 with an ankle injury suffered in a 20-17 loss to New Orleans on Sept. 18. But Young is last in the 32-team NFL in the more precise total QBR (quarterback rating) statistic with a 28.5 mark. Stroud is No. 14 at 56.1. Carolina (0-5) plays at Miami (4-1) on Sunday (1 p.m., CBS).

C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans quarterback wearing No. 7, celebrates a touchdown pass he threw to Nico Collins (12) at New Orleans in a preseason game on Aug. 27. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)

C. J. Stroud has been perfect in a way. His 186 attempts without an interception are the most in NFL history by a rookie quarterback. He broke the mark of 177 set by Dak Prescott in 2016. Stroud's last interception was in the loss to Michigan last season.

Houston Texans Rookie QB C.J. Stroud Playing Like A Veteran

"He's playing at a very high level," Saints coach Dennis Allen said, and qualified that comment. "I'm not talking about a high level for a rookie. I'm talking about a high level for an NFL quarterback."

Allen, a defensive coordinator in the NFL for eight seasons before becoming the Saints head coach in 2022, particularly is ready for Stroud's elusiveness.

"He improvises and makes plays on the move," he said.

"When he scrambles, he's always looking downfield," Saints defensive end Isaiah Foskey told reporters this week. Foskey, a second round pick in 2023, played for Notre Dame in a 21-10 loss to Ohio State last season. Stroud hit 24 of 34 passes for 223 yards and two TDs with no interceptions.

"He's a real poised quarterback," Foskey said. "I felt like when we got pressure against him, he might make a mistake."

That didn't happen.

"He's like the perfect quarterback," Foskey said.

OK, let's not get carried away. But Allen continued to differentiate Stroud from rookie NFL quarterbacks.

"The one thing you see sometimes out of a rookie quarterback is them not always processing the information as quickly as they need to and not getting the ball to the right spots," Allen said. "That's not what I see out of this player. He's throwing the ball accurately and on time."

Saints Preparing For Versatile QB in Texans' Stroud

Stroud has shown a keen eye for his receivers, but also for blitz packages and other defenses. Saints defensive coordinator Joe Woods was asked if he is altering what he might throw at Stroud compared to typical rookie quarterbacks.

"Maybe," Woods said smiling, and left it at that.

"He has mobility in the pocket, and he stands there a little bit more," he added, changing the subject. Always has his eyes down field."

Saints safety Tyrann Mathieu watched Stroud intently before he became a Texan.

"Obviously, he was one of those quarterbacks that I think we all kind of followed throughout college," he said. "He's in command at all times. He extends plays. We'll have our hands full."