National Football League

'I'm not going to buy it:' Joel Klatt on C.J. Stroud's perceived draft slide due to S2 score

Published Apr. 26, 2023 2:22 p.m. ET

FOX Sports college football analyst Joel Klatt has covered C.J. Stroud from the time he arrived at Ohio State as a freshman back in 2020 to current day, as the former Buckeye QB prepares to hear his name called Thursday night in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft.

Klatt has been the TV analyst for eight of Stroud’s games during his time at Ohio State, including his first collegiate start at Minnesota back in September 2021. He has been there for some of Stroud's best moments (OSU's 44-31 victory over Penn State on the road this past season) and some of his lowest moments (both loses to rival Michigan).

So, when a recent report came out surrounding Stroud’s low score on the S2 Cognition test — the QB had a reported score of 18% (out of 100%), while Bryce Young scored the highest among QBs at 98% — Klatt was quick to react at the notion the test would be reflective of Stroud’s production at the NFL level.

"I don’t see what the test is trying to get me to see," Klatt said on a recent episode of his podcast, "The Joel Klatt Show." "The test is trying to tell me that Will Levis processes information, reacts and makes better decisions, because of that information, than C.J. Stroud? That’s not what I see on tape.

"This test is trying to get me to not believe my own eyes. I’m not going to buy it."

Stroud’s production on the field over the past two seasons speaks for itself. The two-time Heisman Trophy finalist posted a 21-4 record as a starter at Ohio State while completing 69.3% of his passes for 8,123 yards, 85 touchdowns and just 12 interceptions.

Stroud holds multiple Big Ten passing records, including being the single-season leader in both passing yards (3,193) and passing touchdowns (34) in Big Ten games.

"This guy is a bona-fide franchise quarterback. He is the No. 2 QB in my estimation," Klatt said of Stroud. "This guy is really dangerous as a passer, in a good way. [He has a] hyper-accurate arm, has elite arm talent.

"I’ve talked with several defensive coordinators over the last wo years, and in every one of those meetings, they all said the exact same thing: When this guy knows what you are in, he will shred you. If he gets a beat of what’s going on, it’s over."

Joel Klatt's NFL mock draft

Joel Klatt revealed his second NFL mock draft, ahead of Thursday's first round.

Despite his on-field production, could a low score on a pre-draft cognitive test really lead to a draft-day slide for Stroud?

According to a CBS Sports report, the S2 Cognition test has nine different sections. The measurements used in each section include a quarterback’s ability to track multiple objects, make complex decisions and filter through if/then scenarios with different defensive scenarios. The test is designed to measure a prospect’s ability to quickly dissect information that appears on a screen in front of them.

Of eight reported S2 Cognition scores, Tennessee’s Hendon Hooker was the only other QB prospect outside of Stroud to score below 50% on the test.

Stroud is currently in Kansas City ahead of Thursday's draft, which will take place outside of the iconic Union Station. Stroud was asked about his reported S2 test score while participating in a pre-draft NFL service project Wednesday morning.

"I'm not a test taker. I play football," Stroud told reporters. "At the end of the day, I don't got nothing to prove to nobody. I'm not going to sit here and explain how I process overall. The people who are making the picks know what I can do.

"I know I'm one of the smartest quarterbacks in the NFL when I step in there tomorrow. I have confidence in myself. I don't think you can play at Ohio State and not be smart."

A low test score has not discouraged Stroud as the draft approaches, and it certainly hasn't changed Klatt's thoughts on the former Ohio State standout. Klatt still has Stroud tabbed as the No. 2 pick to the Houston Texans in his latest NFL Mock Draft, which he revealed on his podcast.

"I’m here to tell you, I’m planting a flag in the ground that I think C.J. Stroud should be the No. 2 pick in the draft," Klatt said. "I don’t know if that is gonna happen, but if Houston doesn’t take him, it’s a mistake."