Ranking every starting quarterback in the NFL
By Jason Willis
8. CJ Stroud (Houston Texans)
The second overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft, C.J. Stroud cemented himself as one of the NFL’s top quarterbacks almost immediately as he revived a Houston Texans team that felt dormant since losing Deshaun Watson to sexual assault allegations.
While the team went 9-6 under Stroud, they were routinely impressive on offense as he displayed a mastery of Bobby Slowik’s offense and was able to get the most out of Nico Collins and create a dynamic duo with fellow rookie Tank Dell.
Stroud has nearly everything you could want in a quarterback. Aggressive, accurate, calm in the pocket, and a confident leader. These skills helped him return Houston to the playoffs where they would beat the Browns before succumbing to the Ravens. He would throw for 448 yards and three touchdowns across both games.
An easy nomination for the Pro Bowl, he came eighth in the MVP voting and was the easiest rookie of the year selection in a long time. Going forward, the Texans are going all in by getting Stroud more weapons in the form of Stefon Diggs.
An elite quarterback on a rookie deal is the most dangerous thing in the league and the Texans have it. He’s an easy pick to rise this list after the upcoming season.