Ryan Day shuts down concerns over CJ Stroud following low S2 test results

A lot has been made regarding the reported S2 cognitive test score of Ohio State quarterback CJ Stroud ahead of the draft. Allegedly scoring significantly lower than any of the other first-round caliber players, Stroud has seen his stock fall in the public’s eye ahead of Thursday night. Stroud was once viewed as a safe top-two pick. Now, he may have to wait before his name is called.

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day was able to defend his quarterback and revealed he spoke with the people who run the S2 cognitive test. The first thing he learned was there was no IQ test involved, similar to how people view the Wonderlic. Everything is based on reactions.

“When I was in the NFL, this wasn’t a test that the guys took,” Day said during an appearance on ESPN’s NFL Live. “So this morning I actually met with the folks on Zoom with the S2 cognitive test. I learned quite a few things about it. First off, it’s all based off your eye reaction and reaction to buttons and pressing buttons. So, there’s no IQ test, no question-and-answer test. There’s nothing like that.”

According to Day, not every single NFL team uses the S2 test with the potential draft picks. Even if they did, he claimed some of the numbers out there are not fully accuarate.

“Only 15 teams subscribe to this test,” Day said. “So, less than half the teams actually have this information. I also learned that the information that had been leaked — assuming it was for some strategic reason. Otherwise, why would someone do it? — some of those test scores weren’t accurate.”

As to which of those 15 teams believe in the test, Day did not say. They likely will not come out and admit so either, especially in Stroud ends up being their selection. Every team is going to have a different way of evaluating prospects.

Finally, Day said taking a low and running with it “is a little irresponsible.” Especially since the test is so new to the public’s eye, nobody truly knows what the scores mean. He actually argued in favor of Stroud’s processing.

“There are 10 scores that get evaluated during the S2 process and you don’t know what those scores mean,” Day said. “They’re all evaluating different things. So, to kind of just take a number that got leaked and making an evaluation of somebody is a little irresponsible.

“One of the things that makes CJ (Stroud) great is his processing and ability. I wanted to grab one, find out a little more about the test and that was a great conversation. I learned a lot about that today.”

Ryan Day explains why CJ Stroud is a special player

ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky had just gotten done breaking down a certain play where Stroud was moved out of the pocket against Minnesota only to throw an inaccurate throw. Orlovsky argued the Ohio State quarterback should have been able to stand in there, potentially take a hit, and deliver an accurate ball — citing that as his one weakness.

Day disagreed, saying Stroud has great pocket presence and it’s one of his strengths. Everything dates back to his high school days when he had to get balls out quickly.

“I think the thing that makes him special is his feel for the pocket,” Day said. “When he was coming up originally, Rancho Cucamonga High School, he didn’t get a ton of protection. So, he had to make a lot of decisions quickly.

“He keeps his eyes downfield better than anybody I’ve ever been around. He can feel that pocket. He’s got to get his feet in the ground and there’s certainly part of his game that can grow but I think he feels the pocket as good as anybody I’ve been around.”