Report: C.J. Stroud will throw at NFL Scouting Combine

COLUMBUS — C.J. Stroud has a major opportunity to become the top quarterback in the draft class when he competes at the NFL Combine this week.

And he will take every chance to prove that he can be the best in his class.

Stroud will throw at the combine this week, and he’ll go through workouts that pro scouts have set up for the week’s festivities, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

“Ohio State QB C.J. Stroud will throw at this week’s NFL Scouting Combine, while Alabama QB Bryce Young will wait to do so for his pro day,” Rapoport said in a tweet Monday morning.

Yes, Stroud will work out for pro scouts, while Alabama’s Bryce Young, the consensus top quarterback in the draft class, will not work out.

“Young is long past his AC joint injury from this season, but he’ll just do interviews in Indy,” Rapoport also added in the tweet.

Florida’s Anthony Richardson and Kentucky quarterback Will Levis will also work out for pro scouts in Indianapolis this week.

Stroud faces an uphill climb to be the top quarterback on draft boards, but he’ll certainly have better measurements than the Heisman Trophy winner Young, who was an elite player for Alabama despite being shorter and smaller than most quarterbacks. Young is at the top of most mock drafts, but Stroud has opportunities to shift the narrative toward himself and become that best quarterback available. Now with Stroud throwing and Young opting against it, the door is open for Stroud.

Levis and Richardson are rising up draft boards — to the dismay of many who watched both of them struggle against college defenses. Stroud and Young should separate themselves from the other two and become the top two quarterbacks in the draft. From there, Stroud can wow scouts and prove he’s a better pro prospect than Young.

Fair or not, there’s a train of thought among some in the NFL that Ohio State quarterbacks are simply products of a loaded roster and an insane collection of offensive talent. The late Dwayne Haskins fought through that narrative to become a first-round pick, and it’ll never be known whether he could have shaken that stereotype or not. Justin Fields, meanwhile, is still working to shake it off and prove he’s more than just a product of what Ohio State does offensively.

Stroud will have a major opportunity to do just that, as well. Stroud had amazing receivers to throw the ball to. NFL Rookie of the Year Garrett Wilson, Rookie of the Year candidate Chris Olave, future first-round picks Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka were just a few of the targets at Stroud’s disposal in the last two seasons. But Stroud still needed to get them the ball, and he did so at an incredibly high level.

He’ll showcase that at the NFL Combine later this week. C.J. Stroud is opting to throw in front of scouts.