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EXCLUSIVE: “He had Georgia on the ropes” – Ex-Falcons coach Mike Smith lauds ‘smooth operator’ C.J. Stroud with QB tipped to go #1 in 2023 NFL Draft

C.J. Stroud is touted to be one of the top picks in the 2023 NFL Draft as one of the best quarterback prospects. Many were impressed with his efforts versus the Georgia Bulldogs in the College Football Semifinal game.

One such person was former Atlanta Falcons head coach Mike Smith. On a recent episode of Sportskeeda's "The BallFather Podcast," Smith referred to the Ohio State star as a smooth operator:

"One of the things that I took from the Ohio State-Georgia game was that C.J. Stroud, he helped his stock for the NFL Draft. He was calm, cool, and collected. You saw a smooth operator and he had Georgia on the ropes. And if they don't lose the wide receiver, Georgia may not have won that game."

In that game versus the Bulldogs, Stroud threw for 348 yards and four touchdowns on 23 of 34 passing. The quarterback also completed 67.6 percent of his passes in a heartbreaking loss to the Bulldogs.

In his career with the Buckeyes, Stroud has unquestionably been one of the best signal-callers in school history. C.J. Stroud is second in school history in career passing yards (8,123 yards), touchdowns (85), and completions (575). The question remains where the two-time Heisman Trophy finalist will land at the next level.


Will C.J. Stroud be the top pick in the 2023 NFL Draft?

Many NFL Draft analysts have the Ohio State Buckeyes star going into the top five and most in the top spot. His talents have been compared to some of the NFL's current top quarterbacks, including Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes. Everyone agrees that Stroud has all the tools to be a success in the NFL.

Stroud would be the fifth quarterback in six years to be taken number one overall in the NFL Draft. Although the draft is months away, it seems that C.J. Stroud is the one to beat.

With the Houston Texans expected to be the first team on the board, it's very possible that they will be his destination.


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