With the 2023 NFL Draft just weeks away, most experts have Alabama quarterback Bryce Young and Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud pegged as the first two picks as Carolina who holds the first pick and Houston who has the second are both in desperate need of help at that position.
One exercise that football analysts love engaging in at this time of year is picking an NFL player that would compare to the college player that is set to be drafted. The comparable that ESPN’s Matt Miller chose for Stroud is current Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott.
As mentioned in the video, Miller states the similarities in arm strength as well as athletic ability as the main reasons for making this comparison. Of course, Prescott was nowhere near a top prospect as Stroud is as he was a 4th round selection by the Cowboys in the 2016 NFL Draft.
Dak was not expected to start in his first season, but after an injury to starter Tony Romo, he stepped in and had one of the greatest rookie seasons ever by a quarterback leading the Cowboys to a 13-3 record, #1 seed in the NFC and being named the Offensive Rookie of the Year. If asked today, Stroud would surely be content with a rookie season similar to Prescott’s.
Dak is one of the most polarizing players in the NFL as it is obvious that he has the talent and ability, however, he has yet to put it all together to reach elite level status and lead his team to the ultimate goal of winning a championship. One has to wonder if Stroud believes that this is an accurate comparable or if he feels that his ceiling is much higher than the Cowboys quarterback.
