Ryan Day “Very Surprised” By Reports Of C.J. Stroud’s Cognitive Ability

In what should be a positive week for former Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud ahead of the NFL Draft on Thursday, it has instead turned to a conversation about the signal caller’s cognitive ability, with those discussions seemingly have an impact on his draft stock.

Concerns about Stroud’s processing and improvisation were brought up in a report late last week from longtime NFL report Bob McGinn, who wrote that Stroud scored in the 18th percentile of the S2 test, which measures how a player processes and makes decisions. In the days since, however, the creator of the S2 test has cautioned that reported scores may not be accurate.

Regardless, the conversation has taken place as Stroud’s stock has continued to fall. Once viewed as the top pick in the draft ahead of Alabama’s Bryce Young, most oddsmakers now view Young as the top pick, expected to be taken first overall by the Carolina Panthers.

With talk of cognitive tests dominating the last week for Stroud, Ohio State head coach Ryan Day told Bill Rabinowitz of The Columbus Dispatch that he is “very surprised” that it’s become a topic of conversation.

“Of all the things, I just feel like (his cognitive ability) is one that I’ve always felt was what makes him special,” Day said. “For this to be something that’s a topic of conversation right now is catching me off guard.”

Day said he was unfamiliar with the test from his time coaching in the NFL with the San Francisco 49ers and Philadelphia Eagles, but hoped that the test was accurate given the degree to which it has dominated the conversation as of late.

“For as much as people are talking about this, I hope it actually translates to on the field because it seems like a pretty heavily spoken-about topic right now. For folks to be talking about a test that may or may not have something to do with football – I don’t know – I just hope whatever they’re testing really translates to on the field.”

And as for how Stroud might do at the next level – whether it’s with the Panthers or any other team among the first few picks of the draft – Day has no concern about how Stroud’s abilities will transfer to the NFL.

“I can tell you that when it comes to seeing the field – vision, spatial awareness – he’s one of the best I’ve ever been around,” Day said. “He can see the field. He knows exactly what he saw and can tell you exactly what happened. And not just where he’s looking. He can see the entire field. He can verbalize what he saw on the last play, why he did what he did.”