INDIANAPOLIS – The first time that DeMeco Ryans met C.J. Stroud, he became immediately convinced that the strong-armed Heisman Trophy finalist from Ohio State had every quality it takes to be a successful quarterback.
A year ago here at the NFL scouting combine, Ryans and the Texans’ brass took a major step toward ultimately acquiring the leader of their football team. They were completely won over by Stroud’s maturity, accuracy, arm strength and intelligence.
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Months later, the Texans drafted the California native with the second overall pick. Now, Stroud is the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and was selected to the Pro Bowl as an alternate after leading the Texans to an AFC South division title and their first playoff victory since the 2019 season.
“Well, it started right here at the combine when we were evaluating young players,” Ryans said Tuesday afternoon at the Indianapolis Convention Center. “You’d see C.J. come into our room in formal interviews and just see he had that calmness about him in the room. You can tell, for me, I could tell instantly if a guy has what it takes. I saw that in C.J. when I first sat down and he began to speak to us about his background and his college experience. Then, you see his teammates and how they spoke about C.J.
I remember being here last year, and every Ohio State teammate that sat in our room, they spoke highly of C.J. and the type of leader he was and what he meant to them and the things that he did to those guys to help them. You can’t hide. Your true character always will show, and it showed that C.J. was a really great guy, raised the right way, and he was the same guy throughout the entire year. He didn’t change. That’s a true testament to his upbringing, his family, his parents and the way they raised him.”
The way that Stroud kept improving as a passer and in the manner he broke down intricate defenses are encouraging factors that speak to his immediate future development.
Stroud joined Tom Brady and Joe Montana as the only quarterbacks in NFL history to lead the league in passing yards per game and touchdown-to-interception ratio.
Named to the Pro Bowl as the replacement for Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, Stroud became the youngest quarterback to win a playoff game as he surpassed Michael Vick.
“Seven is special,” wide receiver Nico Collins said. “The future is only bright. We know who our quarterback is going to be.”
Stroud completed 63.9 percent of his throws for 4,108 yards, 23 touchdowns and five interceptions during the regular season.
Stroud finished the season, including two playoff games, with 4,557 passing yards to rank second in NFL history behind Andrew Luck.
Stroud made remarkable throws, delivering tight spirals to connect with receivers in stride. He displayed toughness and savvy. Quite simply, Stroud was even beyond advertised.
“With CJ, the things that stood out from the skills standpoint is as we all saw him, he can put the ball anywhere he needs to in a very accurate manner,” Ryans said. “He did a very good job of just his demeanor. I think at that quarterback position when you have a calm demeanor and your teammates see that, it’s a confidence. It’s a calm confidence that kind of exudes throughout the entire locker room, and that’s what C.J. has.
“An I think those are the skills that allowed him to be very successful as a rookie and have one of the best rookie seasons for a quarterback in our league’s history. Very excited about what C.J. did this year, but I’m also even more excited about the things that he can improve on and where he can get better, continuing to lead our team this next year. Definitely looking for a huge jump in his growth from year one to year two.”
Stroud set an NFL record by launching his career with 191 passes without an interception, and finished the season with 198 consecutive throws without an interception.
And Stroud joined the exclusive Brady-Montana statistical fraternity.
Not only is Stroud a prolific arm talent, he’s also careful and wise with where he throws the football.
This is only the floor, though, for Stroud. The ceiling, in his view and multiple others, is considerably higher.
Another adjective that fits Stroud’s description and mindset: hungry
“Yeah, I’ve got to do way more,” Stroud said. “I’ve got to just be me. For really just having a rookie year like I had and to be able to be mentioned with a whole bunch of greats and be playing against the greats, it’s been just a blessing.
“Really, my plan is I just want to be the best. I don’t want to be just the best rookie, the best second-year dude. I want to be the best: point-blank, period. I’m excited to get going with that.”
One year after going 3-13-1 with Davis Mills under center, the Texans were transformed under Stroud’s leadership and throwing prowess.
The Texans finished 11-8, winning their first AFC South division title and playoff game since the 2019 season. And Stroud and Ryans made history as the first rookie quarterback and head coaching tandem to win a division title.
Plus, the Texans return offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik and quarterbacks coach Jerrod Johnson after they interviewed for multiple jobs with other NFL teams. And quarterbacks Davis Mills and Case Keenum are back to provide perspective and advice to Stroud.
“When we talk about his growth, I think it starts with the coaches that you surround him with,” Ryans said. “So we surrounded him with some young coaches, young talented coaches in Bobby Slowik, Jerrod Johnson, also veteran coaches in Bill Lazor and Shane Day, who’s no longer with us (Los Angeles Chargers quarterbacks coach, but just surrounding him with the right guys in the coaching position but also in his room.
“Having Case Keenum there, a veteran quarterback who’s done it at a high level for a long time. Making sure that we have that balance around C.J. So if there’s any questions, any things that he may ask, or things that he can lean on guys who have been there, done that, have seen that before, there was not a guy around him that he couldn’t ask, he couldn’t rely on who could give him the answers and could share with him their experiences of how they seen other quarterbacks succeed in this league.”
A year ago, the Texans drafted Stroud, the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, and defensive end Will Anderson Jr., the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, third overall.
“Wow, that was an exciting draft last year to be able to get two of the top players in a draft class,” Ryans said. “Last year to get C.J. and Will – two anchors for our team, for our locker room – that was very important for us to get both guys. How do we follow that up this year? We continue to add guys who fit that. We’re going to be good next year. We’re headed in the right direction.”
Stroud was named the Pro Football Writers of American NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and Rookie of the Year.
Stroud, 22, passed for a rookie franchise-record 4,108 yards, 23 touchdowns, five interceptions and a passer rating of 100.8, marking the third-best passer rating by a rookie in NFL history. His passing yards rank third in NFL all-time lists among rookie quarterbacks while leading all rookies this past season in all major passing categories.
Stroud led the league in passing yards per game with 273.9 per game, while also pacing the NFL in touchdown-interception ratio.
“When you see the man he is, the player he is, the person he is, the teammate he is, it speaks volumes about him and his family,” Anderson said. “When you watch C.J. play, you don’t see a rookie on the field. When you see him walk through the building, you don’t see a rookie. When you see him interacting with people in the building, you don’t see a rookie. When you see him, you see a guy who’s about his business and wants to make everyone around him better.”
Stroud excelled from start to finish.
His poise, accuracy, intelligence and rare arm strength and precision were on display all season.
And this is just the beginning.
“C.J., throughout the entire year, what I love most about it is the growth,” Ryans said. “It’s encouraging when you have a young guy who’s able to grow, not only in the entire season, but to see him grow and take the coaching points and grow from week to week and see a guy improve so quickly. It’s encouraging to see how much better he can get as he continues to play throughout the league.
It was a season defined by dramatic growth as the Texans finished 11-8 in Ryans’ first season, matching the combined victory total of the previous three seasons as he and Stroud turned around the organization.
When an organization has the pivotal head coach and quarterback positions figured out, $67.4 million in salary cap space and owns the 23rd overall pick of the first round, the future is definitely bright.
“I think this team has grown a whole lot,” wide receiver Robert Woods said. “We found out who we are as a team. We established a Texans culture and been able to implement that. You see that on the field. I know everyone is happy for where we’ve come from last year, not many wins. A full turnaround of the team and culture, that’s what we expected getting DeMeco and C.J.
“We expected a turnaround. This team has established who we are. We believe in who we are. This year is a total confidence building. Everyone in this room believes in Texans football, believes in ourselves, believes in C.J. This team is only going up.”
Following a depressing 11-38-1 three-year run before Stroud came to town, the Texans are now on the upswing.
The Texans lost in the AFC divisional round to the Baltimore Ravens. They’re determined to go even further next season.
“Well, for me, every season you start over,” Ryans said. “Last year was last year. It was a good run for us. It didn’t end the way we wanted it to end, but it was a good run for the 2023 Texans. Now, for me, it’s a clean slate. We start over in 2024. Now who are we going to be?
“We have a lot of great matchups versus a lot of great teams this year, and I’m excited to, first of all, build our team, again, the proper way, of guys who are just looking to compete, guys who have that relentless mindset, guys who want to go out and play for each other, guys who want to hunt, guys who want to play with relentless effort and finish. That’s what I’m looking to build as we start this offseason.”
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com