Is C.J. Stroud That Good Or Is Bryce Young That Bad?

C.J. Stroud is having a top 10 season this year while Bryce Young is having a bad season. But is Young actually that bad?

Oftentimes we tend to overreact too soon when a rookie has an insane season. Then everyone starts criticizing and calling the other ones a bust. This year is a perfect example of that. With Bryce Young not having a good season and C.J. Stroud having an MVP-caliber rookie season, I keep seeing people say that the Panthers should’ve taken Stroud instead and already calling Young a bust after only half the season. There are a lot of things that go into having a great first season and more often than not rookies are going to be average in their rookie years.

Let’s talk about Stroud first. He was selected second overall this past year by the Houston Texans. I do remember before the draft even happened, I had no doubt in my mind that Stroud was the best QB in the draft class. Of course, me being an Ohio State fan and him being the QB there for two seasons, it was easy for me to see that. He has the accuracy; the patience and he can make every throw at any level of the field. He also showed he could run well against the Georgia Bulldogs in the College football semifinals, which was something we hadn’t seen all season before that game. There were questions coming into this season about whether he was smart enough to read defenses because he got the lowest score in a test for incoming QBs. Obviously, I thought that was ridiculous, and it has proven to be irrelevant since he has the best TD-INT ratio at 15-2. He is having a fantastic season for sure and should go on to win the OROY. While all this is true, it is also easy to see that Stroud is set up much better and in a much better situation than Young. That’s not to take anything away from Stroud because he is the franchise guy, and the Texans will be contenders for the next 10+ years as long as he’s there. One of the most important things to do for a rookie or young QB is to get them some young stud WRs that they can establish chemistry with early on. Stroud has two of those guys in Nico Collins and rookie Tank Dell. He has already shown great chemistry with both of them, and you can even add Noah Brown who is a little older at 27. Stroud seems to have found a few guys he can play with for a long time. Also getting Demeco Ryans as the HC of the team has helped Stroud tremendously. Him being the defensive coordinator for one of the best defenses of the last decade in the 49ers has helped bring a different element to the team that they didn’t have before. I don’t know if the Texans will make it into the postseason this season, but if they do, they will definitely be a dark horse team with how Stroud and Ryans have the team playing right now. Let me also add that Stroud is having possibly the best rookie QB season maybe ever. He is for sure in discussion with Cam Newton’s rookie season.

Now let’s look at Bryce Young. He was selected with the first overall pick by the Carolina Panthers. Coming out of college I had him second best right behind Stroud. Though I wasn’t arguing with people who had Young first because well they were pretty equal. I would say the main difference between them is the height; Stroud is 6’3 while Young is 5’10 which is on the shorter side for QBs in the pros. A lot of people like to overlook that fact but it’s pretty important when most of the offensive linemen in the league are 6’3 or taller, so it’s harder to see the field. Aside from that, Young was a great QB in college and won the Heisman in the 2021 season. Like Stroud, Young has everything you want in a QB. He has accuracy, he can make any throw at any level of the field and is also a great leader. When it comes to having a great young WR to build chemistry with though, Young doesn’t have that. His best WR is an old Adam Thielen who is past his prime. The Panthers have one of the worst receiving corps in the league as far as getting separation. They rank in the bottom five of that category. Even when they are open, Young is running for his life since he also has one of the, if not the worst offensive line in the league. They are top five for sacks allowed this season. Now obviously Young doesn’t help himself or the team either. He seems hesitant a lot of times because he just doesn’t have trust in his offense and is running scared a lot of the time. He threw two pick-sixes against the Colts a couple of weeks ago and both throws were horrible decisions that were rushed by the pass rush being in his face so quick. This coaching and scheme also don’t seem to be doing him any favors. Usually, when you have a very young team and offense, you want to do quick decision plays like screens and RPOs where the pass rush becomes ineffective. This season should not be an indication of how good or bad Young is yet. They have to get him a stud WR in the offseason to see how good he can really be. There were reports that at the trade deadline, they attempted to trade for Mike Evans and Davante Adams, so at least we know they’re trying to get him some help. They had a stud young WR in D.J. Moore but traded him in a package to move up to number one in the 2023 draft, where they eventually selected Young. They essentially swapped Moore for Young. The other unfortunate thing included in the deal was the Panthers 2024 first-round pick. Even if they end up with the first pick this upcoming draft, they don’t get it. So, the Panthers have no incentive to keep losing.

When it’s all said and done, I believe both Stroud and Young have the potential to be top 10 QBs for the next almost two decades. We are seeing how important it is to have a good HC and a good team around your rookie QBs. That is why more often than not you see rookie QBs selected in the top 10 not pan out. There’s a reason why those teams are selecting in the top 10; it’s because they’re bad teams and fans always expect a team to turn it around immediately because you got a stud QB. Then when they do bad people are shocked, but it is bound to happen when you don’t get help for them. Let’s revisit these two guys in five seasons when there is a bigger sample size.