Houston Texans’ C.J. Stroud rendered the S2 cognition test inconsequential in just one season, prompting Athletes First to advise its NFL Draft prospects against partaking in the test during pre-draft evaluations, as reported by Kalyn Kahler of The Athletic.
Before the 2023 NFL Draft, Stroud received a mere 18 out of 100 on the S2 test, sparking doubts about his readiness for the NFL. However, Stroud silenced critics with an exceptional rookie season, leading the Texans to their highest number of wins since 2019 with a 10-7 record.
Throughout his rookie campaign, Stroud amassed 4,557 passing yards, the second-highest total by a rookie quarterback in NFL history, trailing only Andrew Luck’s 4,662 yards in 2012. He also recorded 23 touchdowns, five interceptions, and a completion rate of 63.9 percent. Notably, Stroud kicked off his career with a record-breaking streak of 192 consecutive pass attempts without an interception.
On January 13, Stroud made history as the youngest starting quarterback to win a playoff game in the NFL, leading the Texans to a 45-14 victory over the Cleveland Browns during the Wild Card round. Despite falling short of reaching the Super Bowl, Stroud clinched Offensive Rookie of the Year honors and earned his first Pro Bowl selection.
Stroud’s phenomenal debut season underscores the inadequacy of relying on arbitrary tests to assess prospects’ abilities accurately.
