Former Buckeye C.J. Stroud No. 37 in Chris Simms NFL QB Rankings

C.J. Stroud was selected one pick after Alabama's Bryce Young, who went to the Carolina Panthers at No. 1, and two spots ahead of Florida's Anthony Richardson, selected fourth overall by the Indianapolis Colts.

The Houston Texans drafted Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud with the second overall pick in last month's NFL Draft with the hopes that he will turn the franchise around quickly.

Stroud was selected one pick after Alabama's Bryce Young, who went to the Carolina Panthers at No. 1, and two spots ahead of Florida's Anthony Richardson, selected fourth overall by the Indianapolis Colts.

But where do they stand in Chris Simms' quarterback rankings? Simms released the bottom five of his top 40 quarterbacks entering the 2023 season, and all three of the first-round quarterbacks are listed, but maybe surprisingly, not in the order in which they were picked.

Second-year signal-callers Desmond Ridder of Atlanta and Sam Howell of Washington were Nos. 40 and 39 respectively, then the first-round picks appear.

Young was ranked the lowest of the three at No. 38, followed by Stroud at No. 37 and Richardson at No. 36.

Why does Richardson have an early edge over the other two?

"Anthony Richardson's adjustment to the NFL is going to be easier than the other two because of his ability to run," Simms said on the Chris Simms Unbuttoned podcast. "[The Colts] are gonna have something to rely on that's real positive and gonna simplify the game for him that way.

"So because of that, I think there's gonna be an easier developmental process, an easier ability to maybe have success and have a real effect on the football team right away. His game is not be gonna be as much about, 'I have to be in the pocket perfectly and read the coverage the exact right way.'"

But even though Simms has Richardson ranked higher than Stroud and Young this year, he still likes the first two overall picks better for the long term.

"If I was gonna rank them basically on they all have to drop back and pass the ball 40 times a game, no [Richardson] wouldn't be there," Simms said.

"I would [take Stroud and Young over Richardson long term]. Definitely," he added. "I mean, I love C.J. Stroud as a player. I absolutely love him."

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