C.J. Stroud received a draft-day comparison that would have seemed unbelievable at this time last year.
Shortly after the Houston Texans drafted the 21-year-old Ohio State quarterback Thursday night, NBC Sports NFL analyst Chris Simms tweeted that Stroud reminds him of 49ers sensation Brock Purdy.
That's right: The No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft was compared to Mr. Irrelevant in the 2022 draft.
"Brock Purdy on steroids" definitely is a way to describe Stroud's game, though, as the 6-foot-3 signal-caller garnered many accolades during his Buckeyes stint, including being a two-time Griese-Brees Quarterback of the Year winner in the Big Ten Conference.
Simms also noted that having an offensive coordinator such as Bobby Slowik -- who's familiar with 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan's system from his six seasons on San Francisco's staff -- only can help Stroud reach his full potential for a rebuilding Texans squad.
Purdy's skills were on full display last season, when he broke numerous 49ers and NFL records as a rookie quarterback, helping lead San Francisco to the NFC Championship Game.
San Francisco 49ers
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Will Stroud break numerous records as a rookie quarterback like Purdy did? That remains to be seen, especially with former 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans now calling the shots as the Texans' head coach. But it's clear those around the NFL have high expectations for him.