Ohio State passer C.J. Stroud popped at the NFL Combine over the weekend, with some draft analysts calling his performance one the best throwing sessions they’ve ever seen. So how did Stroud finish his breakout weekend?
It seems like he celebrated with a trip to TD Garden for Knicks-Celtics.
the Mac Jones smear campaign continues
WEEI’s Jermaine Wiggins took a photo Sunday night of a fan who bears close resemblance to Stroud. He was seated directly behind Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau, lending more credence to the notion that Stroud was in attendance, and not some coincidentally timed lookalike.
With NFL Draft prognosticators projecting that Stroud will probably be selected in the top 10 — and that was before he dazzled in Indianapolis — it’s highly unlikely he’ll be available at No. 14 when the Patriots are on the clock.
But that doesn’t mean the Patriots wouldn’t want to meet with Stroud in Foxborough. They have a long history of meeting with top-tier quarterbacks prior to the draft, including Lamar Jackson, Johnny Manziel, Justin Herbert and Baker Mayfield. It’s called doing due-diligence.
Last week, the Patriots met with another likely first-round quarterback, Florida’s Anthony Richardson. “I feel like that was another great interview for me as well,” Richardson told reporters.
At a cursory glance, there’s no apparent link between Stroud and the Patriots. His agent, David Muligheta, is from Austin, Texas.
But there continue to be strange rumblings out of Gillette Stadium in regards to Mac Jones’ future. Over the weekend, ESPN’s Dan Graziano reported there’s been “chatter” the Raiders could target Jones, though Graziano noted it’s “unlikely” the Patriots would trade him.
And even if they do, it’s hard to believe Las Vegas would be willing to surrender its first round pick, No. 7 overall. The Patriots would presumably have to get into the top 10 for a shot at Stroud.
But before any of those possibilities, the Patriots would have to meet with Stroud, and vet him themselves. Maybe Stroud’s apparent presence at the Garden was the first sign of a pending blockbuster, or absolutely nothing.