It took C.J. Stroud less than a year to establish himself as one of the league’s best quarterbacks. Stroud led the Houston Texans to a 10-7 regular season record while leading the franchise to the postseason for the first time since 2019.

Jeremy Fowler of ESPN recently surveyed NFL executives, coaches and personnel members to determine the league’s top-10 quarterback entering the 2024 season. Stroud placed seventh ahead of his second season under center in Houston.

Stroud became the first player in franchise history to win Offensive Rookie of the Year while becoming the first quarterback since Deshaun Watson to receive a Pro Bowl honor.

Houston drafted Stroud with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, and he immediately made an impact on the franchise. He put together one of the greatest seasons by a first-year quarterback in league history, finishing with 4,557 total passing yards, 26 touchdowns, and five interceptions — all including the postseason.

Stroud’s best moment of the 2023 came during the Texans’ Week 9 comeback victory against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He finished with 470 passing yards, going 30-for-42 with five touchdowns and no interceptions to lead Houston to a 39-37 victory.

During Houston’s final offensive possession, Stroud led the Texans on a 75-yard touchdown drive in six plays. During the final play, he completed a game-winning 15-yard touchdown to wide receiver Tank Dell.

Players ranked ahead of Stroud were Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City Chiefs), Joe Burrow (Cincinnati Bengals), Josh Allen (Buffalo Bills), Lamar Jackson (Baltimore Ravens), Matthew Stafford (Los Angeles Rams) and Justin Herbert (Los Angeles Chargers).