2023 NFL DRAFT: Position Breakdown: QUARTERBACKS
This year's class of signal callers does not have superstar can't miss prospect like a Trevor Lawrence or Joe Burrow. That does not mean it is not an elite class as a whole. With the ascension of Hendon Hooker in the draft process, it is likely that five quarterbacks could be drafted in the first wound on Thursday night. CJ Stroud and Bryce Young have been battling it out since high school in California. Young was ranked higher then and will likely be drafted number one on Thursday. However, many think that Stroud could be the better quarterback in the long term. This draft class reminds me a lot of the 1999 quarterback class where Tim Couch and Donovan McNabb were considered the safest bets and were draft number one and two respectively. Akili Smith was a great athlete with questionable accuracy like Will Levis. Daunte Culpepper was big, athletic guy with a rocket arm out of the state of Florida that was raw as a passer similar to Anthony Richardson. Then Cade McNown was the veteran great college quarterback with limited potential similar to Hendon Hooker.
That was a nice comparison, now here is my breakdown of this year's quarterbacks:
CJ Stroud-QB-Ohio St
6’3”/214
NFL Comparison: Troy Aikman/Teddy Bridgewater
Stats: 2-year Average:
4062 passing yards
42.5 passing touchdowns.
6 Interceptions
69.3 completion percentage
182 QB Rating
Stroud is the safe option of this year's quarterback class. He plays the game with a maturity and smoothness that is beyond his year's. He has shown the ability to make passing plays into all three levels of a defense. His tape against a loaded Georgia defense solidified him as a top pick in the draft. Stroud's accuracy and awareness are his best traits as a signal caller.
Stroud is the classical pocket passer that does little when the play breaks down. This can be seen as both a negative and positive. Negative in that he lacks the athletic ability and confidence to extend plays, but positive in that he rarely forces bad plays.
I compare him to Troy Aikman with his blend of passing ability, good size and great game management skills. I also think this is how I would describe Teddy Bridgewater coming out of college. Aikman became a Hall of Fame player on the great Cowboys of the 90's while Bridgewater was a solid starter before injuries derailed his career. Stroud has a chance to be special but given his limited athleticism, he needs to land in the right spot.
Bryce Young-QB-Alabama
5’10”/204
NFL Comparison: Russell Wilson/Doug Flutie
Stats: 2-year Average:
4100 passing yards
43 total touchdowns
6 Interceptions
65.7 completion percentage
165.4 QB Rating
Young is both an electric playmaker and excellent pocket passer. He also plays with a maturity and has a very high football IQ. He somehow exceeded the massive expectations playing at Alabama by winning the Heisman and the National Title in his sophomore season in 2021. Last year he took a step back after losing his top receivers. He still is a complete prospect that can do anything asked of him as a signal caller. His ability to make split second plays is uncanny for a such a young player.
The question marks will always be in regards to his height and frame. He weighed in at 204 at the combine but played at under 190 pounds in college. We just haven's seen many small guys succeed at the NFL at his size. Russell Wilson is the poster child, but Wilson is also 215 and built like a running back. Doug Flutie is really the only guy that has any sort of NFL success, and it was late in his career. The game has changed and Young will be given the chance to silence the critics. The Panthers will likely draft him and will need to put the right offense around him to maximize his unique skill set.
Anthony Richardson-QB-Florida
6’4”/244/4.43/40.5" vertical jump/129" broad jump
NFL Comparison: Daunte Culpepper/Cam Newton/Josh McCown
2022 Stats
2549 passing yards
26 total touchdowns
9 Interceptions
53.8 completion percentage
131 QB Rating
654 rushing yards
Richardson has the best combination of size, athletic ability and arm strength that we have ever seen in a quarterback prospect. If one was molding the perfect football player, it would likely look exactly like Richardson. He set combine records in the vertical and broad jump and oh by the way also ran 4.43 at 244 pounds. The physical gifts are similar to Daunte Culpepper who is from Ocala which is the next city from Gainesville where Richardson hails from. Culpepper was 6’4”/255/4.52/39" vertical jump/122" broad jump and had a rocket arm. Newton and McCown (I can't believe I mentioned both Josh McCown and Cade McNown in the same blog post) are similar sized athletes.
Now here are the red flags. He only started one season at Florida and to say he was wildly inconsistent is an understatement. He completion percentage was very poor and he missed reads at a very high rate. Watch his tape vs Georgia and CJ Stroud's tape and the difference between prospects is immense. Now Richardson did not have the weapons that Stroud or Youn had but he still was throwing to SEC talent. Richardson is the most polarizing player in the draft. You want to root for him because he is so humble yet very confident. It will be best for him if he lands with a team like Seattle or Las Vegas where he can sit a year or two under a veteran quarterback.
Will Levis-QB-Kentucky
6’4”/229/124' broad jump
NFL Comparison: Jay Cutler/Jeff George
Stats: 2-year Average:
2616 passing yards
27 total touchdowns
11.5 Interceptions
65.7 completion percentage
150.1 QB Rating
ROCKET ARM
ROCKET ARM
ROCKET ARM
I don't know if you have heard but Mr. Levis has an absolute cannon for an arm. Levis is the other polarizing prospect in this year's class with his elite size, great athletic ability and aforementioned insane arm strength. The two comparison are pretty easy with Jay Cutler and Jeff George. This may seem like a slight but both players had solid careers. George did not live up to his number one overall pick expectations but still had a long career. Cutler started for 11 seasons and led his team to the playoffs. This is the likely path of Levis as he should be a starter but his inconsistencies will likely always be a problem.
Hendon Hooker-QB-Tennessee
6’3”/217
NFL Comparison: Dak Prescott/Geno Smith
2022 Stats
3135 passing yards
27 total touchdowns
2 Interceptions
69.6 completion percentage
175.5 QB Rating
430 rushing yards
Hooker was on pace to win this Heisman before an ACL injury ended his great season. He profiles as a solid option with limited upside. He is also the oldest QB in the class at 25 years old. He transferred to Tennessee after three seasons at Virginia Tech.
He took a huge leap as a passer while at Tennessee. He has very good running ability and a very good frame. Dak Prescott would be the best case scenario. Like Geno Smith, Hooker was a great college player that may be limited to a fringe starter or high end backup in the NFL. His range is crazy as he could go as high as the top 12 or drop to the late second round.
6’6”/231
NFL Comparison: Brock Osweiler/Matt Schaub
2022 Stats
2947 passing yards
15 total touchdowns
8 Interceptions
62.0 completion percentage
126.4 QB Rating
HONORABLE MENTION
|
Prospect |
Ht |
Wt |
|
Jake Haener-QB-Fresno State |
6'0'' |
207 |
|
Jaren Hall-QB-BYU |
6'0'' |
207 |
|
Dorian Thompson Robinson-QB-UCLA |
6'1'' |
203 |
|
Clayton Tune-QB-Houston |
6'2" |
220 |
|
Aidan
O’Connell-QB-Purdue |
6'3" |
212 |
|
Max Duggan-QB-TCU |
6'1'' |
207 |
|
Stetson Bennett-QB-Georgia |
5'11'' |
192 |
|
Malik Cunningham-QB-Louisville |
6'0'' |
192 |
|
Tyson Bagent-QB-Shepard |
6'3" |
213 |
|
Tanner Morgan-QB-Minnesota |
6'2" |
215 |
|
Sean Clifford-QB-Penn St |
6'2" |
215 |
|
Todd Centeio-QB-James Madison |
6'0'' |
221 |
|
Adrian Martinez-QB-Kansas St |
6'3" |
225 |
|
Chase Brice-QB-APP
St |
6'2" |
237 |
|
Thomas
Devito-QB-Illinois |
6'0" |
206 |
|
Holton Ahlers-QB-East Carolina |
6'3" |
230 |
|
Ben Bryant-QB-Cincinnati |
6'3" |
220 |
|
Tim Demorat-QB-Fordham |
6'3" |
221 |
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