Here we are less than two weeks before the draft, and it is time to break down the most important players in the game. I must say that this quarterback class looked better last year than it does this year coming up to the draft. Top prospects like Bryce Young and CJ Stroud are being picked apart by the media for size, weight, speed, and system issues coming into draft day. These pre-draft thoughts and opinions have the market all up in a tizzy. The irony here is that last year’s quarterback class was ranked so poorly that there wasn’t even one selected in the first 20 picks, yet guys like Kenny Pickett, Brock Purdy, and Bailey Zappe performed quite well under the circumstances that they had during the season. Sam Howell and Desmond Ridder are now expected to come in and start for their respective teams, and I think that last year’s class might end up much better than previously expected. I think if teams just avoid the noise in the media, they can make good determinations on who is an NFL quarterback and who isn’t. If you ask me, all of these guys in the top 5 are pretty close to each other, and I personally would not make a big reach for any one of them. I give this class a B- right now coming into the season.
- CJ Stroud, Ohio State HT: 6-foot-3 | WT: 214 pounds
Stroud seems to have all of the measurables when looking for an NFL quarterback. Stroud is tall enough at 6’3, he has good size hands at 10″ and he is a very accurate passer. Being Justin Fields mentee probably helped him develop at Ohio State, but we do not know how fast this kid really is being that he has avoided the 40 yard dash. That usually tells me that the candidate’s speed isn’t overly impressive, yet we did see him use his legs some in the college football playoffs which makes me think that he might have some more threats to a defense than we may even think. The big knock against Stroud is that he has played in a system that has not been conducive to NFL success, and the verdict on his predecessor Justin Fields is still in deliberation. I think that Stroud is the safest bet out of all the quarterbacks in this draft being that he has the size for the NFL, and has performed quite well on the big stage in college over the past two seasons. Stroud has been rumored to go number one a few weeks ago, but that noise has now flipped over to Bryce Young. I would not be surprised to see CJ fall to the Texans or even the Colts if something crazy happens.
2. Hendon Hooker, Tennessee HT: 6-foot-3 | WT: 217 pounds
I honestly didn’t know that I was going to land on Hendon Hooker here before I started my research, but then I had to ask myself, why the heck not after looking at the total package? Did Hooker play in an NFL system? No. Did Hooker finish the season healthy? No, but why should that matter to a Houston Texans team drafting 2nd with an experienced quarterback to start the season in Davis Mills? Hendon Hooker threw 58 touchdowns and only five interceptions over the last two years! Who doesn’t love that ratio!? Those numbers are absolutely amazing no matter how you slice it up. Not only that, Hooker rushed for over 400 yards in both of his past two seasons which has gained popularity in the NFL. Hendon was 69.6% accurate last year in his passes and he has stepped up to the competition against teams like Kentucky, LSU and Alabama. Even though he played in a Josh Heuple college offense, Hooker’s measurables at 6’3, 217 lbs fits the part. Having 10.5 inch hands also helps as well. I do not see why he has fallen so low in the prospects for 2023 and Hendon is my second best quarterback on the board.
3. Bryce Young, Alabama, HT: 5-foot-10 | WT: 204 pounds
Ok, 204 lbs? I am guessing that he ate some of my mothers brownies before weigh-ins at the combine. So does this matter that much? Bryce was the top performing quarterback all around over the past two years throwing 79 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He also played in more of a pro-style offense at Alabama. Now Bryce has been the consensus number one pick for a long time now, but somehow that has changed when the media nerds got involved critiquing his height and weight. The noise isn’t completely wrong here, and the fact that he is being compared to Kyler Murray doesn’t bode well. I have to say that he certainly has a better emotional upside over Kyler, but that wasn’t known of Murray during the 2019 NFL draft. What was known of Kyler Murray was his fast speed and unfortunately Bryce Young chose not to run the forty yard dash at the combine, or at his pro-day which raises some red flags. Young however said he would run in some private workouts so maybe that changes some things. I see the upside with Bryce here, but one must also have to take into account that he played on the most talented team in football. The NFL game moves much faster than in college, and Young did not put up a lot of rushing yards. Size, level of competition, and speed is why he drops down some on my list. Bryce will probably be drafted before third to Houston or now the favorite Carolina, but he is the last person whom I give out a first round grade.
4. Will Levis, Kentucky HT: 6-foot-4 | WT: 229 pounds
I totally am uncomfortable with this pick, and I feel that Will Levis could be the “Mitch Trubisky” of the 2023 draft. At the same time, Levis has more of the NFL qualities than the rest of the candidates below, so he lands at number four. At 6’4 229 LBS, this large man can see the field as well as take an NFL hit. He also has a cannon for an arm. One also has to appreciate in Will Levis that he has some experience in an offense that has some pro-style concepts at Kentucky. Was his numbers all that good? Not really, as he was only 65.4% accurate with 19 TDs and 10 Interceptions. We also have to remember that the man had nobody to throw to last season as his whole receiving core was turned over from 2021 to 2022. So why the Mitch comparison? Quite simply that he has faltered in the big games. I will give him some credit for beating Mississippi State, but his performances against Tennessee, South Carolina, and Georgia were quite abysmal. I think that maybe the Colts or Raiders take a chance on Levis if they do not trade down, but I am somewhat concerned to waste a high pick on a potential bust.
5. Stetson Bennett, Georgia HT: 5-foot-11 | WT: 192 pounds
If I lost all credibility with you ranking Hendon Hooker number two then, you will hate me even more for this pick. I think that “fit” is the thing that we need to look at here. For a team that is rebuilding, I don’t like it much, but If I’m the Miami Dolphins, the NY Jets (if for some reason they do not get Rogers) or the Baltimore Ravens, I have to take a look at this kid. Look, at some point you have to acknowledge how these kids (meaning guy in his mid-twenties) performed during his tenure at his school. Two college football championships in two years, the ability to read defenses, and big time clutch come-back performances. This Stetson Bennett dude might be the size of Bryce Young, but he has accomplished more with less offensive weapons. Bennett’s forty time of 4.67 is most likely a bit slower than Bryce Young’s forty time, but it isn’t as bad as some of the pocket passers in today’s NFL. Stetson threw for over 4000 yards at Georgia with 27 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. Had this team not been blowing out most of their opponents, those numbers might be even greater. Bennett isn’t tall enough or large enough for a standard NFL quarterback by any means, but he might be as ready as they come when he gets to the next level being that he has palyed behind a tall offensive line in Georgia.
6. Jake Haener, Fresno State HT: 6-foot | WT: 207 pounds
This guy reminds me a lot of Drew Breese. Not a ton of arm talent, but extremely accurate, and very consistent. Not a ton of measurables here, but the kid is an athlete who at least had a 35″ Vertical and 9’6″ broad jump at the combine. Jake was at an amazing 72% completion percentage in a year where he was injured. Haener aslo had an amazing 33 touchdowns and 9 interceptions and threw for over 4000 yards in 2021. Obviously his size isn’t NFL, but this isn’t the year to get all caught up in that. I could see teams like Green bay, NY Jets, or the LA Rams taking a shot with him. Want to know how good Jake Haener really is? Watch Fresno State games with him, and without him.
7. Anthony Richardson, Florida HT: 6-foot-4 | WT: 244 pounds
Looks like Tarzan plays like…. Rick James? We don’t know how well Anthony Richardson will play in the next level, but this specimen of a man had the best combine athletically as a quarterback. Anthony is a large man compared to Cam Newton who has a cannon for an arm and ran a 4.43 forty! His vertical jump tells me that he can hit his head on a basketball rim. Now for the bad… Anthony Richardson was at a dismal 54% completion percentage last year, and most of Florida’s wins came due to his legs. This isn’t a sustainable system in the NFL, and even as big as Richardson is, he will get hurt unless he learns how to pass the ball with better accuracy, and go through his progressions. A team drafting Richardson would be taking a risk here, and they will have to keep him on the shelf for a long time before he is ready. Is the Colts ready for a rebuild? Not sure they want to go that rout, but if not them, then maybe Washington, Seattle or Detroit makes at least some sense. I don’t think Richardson is worth a first round pick unless you have a better plan A for the 2023 season. Maybe if it doesn’t work out at quarterback for Richardson, he could transition to be a very good tight end.
8. Max Duggan, TCU HT: 6-foot-2 | WT: 207 pounds
This is a tricky one because no offense has more of a fast paced college spread/Air-raid style than Sonny Dykes. Also, which Max Duggan are we gonna get in the NFL? The 2021 Max Duggan, or the extremely clutch and extremely lucky Max Duggan that took the Horned Frogs to the college football national championship game? I am gonna forget the way that TCU was embarrassed in that game being that they just couldn’t keep that crazy pace up, but the more important thing is if Max Duggan can translate into a pro-style offense. Even in TCU’s miracle year last year, Duggan was only 63.7% completion percentage. He did rush for over 400 yards which kept the Frogs in some big games. The big shocker to me is that the man is faster than he even looks running a 4.52 forty at the combine. That is the second fastest of all quarterbacks beating guys like Malik Cunningham and DTR! Now if Max can balance his imperfections and stay healthy, he definitely has a shot succeeding in the NFL. I think that the Raiders, Jets or even the Packers could benefit from his services.
9. Dorian Thompson-Robinson, UCLA HT: 6-foot-2 | WT: 203 pounds
Let’s face it. College offenses are better for college than pro! Ask any of these coaches who rely on speed and spacing. I think that there is a reason that some of the faster paced college quarterbacks like Joe Burrow, Kyler Murray, Patrick Mahomes, and Justin Herbert are now quickly having great success right from college into the next level. One thing that we notice now with the pros is that they have taken some of the best concepts from college, like RPOs, and the read option, to help evolve and improve upon NFL offense. Now we have Chip Kelly’s guy in here in Dorian Thompson Robinson who put up some nice numbers this year. DTR is pretty fast running a 4.56 forty while having enough height at 6’2 that many scouts require. DTR’s numbers are pretty good at 69.6% completion with 3,168 yards passing and a 27-10 TD to interception ratio. This California kid stepped up big to win in some big games vs Utah this year and USC last year. In saying all that, I do have a problem with Dorian’s weight at 203 lbs. It seems a bit low for the NFL, and this kid will need to bulk up some. I believe that DTR could be a late speculative pick by a team like the Eagles, Bears, Saints or even the Ravens as a project to try and shape the future of their organizations.
10. Aiden O’Connell, Purdue HT: 6-foot-3 | WT: 213 pounds
If you want to look at shear volume, Aiden O’Connell threw 499 times last year at 64.1%. Here is another college system quarterback under Jeff Brohm who thrived in that offense, yet he at least has the size for the NFL. Aiden O’Connell kept Purdue in many games last year and many thought that they should have beaten Penn State the very first game of the season. So Aiden O’Connell seemed to fall short in most of his big games last year, but it would be interesting to see this kid with an actual defense, and a semblance of a running game in which Purdue ranked last in the country in 2022. I could see a team like the Texans, or even the Colts taking a late flyer on this Aiden.
Honorable Mentions:
11. Tanner McKee, Stanford HT: 6-foot-6 | WT: 231 pounds
His coaching wasn’t the greatest but he has some size. Upside of Ryan Tannehill and downside of Mike Glennon.
12. Clayton Tune, Houston HT: 6-foot-3 | WT: 220 pounds
When good competition set in, this quarterback changed his Tune. Good size though.
13. Malik Cunningham, Louisville HT: 6-foot | WT: 192 pounds
He looks like a college quarterback, plays like a college quarterback, and doesn’t look much good for the NFL. His 4.53 forty might of actually hurt his draft stock.
14. Jaren Hall, BYU HT: 6-foot | WT: 207 pounds
Not sure what screwed this kid more… Playing for BYU? Or the fact that Zach Wilson played for BYU.
15. Tyson Bagent, Shepherd HT: 6-foot-3 | WT: 213 pounds
Is this the Tony Romo of this year’s draft? He had some great numbers in division II football, but then again, so did Trey Lance. My advice to him is to start yelling at people immediately so that eventually, people will start to think that he is in charge.
