Ranking 2023's Quarterback Draft Class: C.J. Stroud, Hendon Hooker Lead The Way
We are going to take a look at the rookie quarterbacks again and let you know the order they should be picked. This does not mean we believe this is the order they will be picked in; teams make mistakes all the time. However, we will be ranking how good their NFL careers are going to be.
1 C.J. Stroud, Ohio State
It has become harder and harder to convince us that Stroud won’t be the first-overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. The Top three quarterbacks are all very debatable from a talent and potential perspective, nonetheless, Stroud lacks the red flags of the next two guys. At 6’3 218 pounds he doesn’t have the size and durability issues that surround Bryce Young and at 21 years old, he’s significantly younger than the 25-year-old Hendon Hooker. Stroud also isn’t coming off an ACL injury. It would be a massive risk to take any QB other than Stroud with the first pick.
Through the draft process, he has impressed both from a personality and skill set standpoint. He has shown off maturity, a big arm, and he’s NFL-ready. Despite not being a runner, he is quite mobile and has shown escapability. Stroud is lightyears ahead of Anthony Richardson and Will Levis as a passer, and it’s unlikely they ever catch up. This has to be the top guy.
2 Hendon Hooker, Tennessee
This was a really tough call choosing between Young and Hooker for the QB2 spot in this draft. Both are comparable when it comes to talent and upside. The question became what scares us more? Young’s size or Hooker’s age? The ACL injury we aren’t quite as concerned about, it’s been proven QBs can bounce back from that relatively consistently with today’s medical advancements.
Hooker was tremendous and dominated the SEC. We watched him knock off Alabama while accounting for over 440 yards and five TDs. While at Tennessee for two seasons he completed 69.6% of his passes while throwing for over 6,000 yards, 58 TDs, and just five interceptions. He also rushed for over 1,000 yards and 10 additional touchdowns. There is a chance we flip-flop back and forth with him and Bryce Young again before the draft, nevertheless, We have Hooker as our second-ranked quarterback, and no one in the top three is separated by much.
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3 Bryce Young, Alabama
If you watch film on all the quarterbacks in this draft it’s hard to not come away believing that Young is the best. He should even be the favorite right out of the gates to win Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2023. The issue for us is his size and ability to hold up over the long haul in the NFL. Even with the league taking additional steps to protect quarterbacks it’s going to be tough. Youngs weighed in at 5’10, 194 pounds after bulking up for the NFL Combine. To put that into perspective, two quarterbacks that have been often viewed as too small in the NFL are Kyler Murray and Tua Tagovailoa. Murray is 5’10, 207 pounds and Tua is 6’1, 216 pounds. Both have dealt with injury issues, and both are significantly bigger.
Still, as a passer, he is great at everything. If he was bigger, he’d be viewed as the next great can’t-miss rookie quarterback and a lock to go No. 1. He can read a defense, go through his progressions, and throw the deep ball with accuracy. The one thing he does have going for him is he can evade pressure but isn’t a runner. So, that gives him an advantage over a guy like Murray when it comes to staying healthy. This may end up looking like a really bad prediction at the end of the year but talk to me in five years after his rookie deal is up.
4 Anthony Richardson, Florida
Richardson blew everyone away at the combine. He was doing things we’ve never seen a quarterback do before, especially at his size. At 6’4, and 244 pounds, he ran a 4.43 40-yard dash with a 40.5 vertical leap and a 10’9 broad jump. That is ridiculous especially when you see him launch the ball out of the cannon on his arm. If you look at his measurables and watch a highlight reel of him you will be in awe. Unfortunately, he’s terrible. If you watch his film you will realize he’s not a good quarterback. The hope here is you are finding the next Josh Allen when 99% of the time you’re just finding JaMarcus Russell or Terrelle Pryor. He is nowhere near NFL-ready and will have to develop significantly to even be a competent NFL quarterback. We aren’t saying it can’t be done, but a pick like this rarely works out. It’s a chance we wouldn’t be willing to take in the first round.
5 Will Levis, Kentucky
Levis has kind of become the forgotten man this winter with all the hype surrounding the other QBs at the NFL Combine. He has a lot of the same issues Richardson has. His film shows poor decision-making and inaccuracy on his passes. However, he is currently better than Richardson, he just doesn’t have the astronomical physical upside. At the end of the day, Richardson is ranked above him because we have to consider the fact that we could be wrong, and if we’re going to be wrong at least be wrong shooting for the moon. While Levis is more advanced as a quarterback than Richardson right now, if we are going to go with a project QB then Richardson would be our first choice.
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