The 2023 NFL Draft will feature a number of talented quarterbacks. How does it stack up to the previous two classes?
The quarterback position is undoubtedly the most important in football, and arguably the most important in any sport. The NFL is a pass-first league these days, as there’s a new record set seemingly every season. The past two quarterback draft classes could not have been more opposite, as one was lauded and the other panned.
In 2021, the group was highly-touted, even earning so much praise that “the best quarterback class ever” became a regular statement being thrown around by evaluators. There were five signal-callers taken in round one: Trevor Lawrence (No. 1 overall), Zach Wilson (No. 2 overall), Trey Lance (No. 3 overall), Justin Fields (No. 11 overall), and Mac Jones (No. 15 overall).
Those five do not tell the full story, either. In the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft, the Houston Texans selected Davis Mills out of Stanford. Mills played well as a rookie and is slated to be QB1 for the franchise in 2022. It’s still too early to know if this class will ever live up to its lofty expectations, but the talent is undoubtedly there.
2023 NFL Draft: Another Crop of Talented Signal-Callers is on the Way
The 2022 class is a completely different story regarding the expectation they carried entering the draft process. With many around the league believing that the class was without an elite option at quarterback, the hype surrounding the position was minimal from NFL teams. This is evident when you see that Kenny Pickett (No. 20 overall) was the only quarterback to go in round one.
Middle-round hopefuls like Desmond Ridder, Malik Willis, and Matt Corral all have redeeming qualities and each possesses a great amount of potential going forward. Even fifth-round pick, Sam Howell, has an outside chance of seeing playing time in 2022 for the Washington Commanders if veteran Carson Wentz falters. There’s a chance this class looks much stronger down the line, but on paper, it is less than inspiring to say the least.
So, how does the upcoming draft class stack up to its predecessors? There are a couple of elite options that enter the 2022 college football season with first-round aspirations, and a slew of other quarterbacks that are flying under the radar. Let’s dive in and discuss the polarizing group of signal-callers from the 2023 NFL Draft class.
The Elite
CJ Stroud (Ohio State)
CJ Stroud is the odds-on favorite to go No. 1 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft and for good reason. The former four-star recruit out of Rancho Cucamonga won the starting job to open the 2021 season, and even amidst the growing pains early, Stroud eventually found his footing and earned an invite to the Heisman Trophy ceremony in New York.
The Buckeye signal-caller has received rave reviews for his exceptional anticipation and ability to make throws at every level. He by no means has the strongest arm in the world, but there is more than enough to thrive at the next level. Stroud could solidify his No. 1 overall pick status by sharpening up his progressions and utilizing his legs more on broken plays.
Bryce Young (Alabama)
The 2021 Heisman Trophy winner, Bryce Young, returns to Tuscaloosa for his third year on campus. After spending his true freshman season behind eventual first-round pick Mac Jones, Young assumed the top spot on the depth chart entering 2021. He threw for nearly 5000 yards in 15 games, ending the season with a superb 47:7 TD: INT ratio.
Young lacks the prototypical size that Stroud possesses, but he makes up for it with his sheer arm talent and unwavering positivity. Young is the type of guy that was born to lead a locker room in the NFL. Size will continue to be his biggest red flag, as many around the league suspect Young is much shorter than his listed height of 6-foot flat.
He will be looking to become only the second player, along with former Buckeye Archie Griffin, to win multiple Heisman Trophies. Surprisingly, Alabama has never had a No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft. Between outside linebacker, Will Anderson Jr., and quarterback Bryce Young, the Crimson Tide could finally have a player sit atop the draft board in 2023.
Borderline Elite
Will Levis (Kentucky)
Will Levis is the most polarizing quarterback in the 2023 NFL Draft class. Depending on who you ask, the Kentucky Wildcat fireballer is either firmly in first-round discussions, or is an extremely raw prospect with much more room to grow. I say that there is some truth to both sides of the debate.
Levis began his collegiate career as a member of the Penn State Nittany Lions. He was primarily used in goal-line and short-yard situations due to his imposing frame. After losing out on the starting gig to Sean Clifford, Levis wound up transferring to Kentucky in hopes of finding first-team reps.
In 2021, Levis was named the starter for the Wildcats and went on to have a strong year under the tutelage of offensive coordinator, Liam Coen. Now, Coen has left the Bluegrass State to return to his roots with the Los Angeles Rams. It will be interesting to see how this impacts Levis and his development heading into his senior season.
As stated, Levis possesses an incredibly stout frame for a quarterback. Equally enough, he has a rocket launcher attached to his right shoulder. He ran some NFL packages with Coen at the helm, showing a real proficiency in the play-action setting. If Levis can cut down on his turnovers and continue learning the nuances of the position, there’s a real chance he ascends to the “elite” tier.
Potential Big School Risers
Tyler Van Dyke (Miami)
The Miami Hurricanes found themselves without a starting quarterback when D’Eriq King went down with a season-ending injury early in 2021. Van Dyke took over and went on to start nine games, helping guide the team to five wins in their final six games. For his efforts, Van Dyke earned ACC Offensive Rookie of the Year honors.
Van Dyke is locked into the QB1 role and enters the season with Heisman Trophy aspirations. During the aforementioned six-game stretch to end the 2021 season, the quarterback put up elite numbers: 66% completion, 2194 passing yards, and a sparkling 20:3 TD: INT ratio. He recorded at least 316 yards and three passing touchdowns for six straight weeks.
Mario Cristobal has all the talent in the world at his disposal heading into 2022. Van Dyke must continue to show better judgment and display improved ball placement to truly rise up this list. A lot of things are in Van Dyke’s favor, giving him the wide-open opportunity to earn his way into Day One draft talks.
Tanner McKee (Stanford)
Former Stanford Cardinal, Davis Mills, is the most recent quarterback to reach the NFL from the program. The circumstances aren’t apples for apples, but Tanner McKee is looking to follow in the footsteps of Mills, albeit with the hopes of being a much higher selection in the NFL Draft.
McKee was a four-star recruit coming out of high school, but he had other business to take care of before officially enrolling at Stanford. For his first two years after high school, McKee spent that time in Brazil on a Latter-Day Saints mission. This highlights the type of leader that the quarterback is, on and off the field.
McKee took over for Mills and started nine games in 2021, setting a slew of freshman records in the process. The biggest selling point for McKee’s NFL chances is the picture-perfect technique that he displays in the pocket. Even if the decision-making isn’t always where you want it to be, NFL coaches will buy into the talent and work on ironing out the rough edges.
Hendon Hooker (Tennessee)
A quick disclaimer here: I am a big believer in Hendon Hooker. He began his collegiate career in Blacksburg at Virginia Tech, spending 2017 as a redshirt and 2018 as a full-time backup. He accrued 15 starts over his final two seasons with the Hokies but entered the transfer portal following the COVID-shortened 2020 season.
With a newfound life in Tennessee, Hooker won the starting job for the Volunteers heading into 2021. He completed 68% of his passes, amassed a total of 2945 yards through the air, and threw 31 touchdowns to only three interceptions. Adding to his athletic profile as a runner, Hooker also recorded over 600 yards on the ground, along with five more touchdowns.
Are you starting to see why I love the guy so much? It’s not all perfect for Hooker as a prospect, though. Although he isn’t prone to turnovers, a look at his tape shows that Hooker takes far too long to get rid of the football at times. For a guy with the arm talent and running ability that Hooker possesses, it’s almost hard to blame him for thinking he can do the impossible.
To hear his name called on Day One of the draft, Hooker must cut down on the “hero ball” plays that litter his tape. To succeed in the NFL, the versatile signal-caller will have to become more comfortable inside the pocket and be more willing to give up on a play rather than costing his team valuable yardage on a low-percentage play. His 6’4, 218-pound frame is enticing for scouts, but he has to continue to improve on the fundamentals of the position to have a long career in the league.
Devin Leary (NC State)
Devin Leary is a name that has been gaining a lot of steam in NFL Draft circles over the past few months. Leary put together his first full season as the starter for the Wolfpack in 2021. He set a new school record with 35 touchdown passes, surpassing Philip Rivers in the process. To add to it, Leary is a better athlete than given credit for and should be able to use this mobility to his advantage on Sundays.
Leary is a smart player, but there are times when he trusts his arm a bit too much. There were a handful of passes on his tape that *should* have been intercepted, but the defense failed to capitalize on the mistakes. He possesses great velocity and overall arm strength, which alone will have him on many teams’ radars. Leary has the chance to prove that 2021 was not a fluke.
Cameron Rising (Utah)
The Utah Utes are one of the best rosters in the nation, and quarterback Cameron Rising ranks high on that list. Rising originally committed to the Texas Longhorns out of high school, redshirting the 2018 season. After sitting out 2019 as well, Rising assumed the role of starting quarterback entering 2020 but suffered a season-ending injury after only one start.
In 2021, the talent of Rising finally got a chance to show what he’s capable of on the gridiron. He helped lead the Utes to a PAC-12 Championship and Rose Bowl berth. During this offseason, Rising attended Manning Camp and turned heads with his lively arm and tough demeanor at quarterback. If Rising can play well and lead the team to the playoffs, there’s potential for a Heisman invite and a first-round contract.
Middle of the Pack
Phil Jurkovec (Boston College)
Phil Jurkovec leads this section of passers, all of which have some starting qualities but more than likely project as high-end backups and/or spot starters in the NFL. Jurkovec does a lot of things well, but nothing particularly great. To be fair to the Boston College field general, he is coming off of a 2021 season that was mired with a hand injury.
He possesses an NFL-sized frame and the toughness to hold up throughout a full season. It will take some quick improvement to earn his way into the first-round discussions, but all reports indicate that Jurkovec is looking like a brand new man with his newly-found health. Could he make it back-to-back drafts with a Golden Eagle coming off the board on Day One?
Aidan O’Connell (Purdue)
The talented Purdue signal-caller has taken a crazy path to get to where he is today. O’Connell only started for one season in high school, and thus earned essentially no recruitment interest on the national scene. He chose to walk on to the Boilermaker team in 2017.
He spent the next season without earning any time on the field, but that began to change in 2019. O’Connell started three games, and then went on to start the first three games of the 2020 season as well, before suffering a season-ending injury. He stayed healthy for the 2021 campaign and put together one of the best seasons in program history.
O’Connell flexed a precise completion percentage (71.2%) while averaging over 300 passing yards per game. Sometimes these numbers can be misleading, but a look at the tape shows that these are more than just empty numbers. With picturesque size as a quarterback and a pinpoint accuracy that is reminiscent of former Boilermaker Drew Brees, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him shoot up draft boards by the time next April gets here.
Brennan Armstrong (Virginia)
Brennan Armstrong put up numbers at quarterback that have never been seen before for the Virginia Cavaliers. Last season, Armstrong attempted 500 passes, completing 65.2% of them. His 4449 passing yards rank No. 1 all-time in program history, as do his 31 passing touchdowns.
Armstrong is likely to etch his name atop every passing record in Virginia history. He enters the 2022 season with Matt Schaub’s career passing yard and passing touchdown records well within reach. Individual records are not the only thing in sight for Armstrong, as he has a chance to elevate the team to new heights this year.
The Cavaliers have only won double-digit games one time ever, and that came way back in 1989. It is a tall task to ask the team to do this in 2022, but given who they have at quarterback, paired with a relatively easy schedule, means that the possibility exists.
Armstrong is only matched up against two ranked teams, as of right now, and they’ll both be played at home against Miami and Pittsburgh, respectively. If Armstrong shows that his raw numbers can translate into wins, there’s a chance that is enough to win over scouts that are on the fence regarding his physical talent.
Sam Hartman (Wake Forest)
Wake Forest put together only their second double-digit winning campaign in 2021, and quarterback Sam Hartman is a major reason why. Hartman will never be confused for a precision passer, but he has real talent in that right arm of his. He is a contributor on the ground as well, showing as much by recording 11 rushing touchdowns last season.
When you combine those rushing touchdowns with his 39 passing touchdowns, Hartman ended up second all-time in the ACC in single-season touchdowns with 50. The Demon Deacons scored *at least* 35 points in 12 of their 14 contests in 2021, ranking among the best in the nation when it comes to total offense.
The level of talent was certainly a step below the SEC and Big Ten, so those numbers must be taken with a grain of salt. Even while competing against lesser competition, Hartman still struggled with ball security throughout the season. He tossed 14 interceptions, which will surely draw the ire of scouts.
Hartman has a lot of things to clean up as he enters his final season at Wake Forest, but unfortunately, there’s a chance that we’ve seen the last of him on the collegiate level. It was recently announced that Hartman would be out indefinitely due to an undisclosed medical condition. Here’s to hoping that the strong-armed quarterback regains a clean bill of health going forward, not only for football reasons but just life in general.
Highly-Touted Transfers
Spencer Rattler (South Carolina)
Heading into the 2021 college football season, you would have been hard-pressed to find anyone that didn’t have Spencer Rattler in their top five rankings for quarterback prospects. And of those, a majority had him even higher, with some ranking him as the No. 1 signal-caller in the draft class.
Then, everything changed. After coming off of a phenomenal 2020 campaign, Rattler and the Sooners stumbled out of the gates in 2021. The numbers themselves don’t tell the story, as Rattler still completed three out of every four passes he attempted. That just goes to show how abysmal the other 25% of the throws were.
Rattler was benched for Caleb Williams in the middle of the Red River Rivalry. Williams led a comeback for the ages, cementing his place ahead of Rattler as QB1. Ironically enough, neither guy is on the Oklahoma roster as we enter the 2022 college football season. Williams moved on to USC with former Sooner head coach Lincoln Riley, while Rattler transferred to South Carolina in an attempt to rebuild his image.
Dating back to high school, two things have been clear with Rattler: he has immense arm talent and he has legitimate issues in terms of character. By all accounts, Rattler has matured a great deal in his college years, and he will have a chance to prove it for the Gamecocks this coming season. The high-end traits are still there and it will be up to Rattler to make the most of this second chance.
Bo Nix (Oregon)
Similar to Rattler, Bo Nix is another former five-star recruit that finds himself on a new campus in 2022. Nix spent his first three seasons at Auburn, starting from the jump as a true freshman. He beat Alabama in the Iron Bowl that year, which prompted former Tigers head coach, Gus Malzahn, to predict a national title for Nix before he left campus.
Alas, this did not come to fruition. Malzahn is the head coach of UCF now, and Nix is slated to start for the Oregon Ducks. I don’t have to explain to you how beneficial the system is in Oregon for a quarterback, and given the things that Nix excels at, the marriage couldn’t be more perfect.
Nix is a wildly inaccurate passer, struggling on timing routes regularly. This was the reason for countless stalled drives for the Auburn offense over the past few years. Nix needs to clean up his footwork and throwing motion if he wants to catch the eye of evaluators at the next level.
He can throw the ball a country mile and is an above-average athlete when he has the ball out in space. Going from playing SEC defenses to playing PAC-12 defenses is enough to project an improvement by itself. That alone won’t be enough for Nix to climb back into early-round discussions, however. He must improve on the technical side or his ceiling in the NFL will be a practice squad quarterback.
Kedon Slovis (Pittsburgh)
The Pittsburgh Panthers were a surprise of sorts in 2021. Heisman-finalist and eventual first-round pick, Kenny Pickett, sparked the impressive campaign with help from Biletnikoff Award winner, Jordan Addison. Following the transfer of Addison to the USC Trojans, the Panthers find themselves in an interesting position heading into 2022.
Speaking of USC, it almost looks like a trade occurred between the two schools this offseason. While Addison made his way to California, Kedon Slovis opted to move to the other side of the country and become the newest member of the Pittsburgh Panther program. Slovis brings three years’ worth of starting experience to a unit that just lost its two leaders.
Slovis burst onto the scene as a true freshman in 2019 but failed to replicate that success throughout his final two seasons with the Trojans. He has always been a precision passer, regularly posting completion percentages north of the 65% mark. Slovis is cerebral as a field general and has a knack for getting through his progressions quickly.
It shouldn’t all be laid at Slovis’ feet, but the team struggled mightily during his tenure, and being quarterback means that criticism comes with the territory. He now slots in as the replacement for Kenny Pickett and will be hoping for a similar ascension up the board. The squad is still extremely talented and the ACC looks to be ripe for the picking. His traits won’t blow you away, but the fact that he checks the boxes everywhere else can’t be ignored.
Wildcards
Malik Cunningham (Louisville)
Malik Cunningham is not Lamar Jackson, let’s get that out of the way quickly. He’s not Teddy Bridgewater, either. That being said, he is a great blend of both former Louisville quarterbacks. Cunningham impacts the game as much as a passer as he does as a runner.
Cunningham has truly grown as a passer the past two seasons, completing ~63% of his passes in over 600 combined attempts. As a runner, he eclipsed the 1000-yard mark in 2021. He came up 28 yards shy of producing 4000 all-purpose yards on the season, which is absurd. Not only that, he tallied a total of 39 touchdowns as well.
If you’re wondering to yourself “wow, that sounds familiar, why have I not heard of this guy?”, the answer is two-fold. He is not the archetype that scouts look for in a quarterback, even in today’s NFL. The other reason? The Louisville Cardinals struggled to win six games last season, meaning that they were not regularly put on national television.
I’m not quite ready to start up the “Malik Cunningham for Heisman” talks just yet, but I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t a thought. If Cunningham can continue improving as a passer and the team can find their way into the win column more often in 2022, we may see another Louisville player force their way into being an early draft pick.
Jaren Hall (BYU)
The BYU Cougars sent Zach Wilson to the NFL Draft in 2021, making him the first quarterback drafted since John Beck in 2007 for the program. There is a guy on campus right now that is hoping to add his name to this shortlist. Jaren Hall is his name, and if you haven’t heard of him yet, you are about to in 2022.
Hall took over for Wilson as the starter, posting solid numbers as a passer and as a runner. On the ground, Hall used his athleticism to record five yards-per-carry and frequently used his quick release and strong arm to put up 2500+ passing yards. His 20:5 TD: INT ratio shows that Hall is smart with his decision-making, too.
For Hall to replicate the rise of Zach Wilson, he must refine his technique as a pocket passer. From progressions, to mechanics, to keeping his eyes downfield, there is a lot to improve upon for Hall. The Cougar’s offense is set to be a big play unit yet again in 2022, and they will go as far as Hall can take them.
Anthony Richardson (Florida)
To be clear, Richardson is a better prospect than most in the prior tiers, so don’t let the fact that he is this far down paint the wrong picture. The reason he is placed in the wildcard category is that he has such little experience in college. To date, Richardson has never actually started a full game for the Gators.
In 2021, he did see the field rather often, but could never really find a groove due to the inconsistency that Dan Mullen’s offense dealt with all season. Even though the statistics are virtually nonexistent, his traits ooze off of the screen when you watch the film.
Richardson is a world-class athlete, and his arm talent is electric when given the opportunity to showcase it. The clear negative, aside from a lack of experience, is the fact that Richardson has yet to exhibit accuracy from the pocket. Ultimately, it’s all projection with the explosive quarterback right now, but there is a realistic path up the rankings for Richardson given his rare traits.
Cameron Ward (Washington State)
The Washington State Cougars sent Jacob Eason to the NFL in 2020, resulting in a fourth-round selection for the big-armed quarterback. The new, talented Wazzou signal-caller, Cameron Ward, will be looking to go even earlier in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Ward just arrived on campus in January after transferring over from Incarnate Word. During his time with the small school, Ward put up video game numbers consistently. Now, he enters as the QB1 for the squad and will have a great chance to make a name for himself nationally by beating up on the porous PAC-12 defenses.
Ward possesses the arm strength and the athleticism to terrorize the Pac-12. The 6’2, 220-pound quarterback is one of the biggest wildcards in the entire draft class. Keep an eye on him each week during the late slate of college football games.
Potential Small School Risers
Jake Haener (Fresno State)
Fresno State has two first-round quarterbacks in school history: Super Bowl champion Trent Dilfer and former No. 1 overall pick, David Carr. Carr’s brother, Derek, is the current Raiders signal-caller and he went in the second round himself in 2014. Since then, things have been quiet for the Bulldogs in the NFL Draft.
Jake Haener figures to be the next in line for Day Two consideration. Haener doesn’t play the stiffest of competition with Fresno State, but his numbers in 2021 were impressive nonetheless. His 67.1% completion, 4096 passing yards, and 33 passing touchdowns all rank inside the top four all-time for the program, behind only the Carr brothers.
He chose to stay in school and use his extra year of eligibility that was granted to any player who played in 2020. To continue putting his name in the same breath as the Carr brothers, Haener must improve on his deep ball accuracy, considering many of his completions were quick-hit type of plays. He has the mentality and talent to be a starter in the league if he improves in a few key areas.
Grayson McCall (Coastal Carolina)
The Coastal Carolina Chanticleers have quietly been one of the most successful programs over the past two seasons. The team has won 22 games and lost only three in that span. Quarterback Grayson McCall has been the guiding light for the offense, starting in 22 of those games for the school, and posting a 20-2 record.
His numbers jump off the page, as he completed over 70% of his passes and combined for 5361 yards through the air and 53 touchdown tosses in that timeframe. McCall also is an underrated runner and tends to make something out of nothing when the play breaks down.
It remains to be seen if McCall can be the guy for an NFL franchise, but his winning pedigree will go a long way towards winning over NFL scouts. Even if he isn’t as “traitsy” as others, or as refined, there’s still plenty to like with the Coastal Carolina quarterback. We’ll see if he can improve even more and become only the 10th player taken in the NFL Draft in program history.