NFLMocks’ 5 for 5: NFL Draft Stock, Stellar WR Debuts, and More!

Headline #3: 2023 NFL Draft QB Stock Watch

•No. 1: Will Levis (Kentucky)

Not only did the Kentucky Wildcats win their battle with the Florida Gators, but quarterback Will Levis also won the head-to-head battle with Florida’s Anthony Richardson. Levis suffered from some inaccurate spells and a few drops, but all in all, he showcased why he’s such a titillating NFL Draft prospect.

The 6-foot-3, 232-pound signal-caller commanded the offense well while battling their porous pass protection and a stout defensive line on the other side. Levis flexed his arm strength on a 55-yard touchdown to true freshman Dane Key early on in the contest. There’s still a long way to go, but Levis improved his stock in one of the most pivotal matchups on the schedule.

•No. 2: Anthony Richardson (Florida)

On the flip side of the coin, Anthony Richardson was the big loser from the contest. This shows just how fickle the spotlight can be. Some weeks you are the bug; others you are the windshield.

After leading the Gators to an upset of No. 7 Utah last weekend, Florida dropped an SEC battle against Kentucky, and even more alarmingly — Anthony Richardson looked human.

It’s no secret that a ton of projecting is involved with Richardson, but with his sparkling performance against the Utes, many questioned whether the dual-threat quarterback had put all the pieces together. Unfortunately, that answer is no.

The Wildcats kept Richardson on his toes all night. They made him so uncomfortable early on that Richardson struggled with nerves for the remainder of the game. The most glaring reason for Richardson’s poor play is entirely linked to his footwork.

When a quarterback has “happy feet”, there’s a major decrease in accuracy that follows. This oftentimes happens because of nerves. NFL Draft scouts still got to see some positives, but the negatives are more likely to stick in their minds.

•No. 3: Hendon Hooker (Tennessee)

The Tennessee Volunteers beat the Pittsburgh Panthers in an entertaining, back-and-forth ball game. Hendon Hooker continued to show his potential as an NFL quarterback by eclipsing the 300-yard mark through the air and adding two touchdowns to the mix.

The Panther’s defense consists of a few players that will be drafted in April, so this performance is one that scouts will circle back to when the end-of-season evaluation begins. Hooker is a popular name that has a chance to rise substantially in the 2023 NFL Draft with solid play against SEC opponents.

•No. 4: Spencer Rattler (South Carolina)

Spencer Rattler was once a popular name himself, so much so that the words “Heisman” and “No. 1 overall pick” were synonymous any time Rattler was brought up. As we all know, his star shined so bright that it inevitably burned up.

After being supplanted as the starter at Oklahoma in 2021, Rattler entered his name into the transfer portal and ultimately chose the South Carolina Gamecocks as the place to rebuild his image.

Unfortunately for the former five-star recruit, it has largely been more of the same. Through two games, Rattler completed 47 of 76 passes for 603 yards. While that may not seem bad on the surface, the tape shows that these are mostly hollow numbers.

Decision-making is still the biggest red flag for Rattler, and his play in 2022 has shown no difference. Rattler has already thrown three interceptions and *should have* at least three more due to drops by the defender.

Rattler hoped that he could dominate the competition in 2022 and elevate himself back into first-round NFL Draft discussions, but by the look of things, he needs to simply focus on being drafted first, rather than his positioning.

•No. 5: Sam Hartman (Wake Forest)

Sam Hartman returned to the Demon Deacons huddle this Saturday and picked up right where he left off in 2021. Hartman is not the type to blow you away from a physical standpoint, but he possesses one of the best deep balls in the entire 2023 NFL Draft class.

It will be up to the Wake Forest signal-caller to continue improving his technique and overall feel for the game while in the pocket. He got off to a solid start after missing the team’s first game of the season.

Hartman completed 66.7% of his passes and registered 300 passing yards with four touchdowns. Another stellar showing is coming for Sam Hartman and the Demon Deacons.