NFLMocks’ 5 for 5: Coaches on the Hot Seat, True Freshmen to Watch for 2025 NFL Draft, and More!

Headline #3: 2023 NFL Draft QB Stock Watch

•No. 1: CJ Stroud (Ohio State)

As we touched on a bit earlier, CJ Stroud stamped his name in the mind of Heisman voters with a stellar performance Saturday evening against Toledo. He is the favorite to challenge for Heisman honors and a National Championship. This group has the potential to be the best offense that Buckeyes fans have ever witnessed.

Stroud flexed his signature anticipation and timing on each throw against Toledo. He stood tall and confident in the pocket and even used his legs a few times, something that NFL Draft evaluators have been clamoring for.

My favorite play from the Toledo game came when Stroud rolled out and connected with Julian Fleming for a touchdown by putting the ball in a place that only Fleming could get to it. These are the types of traits that will have NFL teams consider tanking to secure the talented signal-caller.

If the 2023 NFL Draft took place today, CJ Stroud would be my No. 1 overall pick with no hesitation. He is a franchise quarterback at the professional level.

•No. 2: Tyler Van Dyke (Miami)

Tyler Van Dyke did not have the same success this weekend when he traveled to College Station to take on the Texas A&M Aggies. Miami entered the contest ranked No. 13 in the nation, but woke up Sunday morning with the No. 25 next to their name instead.

Van Dyke never found a groove against the Aggies. In the first half, his pass catchers dropped a whopping four passes, killing any momentum that could have been built. The run game tried to pull their weight, but nothing went as planned for the Hurricanes.

In the second half, Miami was still in a position to come through with a few clutch drives and escape with a hard-fought, but ugly victory. Unfortunately, their star quarterback dropped the ball.

He ended the night with only five completions of 10+ air yards downfield, out of 17 attempts! To put it mildly, this is not good, at all. Much of the reason for this is due to Van Dyke locking his eyes on his first read and never looking defenders off. There were at least eight passes that I counted where Texas A&M could have easily come away with an interception.

If Van Dyke looks this way against college competition, he’s going to be in a world of pain when he gets to the NFL. Arm talent and physical traits are there in abundance, it’s just every other piece of the puzzle that needs put together. I still believe in “Tyler Van Dimes”, but it’s going to take some work to erase this performance from the minds of talent evaluators.

•No. 3: Phil Jurkovec (Boston College)

A name you don’t often hear, at least on social media, is Boston College’s veteran leader, Phil Jurkovec. Jurkovec is in his fifth season on campus, and his third as the starting quarterback.

In his first season as a starter, Jurkovec appeared in 10 games, setting a school record for the most passing yards in a player’s first 10 starts. He scored 20 total touchdowns while only throwing five interceptions and showcased strong technique and understanding of the pocket.

His 2021 campaign was marred with injury, as Jurkovec missed half of the season recovering. In his six total starts, the talented field general looked anything but talented, especially throughout the final four games.

Entering 2022, most wondered which Jurkovec would show up. Luckily for Eagles fans, it’s been more good than bad so far. Jurkovec still has spotty accuracy and ball placement, but where he lacks in those departments, he makes up for with his rocket arm.

Jurkovec is a classic candidate to land with an NFL team and win over a fan base. He’s easy to root for, plays with tons of heart, and possesses a desire to improve each and every day. Team’s will want to see more accuracy before taking Jurkovec early in the 2023 NFL Draft.

•No. 4: Hendon Hooker (Tennessee)

The Tennessee Volunteers have a great college quarterback in Hendon Hooker. Hooker is accurate, risk-averse, and a legitimate threat to tuck and run out of the backfield.

After three years of hit-or-miss playing time with Virginia Tech, Hooker transferred to Tennessee in 2021 and posted one of the best quarterback seasons in Volunteer history. The gifted quarterback threw 31 touchdowns to only three interceptions and he completed 68% of his passes on the year.

The team went 7-6, but few blamed Hooker for this because he played well in nearly every loss. In the six games that his team dropped, Hooker’s completion percentage dipped to 64%, but he accounted for over 300 total yards a game and 15 touchdowns.

Hooker has continued his brand of play in 2022, having yet to throw an interception while completing nearly 70% of his passes. The biggest red flag that he still shows is his propensity to hold the ball for far too long as the play develops.

This is a key reason why he doesn’t turn the ball over much, but it’s also why he was sacked 34 times in only 13 games last season. This won’t fly on Sundays, so Hooker must find a way to speed up his process or NFL defenses are going to feast on his inability to get the ball out.

•No. 5: Jake Haener (Fresno State)

This past weekend Jake Haener led his Fresno State Bulldogs into a showdown with the white-hot USC Trojans. Haener struggled early on in the game, but he still had his team competing and squarely in the football game when injury struck.

Haener suffered what was later ruled as a high ankle sprain, but for a moment, many feared the worst when the quarterback was carted off the field. Rather than a season-ending injury that would have ended his collegiate career, Fresno State is optimistic that this will be an injury he can return from in 2022.

After transferring from Washington in 2018 and sitting out the 2019 season to satisfy the old transfer rules, Haener landed with the Bulldogs in 2020 and has become one of the best quarterbacks in program history.

In 2021, Haener completed 67.1% of his passes and put up an astounding 4,096 yards through the air. His 33 touchdown passes ranked behind only the Carr brothers in the Fresno State record books. He returned to school because he wanted to sharpen up his game before entering the league.

I love the way he throws the ball and I believe in his talent, but it’s worth mentioning that the scheme he plays in makes it easier to put up gaudy numbers compared to those of his peers. That’s not to take anything away from Haener’s achievements, but he’s not asked to do much of the pre-snap stuff that he’ll be asked to do in the NFL.

The process leading up to the 2023 NFL Draft will be telling. He is seemingly going to have a chance to come back this season and show that he’s 100% healthy. When the offseason workout and Senior Bowl portion comes around, that’s when scouts will have a chance to see Haener in a different, less advantageous setting.