The 2023 NFL Draft promises to be one of the deepest drafts for quality quarterback prospects in recent memory. Although it doesn’t seem to be as star-studded at the top as the 2021 NFL Draft where five quarterbacks were taken within the first 15 picks, you will most likely not have to wait until pick #20 like in 2022 when the Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Kenny Pickett out of Pittsburgh as the first signal-caller off the board. Do not be surprised if this draft breaks the NFL record for QBs drafted in the first round alone as there are tons of promising prospects with unique physical gifts that didn’t even make my initial list! So, here are my initial top-5 2023 NFL Draft QB prospects rankings ahead of the 2022 college football season:
- BRYCE YOUNG, ALABAMA, 5’11’’ 186 lbs
STRENGTHS:
- Impressive elusiveness and escape ability, an innate sense to feel pressure and improvise
- Tremendous anticipation skills, best in the class at throwing receivers open) (Amazing accuracy on short to intermediate throws
- Has exceptional poise in the pocket and keeps his eyes downfield and doesn’t force throws into coverage.
- Pretty good arm strength with elite release quickness and compact throwing motion
- Has good speed in the open field when scrambling
- Manipulates defenses with his eyes and baits defenders to the opposite spots of his intended throws
- Good overall throwing mechanics from his lower to his upper body for sharp deliveries
- Resilient and determined leader who is unfazed by game situations and confident to make even the toughest throws to rally his team back
- Reigning Heisman trophy winner
WEAKNESSES:
- Undersized QB prospect who lacks muscle density to sustain hits at the next level, and the strength and power to shrug off defenders when contacted.
- Fast and quick athlete but not the most explosive, lacks twitch of the elite scrambling QBs.
- Inconsistent accuracy on downfield throws and contested tight window throws, but as shown significant improvements there especially vs Auburn to win a close game
- Needs to improve decision-making, tends to hold on to the ball too long at times, leads to being exposed to unnecessary hits at times, and needs to show a willingness to throw the ball away more to protect himself.
PRO COMP: A smaller Aaron Rodgers
OVERALL: Incredibly elusive and smart pocket passer with good athletic abilities and mental processing to overcome small stature. Will flash in the NFL for his excellent improvisational skills. Ideal quarterback prospect for any scheme, but may be scrapped off draft boards for teams valuing size at the position. Needs to prove he added more overall strength, contact balance, and better deep ball accuracy to reach his potential as a franchise Pro Bowl QB in the NFL that will be an exception to the rule when it comes to size requirements.
2. TYLER VAN DYKE, MIAMI-FL, 6’4″ 224 lbs
STRENGTHS:
- Prototypical size for the position and strong frame.
- Underrated athlete for the position that displays good pocket footwork due to light feet and as shown good straight-line speed to turn the corner and outrace defenders for long gains when needed (see long TD run vs Virginia on 3rd and 10 situation)
- Displays above-average mobility in the pocket and climbs it really well to keep eyes downfield or know when it’s time to tuck it and run.
- Unfazed by pressure
- Fully reads his receiving options before throwing it
- A really strong arm that explodes out of his hand on the deep ball, and makes throws across his body, generates good velocity.
- Sets his feet quickly to deliver the ball.
- Excellent deep ball accuracy, consistently throws receivers in strides
- Shows a willingness to throw the ball away instead of forcing it into coverage.
- Can throw on the run and adequate mobility to be used on RPOs
- Has rallied his team from large deficits many times in his first year as a starter to win games and rallied them to finish the year bow eligible after a slow start.
WEAKNESSES:
- Doesn’t have incredible twitch, elusiveness, or agility to be your trendy dual-threat quarterback that creates yardage with his legs out of the pocket, just adequate.
- Played almost exclusively from the Shotgun last year, and will have a new OC this year. Will need to gain experience playing under center.
- Can straighten his throwing motion to deliver the ball quicker vs pressure, and to be more efficient throwing short and intermediate routes by having better ball placement and control there, the ball still consistently comes out of his arm strong and explosively on downfield and rip throws.
- Can improve his patience using the short and intermediate game to better set up his deep ball, needs to deliver the ball with better control and touch there to be more efficient.
PRO COMP: A mix of Matthew Stafford and Joe Burrow
OVERALL: Ideal-sized QB prospect with underrated athletic abilities that specializes in throwing downfield accurately and has the grit and leadership to lead his team to comeback victories. Teams in need of a downfield throwing QB to open up their offense will be enamored with his skill set. Should he display more versatility offensively to play in more formations than the shotgun, and continue improving his mechanics to be a more efficient short and intermediate route passer, he has an enormous ceiling to become a franchise Pro Bowl caliber QB within the next 2-3 years. A true sleeper QB prospect.
3. C.J. STROUD, OHIO STATE, 6’3’’ 218 lbs
STRENGTHS:
- Pretty good-sized QB with a strong sturdy frame
- Strong and explosive arm, the ball jumps out of his hand and has shown the ability to throw at all three levels.
- Quick release at the delivery point of throwing motion
- Pretty good ball velocity on intermediate to deep throws
- Underrated escape ability and improvisational skills, excels at buying time away from pressure with tremendous pocket agility and footwork (think like Patrick Mahomes)
- Nice mobility and footwork on roll outs
- Pretty good poise under pressure, never takes his eyes off downfield, and has the toughness to shrug off defenders, climbs the pocket really well.
- Has the arm strength to throw the ball in tight windows.
- Good knack for taking advantage of open receivers downfield.
- Knack for coming up big in big games,
WEAKNESSES:
- Not the fastest or twitchiest runner in a straight line, and will never be confused for a dual-threat QB.
- Can improve throwing mechanics, as a bit of a high windup, shows up in ball placement issues, affecting his overall accuracy at times. Doesn’t always set his feet properly after rolling out, which leads to balls being misfired too many times in key situations.
- Forces throws at times when he can simply throw it with touch instead of ripping it.
- Needs to become more consistent throwing across his body, can lose accuracy there with undisciplined feet.
- Lacks experience reading defenses past his first options due to the nature of the Ohio State, thus lacks some anticipation skills that other QBs may have developed that he is not given the keys to developing.
- Seemed a bit raddled and forced to be undisciplined vs Michigan’s and Oregon’s exotic defensive schemes and had a hard time fitting balls in tight areas accurately, although he still made his fair share of big throws.
PRO COMP: A mix of Derek Carr and Patrick Mahomes
OVERALL: Type of player Pretty good-sized QB with intriguing passing abilities and movement skills of a future franchise QB. Has the toughness and poise to make plays under pressure Needs to polish his ball placement skills, overall throwing mechanics to make NFL throws, and ability to read multiple options from the pocket as his current offense puts a lot of emphasis on delivering the ball quickly to their abundance of playmakers. Seems to be an ideal fit for a West Coast offense to begin his career until he develops as a franchise QB that can control an offense, read the full field, and even have more control at the line of scrimmage in order to tailor an offense to his budding skillset.
4. WILL LEVIS, KENTUCKY, 6’3’’ 232 lbs
STRENGTHS:
- Really strongly built athletic QB prospect with dual-threat capabilities, and shows twitchiness, chiseled frame
- Really strong arm and a pretty quick and compact release, has really good mechanics, can make a lot of throws across his body, and step into his throws with a lot of power, lots of wow throws.
- Good elusiveness in the pocket, and pretty good strength, contact balance, and agility to shrug off contact from the pocket and in the open field as a runner
- Good straight-line speed and a really tough runner that can withstand a lot of punishment
- Excellent natural athletic ability and instincts to escape pressure
- Can climb the pocket to evade defenders and pick up yards
WEAKNESSES:
- Inconsistent ball placement in all areas of the field and downfield accuracy that often is overthrown way off or that needs the receiver to adjust too much.
- Inconsistent ball control, needs to channel arm strength and touch on shorter throws and have better awareness to know when to fit throws
- Lacks pocket awareness to feel pressure while maintaining throwing stance in the pocket and still looking downfield, needs to improve his pre-snap read to make adjustments or at least feel the pressure better to get rid of the ball sooner
- Can be too eager to leave the pocket at times to use his athletic abilities more than winning from the pocket.
- Needs to protect himself from contact more when scrambling out of the pocket, neglects to slide too often, and exposes himself to big open field hits by defenders, making him susceptible to unnecessary hits and could lead to injuries
- Lacks touch on short passes, they tend to be too high too often
- Lacks anticipation to throw his receivers open in areas where only they can make a play on the ball
- Needs to speed up his internal clock and get rid of the ball faster whether to a check-down option or throw it away.
PRO COMP: Ryan Tannehill
OVERALL: Big, strong-armed athletic, mobile QB with impressive physical tools that would make any coach believe they can turn this prospect into a serious player with coaching. Needs to really improve his overall ball placement, ball control, and overall accuracy on NFL-type throws to really be a reliable high-end first-round prospect in next year’s draft. To me, he is more of a projection at this point, but he has shown the toughness and intangibles to be an adequate starter on a play-action quick hitting type of offense with a strong running game similar to what the 49ers and the Titans have since he is not yet a playmaker from the pocket. He also has a lot of traits to make you believe he can be the next Josh Allen, and we all know that teams are scared of repeating the same mistakes. I believe he will end up being a first-round pick still but will need a few years of seasoning and potentially sitting behind a veteran QB before being thrust into a starting role.
5. JAREN HALL, BYU, 6’1’’ 205 lbs
STRENGTHS:
- Exceptional, elite athlete, super-twitchy, super fast, agile, elusive.
- Is known for explosive big plays with his arms and legs.
- Can really turn the corner coming out of the pocket and outraces defenses for long touchdown runs.
- He has a real explosive arm and can make all of the throws, and the ball jumps out of his hands with a quick release. He may have the strongest arm in the draft competing with Levis’ arm.
- Really quick release and pretty good mechanics from the pocket
- Shows good control of the football on passes needing a feathery touch, and throws have tremendous velocity
- Amazing deep ball accuracy to throw receivers in stride, and good accuracy in the short intermediate game as well.
- Has pretty good improvisational skills, and buys a lot of time to keep the play alive.
- Can fit the ball deep in contested catch situations
- Sets his feet consistently well to throw the ball, disciplined there
WEAKNESSES:
- A bit undersized, only 6’1” and 205 lbs, but seems to have good enough density physically and a strong frame
- Age and upside: Some reports indicate he will be 25 years old in his rookie year in the NFL. Will be 1 year younger than Kyler Murray and 4 seasons less of NFL experience. Maybe off the board for a lot of teams needing a QB and that drafts in the top 10-15 where his talents would usually fit due to his advanced age and will come out with only two years of starting experience while being raw in some nuances
- Hero ball tendencies, can force throws that would lead to turnovers in the pros, and tends to hold on to the ball too long, exposing himself to unnecessary hits.
- Tends to throw along or outside the hash marks instead of in between. Needs to improve there
- Needs to improve using check-downs and tries to go for the big play too often instead of using the short intermediate parts to his advantage
PRO COMP: Kyler Murray
OVERALL: Incredible athlete and arm talent who is an electric playmaker for the position that fits a spread, vertical strike offense similar to what the Arizona Cardinals are running. A true dual-threat talent that can change the outcome of a game either with his arm or legs. However, he will most likely be off of several NFL teams’ boards in the first round due to his advanced age and may be perceived as having a limited upside, which would be highly unfair. Still, with his exciting skillset, should he get a starting opportunity, could grow into a Pro Bowl-type QB by the end of his first contract. Potential steal of the draft if he falls into the right situation.
Other names to watch this year: D.J. Uiagelelei (Clemson), Anthony Richardson (Florida), Phil Jurkovec (Boston College), Cameron Rising (Utah), Tanner McKee (Stanford)
