Top 10 Quarterbacks in the 2023 NFL Draft

Top 10

Two should go in the first round, Young and Stroud. You have guys like Levis, that will probably be picked too high, and guys like Anthony Richardson, who, if drafted in the first round, will be a sure-fire bust.

10) Jaren Hall, BYU

The second-year starter at BYU has taken complete control of the offense since he won the job in 2021. He displays a lot of arm strength as well as improved accuracy. Hall has a quiet lower half and distributes the ball around the offense. He had 12 starts and threw 31 touchdown passes, 3,171 yards passing, and six interceptions. His completion percentage increased from 63.9% in 2021 to 66.0% this year.

Hall must improve his eye manipulation skills. Hall tends to focus more on his targets and hopes they will open than manipulating the defenders with his eyes to get them where he wants. Hall was able to decipher and attack coverages during Senior Bowl practices clearly, but his eyesight and accuracy are still lacking.

Jaren Hall 2022 Full Season Highlights | BYU QB | 2023 NFL Draft Prospect

9) Anthony Richardson, Florida

Prospects with many positive traits and little game film are often called “boom or bust”. That’s Richardson. Redshirt sophomore Richardson has only started 13 career Florida games and is an unpredictable rollercoaster ride of highs and lows. This season, he had nine interceptions and only 53.8% of his throws. It was a result of inconsistent decision-making and spurts with incorrect passes. He had 26 total touchdowns in 2022 (17 passing, nine running) and is a competitive runner (654 rushing yards). Richardson lets go of the ball with a simple flick of his wrist. Richardson’s game is still raw. Richardson needs a lot of work and will probably be a bust if picked in round one. I see no world where Richardson becomes a franchise, Quarterback.

Anthony Richardson | 2022 Highlights

8) Tanner McKee, Stanford

McKee is a polished passer with experience from many pre-snap platforms. He also has great patience in the pocket. He is efficient and does not waste time. He has been exposed to many different concepts in an offense that is somewhat mixed with its scheme and looks pretty comfortable in each. McKee’s greatest asset is his touch. McKee is a master at keeping pace with the ball, launching it into the strike zone of his targets. However, he can also zip it and make his throws fit in tight spaces.

McKee threw for 2,947 yards and 13 touchdowns this past season, with eight interceptions. However, pressure can expose his weaknesses – McKee is a pocket passer who hates being forced from his spot. McKee has intriguing potential.

Tanner McKee 2022 Highlights | Stanford QB | 2023 NFL Draft Prospect

7) Dorian Thompson-Robinson, UCLA

Thompson-Robinson was a completely different player this season. He had better control over Chip Kelly’s offense. The most significant difference? The biggest difference?  He had 13 starts in the season and threw for 3,154 yards, 27 touchdown passes, and ten interceptions. His completion percentage increased from 62.2% in 2021 to 69.6% this season. He also protected the ball better and took fewer risks.

Thompson Robinson’s dual-threat abilities were also displayed this season, with 646 yards rushing and 12 touchdowns running. His ability to rush and grab first downs on QB runs designed to add an additional dimension to an offense gives Thompson-Robinson a unique advantage. DTR showed good speed and timing during the week of East-West Shrine Bowl practices. His mobility was also evident.

Dorian Thompson-Robinson 2022 UCLA Season Highlights | Cleveland Browns NFL Draft Pick

6) Aidan O’Connell, Purdue

O’Connell, a former walk-on, made the most out of his two final seasons as Boilermakers’ quarterback1. O’Connell passed for 3,490 yards, 22 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in 12 starts this season. O’Connell is a fast, explosive passer with a speedy release. O’Connell has a good arm and can anticipate when throwing to the middle areas. He also quickly processes pre-snap readings to get to the under areas.

O’Connell’s skills during practice at the Shrine Bowl were sharp. He could read the targets and place the ball in the right spots. O’Connell displayed excellent footwork and was able to combine it with other concepts. O’Connell could be a target for teams looking to improve their ball placement consistency in the fourth and fifth rounds. This could be one of the sleepers of this years draft.

Aidan O’Connell Highlights

5) Hendon Hooker, Tennessee

Hooker, the pilot of a high-flying offense, was one of 2022’s most incredible risers. Hooker has above-average arm strength, and his accuracy has improved over the past two years. He is a poised passer who can anticipate and decipher. He finished the season with 3,135 yards passing, 27 touchdown throws, and only two interceptions. He is also a highly underrated runner with 430 rushing yards and five more scores. His timely scrambles out of the pocket help him to take advantage of defenses.

Hooker suffered a tear in his left knee in November. This makes him an interesting case. How will teams evaluate the injury and its recovery? It will be crucial to have pre-draft medical reports. He sounds like he will be prepared for the NFL training camps this summer.

Another thing to note: Hooker, a rookie at the NFL aged 25, will be a frequent topic of conversation. ESPN Stats & Information research shows that only eight quarterbacks were drafted when they were 25 or older. Only three of these were chosen before the sixth round.

Hendon Hooker 🔥 Ultimate Highlights ᴴᴰ

4) Will Levis, Kentucky

Levis, a strong thrower and well-built player, can already do many of the tasks expected of him at the next level. He is often seen operating from under center and out of the shotgun, and his best performance comes when play-action is the focus of the offense (68.5% completion rate, 9.7 yards per attempt in play-action).

Levis ended the season with 2,406 yards passing, 19 touchdown passes, and ten interceptions. Turnovers were the most common negative on Levis’ scouting report heading into the season. This hasn’t changed. Levis had a fumble and an interception in every start this year. Watch out for his efforts to avoid turnovers and improve his ball security. Levis is not a quarterback that should be drafted in the first round either. He has potential, but has a lot of work to do.

Kentucky QB Will Levis 2022 Highlights ᴴᴰ

3) Jake Haener, Fresno State

Haener began his career at Washington in 2018. He transferred to Fresno State the following season. He had his best season in 2021 when he threw for 4,096 yards, 33 touchdown passes and nine interceptions. His production this season was not as high as last year (2,896 passing yards and 20 touchdown passes, but he made ten starts).

Haener is considered undersized for the position but plays the game with moxie, toughness and a great deal of grit. Because he is an excellent anticipator, he can overcome average arm strength when attacking throwing windows in intermediate and deeper areas. Because he can see the targets coming open, he doesn’t hesitate to make those passes.

At the Senior Bowl, some scouts felt that Haener was the most consistent QB in Mobile, Alabama. Although the structured environment didn’t reflect his skills, his “gamer” mindset was evident during competitive periods.

Jake Haener 2021-2022 Fresno State Highlights || HD

2) Bryce Young, Alabama

Young is a well-balanced dual-threat throwing player who can play the game with the same heartbeat, no matter the situation. Young is a strong-arm player with excellent accuracy across the entire field. Young has great feet to create throwing windows.

His height of 6 feet will be discussed in the lead-up to the draft. While we’ve seen shorter passers like Kyler Murray get drafted in the past, Young’s size — he weighs less than 200 pounds — makes Young an interesting evaluation. He started the season as my QB1, and that hasn’t changed. Young finished his college career with 3,328 passing yards and 32 touchdown throws, five interceptions, and a massive five-TD victory against Kansas State in Sugar Bowl.

Alabama QB Bryce Young 2022 Highlights ᴴᴰ

1) C.J. Stroud, Ohio State

Stroud is a smooth distributor, with a fluid throwing motion and feet tied to his eyes. He is a great distributor. His ability to dissect and attack any coverage is something I love. Stroud doesn’t hesitate to trust his targets when in one-on-1 situations.

His 88.9 QBR rank third in the country was also impressive. He threw for 3,688 yards and 41 touchdown passes, with six interceptions. His best game was in the College Football Playoff. He threw for 348 yards and four touchdowns against a strong Georgia defense. Stroud is a pocket passer and uses his running skills only when necessary. Scouts still want to see him outside the structure when plays don’t go as planned. During the Buckeyes’ stretch, he began to do this.

C.J. Stroud | 2022 Highlights