The Top Four QBs in This Year’s Draft
March 8, 2023
- Will Levis, Kentucky
Levis is large and athletic with a big arm. However, there are huge flaws in his game. He has bad pocket awareness and doesn’t see the field very well, and doesn’t throw with anticipation. For someone with his arm strength he doesn’t push the ball down the field often, but that is partially on his bad receivers. His traits alone will make him a first rounder though.
- CJ Stroud, Ohio State
CJ Stroud is probably the most accurate quarterback in this draft class, with ball placement that rivals any QB from the past 2-3 drafts. He delivers the ball quickly and accurately, and with great touch. Stroud has a very high floor. If you put him in a good system at the next level, he is unlikely to fail. As soon as he enters the league, he’ll immediately be one of the most accurate QBs. His problem is he isn’t good at creating out of structure. While he is fast, he doesn’t use his legs much and has trouble succeeding when the play breaks down. However, he did demonstrate this skill in the Georgia game, but he didn’t do it consistently enough. Stroud should and will be a top 10-5 pick.
- Bryce Young, Alabama
Young is an outstanding talent. Decently strong arm, very accurate, and smart. Besides possessing great arm talent, Young is also an elite playmaker. He has great pocket awareness and footwork, and can easily slip out of would-be sacks. When the pocket collapses, he stays calm and extends the play. This is something we don’t really see in Stroud, which gives Young the edge over him. Bryce Young isn’t a perfect prospect. He has one glaring weakness and it’s a big one: his size. The Crimson Tide QB is 5’10, 204 pounds. His height wouldn’t be so much of a problem if he wasn’t tiny. NFL QBs Russell Wilson and Kyler Murray share his height, but they are muscular and toned. Young isn’t. He also misses a few more throws than he should especially to the middle of the field, probably due to his height. Still, if his size isn’t too much a problem, he will be a great NFL QB.
- Anthony Richardson, Florida
Richardson is possibly the most athletic quarterback prospect ever. Running a 4.43 40 and setting the QB record for broad jump showed on paper what can be seen on tape. His arm talent is nothing short of elite. His release is quick, and he throws the football with insane velocity and distance. He flashes amazing accuracy, like on a 50-yard sideline throw to Justin Shorter with perfect ball placement against Georgia. He is a force in the running game, as you can tell by his size and 40 time. His play in the pocket is underrated as well. He was fearless against pressure and is just as good at play extending as Bryce Young. His main issue: he’s raw. Very very raw. Richardson was very inaccurate, completing only 52% of his passes. His footwork was inconsistent, which led to most of his inaccuracies. In his defense, he was only a one-year starter at Florida. If you take the stats of most QB’s first years as a starter in college, they won’t be good. Richardson will be a project at the next level, but he’s worth taking a chance on. He easily has the highest ceiling of any QB in this draft.