NFL Draft prospects: Ranking Quarterbacks heading into the 2023 NFL Combine

The 2023 NFL Draft will occur from April 27 to April 29 in Kansas City, Missouri. The draft allows teams to build for their future. All eyes are on the top of this class, which consists of Alabama’s Bryce Young, Ohio State’s CJ Stroud and Kentucky’s Will Levis. NFL drafts are known for being quarterback heavy at the start, and this year’s event should be the same as Young, Stroud, Levis and even Florida QB Anthony Richardson have been mocked No. 1 overall by various analysts.

When it comes to our rankings, Young takes the top spot. He won the Heisman in 2021 and threw for 8,356 yards with 80 touchdowns in 34 career games. Stroud was always on Young’s heels and threw for 7,775 yards with 81 touchdowns in 28 games. Levis only played two seasons for the Wildcats but threw for 5,232 yards for 43 touchdowns in 24 games with the team.

Richardson is getting praise for being the top dual-threat quarterback in the draft. Going first overall is a little steep, and being considered a first-round talent should already exceed expectations. He wasn’t thrust into the starting start until last season but threw for 2,549 yards with 17 touchdowns in 12 games. Richardson did add 103 carries for 654 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground.

The second tier of quarterbacks includes Hendon Hooker from Tennessee and Max Duggan from TCU. Hooker is coming off a torn ACL and could fall in the draft. Duggan and TCU made it all the way to the National Championship against Georgia but lost.

The third tier of quarterbacks is the biggest for the position. Fresno State’s Jake Haener, Stanford’s Tanner McKee, Georgia’s Stetson Bennett, BYU’s Jalen Hall and UCLA’s Dorian Thompson-Robinson. These players should be drafted in likely the fourth round or later, with Thompson-Robinson likely being the last one taken.

To steal a phrase from the NCAA basketball analysts, the first four out include Shepherd’s Tyson Bagent, Purdue’s Aidan O’Connell, Illinois’ Tommy DeVito and Minnesota’s Tanner Morgan. I don’t expect these players to be drafted, but they could be added to rosters ahead of training camp and are prime practice squad targets.