Quarterbacks have already dominated the headlines this offseason, and they will continue to do so through April’s 2023 NFL Draft. With names like Bryce Young, CJ Stroud, and Anthony Richardson being mentioned in the conversation for the top pick, there will be quite a few teams that start fresh at the QB position this year.

Outside of Young and Stroud, this class has a solid crop of potential franchise restarters that should interest teams, including around five first-round options. Even if your team does not have a top-10 selection, there will be plenty of QB value to be had later on.

Let’s take a run through the top QB prospects this year and what each could bring to your team.

Bryce Young

Alabama

A lot has already been said about Alabama’s Bryce Young, and there are a ton of characteristics that make him this year’s best QB prospect. While plenty of detractors will go towards his smaller size and being the product of his environment for reasons as to why he won’t be good in the NFL, his college career is much, much more than that.

Playing in a pro-ready offense will help get Young up to speed sooner rather than later, and his high IQ, willingness to take care of the football, and uncanny ability to avoid the pressure truly set him apart from his competition.

It is imperative for Young’s Year 1 success to be drafted to a team that has a strong offensive line and a scheme that doesn’t rely on him being a designated runner, so teams like the Indianapolis Colts and Houston Texans should very much be in play for him – and they will likely need to move up to the first overall selection to grab him.

CJ Stroud

Ohio State

As the purest passer in this year’s NFL Draft, Ohio State’s CJ Stroud will have no shortage of suitors trying to make him their next franchise QB. While the Buckeyes don’t have the greatest track record for developing great NFL-ready signal callers, Stroud is a bit different than most OSU products – and for the right reasons.

Like Young, Stroud relies on his pocket presence more than his legs but has plenty of mobility to extend plays. Fantastic passing accuracy helps Stroud fit the ball into tight windows, a great trait to take into the league.

Stroud is one of those QBs that can fit into basically any offensive scheme, which will definitely make it easier for him to acclimate to the speed of the NFL. Expect Stroud to follow closely behind Young in April’s NFL Draft, likely going to either Indy or Houston based on how the first overall pick is used.

Anthony Richardson

Florida

The most polarizing prospect in this year’s QB class, Florida’s Anthony Richardson flew up the draft board after his strong NFL Combine performance. While there are some questions surrounding his passing acumen and overall college tape, Richardson’s athleticism and untapped potential may be enough for a team to take a chance.

Having one of the strong arms in this NFL Draft is going to earn Richardson a lot of money in April, but so will his accuracy. Countless bits of tape showcase Richardson dropping the ball right in the bucket to his target, an aspect that should be incredibly tantalizing for NFL teams.

The running abilities for Richardson shouldn’t be forgotten either, as he is more than a QB that can extend a play by tucking it and running. However, consistency is a big-time issue for Richardson, as some of his game tape looks like it comes from two different QBs. If Richardson can tidy that up and turn his shortcomings into positives, then he could easily have the highest ceiling of this entire class.

Will Levis

Kentucky

A lot has yet to be discovered about Will Levis, but he safely is one of the 2023 NFL Draft’s top-5 QBs and a sure-fire 1st rounder. With a ton of promise and yet a lot of question marks, Levis very well has a career outlook that ranges from superstar to first-round dud.

For his positives, Levis has the traits that franchises look for in a current-generation NFL quarterback. His size, stature, build, arm talent, and athleticism all check the required boxes, and Levis’s ability to maneuver the pocket, get out and run, and keep the defense honest when trying to stop him makes him a true wild card.

But on the flip side, Levis gets involved in too many plays that result in turnovers, oftentimes forcing the ball into contested situations. There certainly is a time and a place to take a questionable shot, but he often times over-did it, painting a cloudy picture.

Levis won’t just be able to waltz into an NFL offense and take over the starting role on Day 1, so the team that drafts him definitely should take him with Year 2 or 3 in mind for when he can make an impact. Developing those skills with an NFL coaching staff is going to be key to unlocking his full potential, something that Levis has a ton of.

Hendon Hooker

Tennessee

If he wasn’t currently recovering from a late 2022 torn ACL, Tennessee’s Hendon Hooker likely would be a spot or two higher on this list. While he is a bit older (25) than you want for a rookie QB, Hooker’s skill set would be a great addition to any NFL locker room.

Describing a quarterback’s play style as quiet is the ultimate compliment, as the way he operates in the pocket doesn’t typically draw your eyes to areas of improvement. With a strong combination of throwing mechanics and decision-making traits, Hooker should be able to help out an NFL team, even if he takes a redshirt season.

The issue with Hooker’s game lies in how his college experience fails to translate to the NFL game, seeing as how Tennessee runs a system that relies on pre-determined throws and not a ton of on-the-fly decisions. If Hooker is able to show that he can adapt his style to the NFL, then he will be quite safe – but his ACL recovery is a big question mark too.

Tanner McKee

Stanford

Kind of a forgotten option in the 2023 NFL Draft class is Stanford’s Tanner McKee, a 6’6 strong-arm QB with limited mobility. Any NFL team looking to add McKee should have a top offensive line unit in place, as his ‘old-school’ style of being a pocket passer limits him from making a play on the boundary.

Handling the pressure is a sore spot for McKee, as his completion percentage dropped over 25 percent when comparing a clean pocket to a pressured pocket. McKee’s name is not mentioned often when talking about the top QB options, and while he has some of the best passing work on tape, his mobility issues will knock him down the board.

Jaren Hall

BYU

We may have had the recent Zach Wilson flop for BYU QBs, but Jaren Hall enters the 2023 NFL Draft with a lot less pomp and circumstance and potentially a higher ceiling.

With his ability to throw accurately on the run and his in-game IQ, Hall will be able to overcome his older age (25) and checkered injury history to make a team very happy. With a career that could range from surprising starter (Gardner Minshew-level hype) to career backup (modern-day Blake Bortles), Hall is one of this year’s safer options, but with a high ceiling.

Dorian Thompson-Robinson

UCLA

As we get later into the QB class, more and more prospects make this list due to their athleticism and less due to their passing abilities, and UCLA’s Dorian Thompson-Robinson fits right into that category.

Accuracy and pocket poise questions are seen often on his tape, and can’t always be overshadowed by his excellent escapability and athleticism. For DTR, to be able to stick on an NFL roster this year, he needs to improve his passing accuracy, composure, and decision-making.

Stetson Bennett

Georgia

NFL teams will need to do their due diligence on Georgia’s Stetson Bennett after his public intoxication charge back in January, but he has the skills that can translate to the next level.

Georgia is not known for developing NFL-ready QB prospects, and while Bennett certainly is not a Day 1 or maybe even a Day 2 option, he could be one of this year’s best mid-round steals. His style is best described as a game manager, one that relies on safe passes while keeping the ball safe.

Teams don’t like to go the safe route when it comes to QBs, but for a Day 3 prospect, they could do much worse than Bennett.

Max Duggan

TCU

Inconsistent is a great buzzword to describe Max Duggan’s college career at TCU – but his abilities to both run and throw the ball should be able to get the attention of a few NFL teams.

Athleticism is a core trait of Duggan’s game, as he is good at extending plays and turning nothing into something. But accuracy concerns and a failure to identify blitz packages and coverage schemes pre-snap magnify the need for him to be good at extending plays.

A rougher prospect on the edges, look for Duggan to be a later Day 3 prospect, likely in the sixth round.

Other Options

Clayton Tune (Houston), Aidan O’Connell (Purdue), Jake Haener (Fresno State)

Honorable mentions go out to Houston’s Clayton Tune, Purdue’s Aidan O’Connell, and Fresno State’s Jake Haener, three options that likely will be late Day 3 draftees.

Each player has their own strengths and weaknesses – Tune (+: short accuracy | -: arm strength), O’Connell (+: pocket awareness | -: arm strength), and Haener (+: accuracy | -: arm strength) all have reasons for being likely UDFAs.