The 2023 class of quarterbacks is full of boom-or-bust prospects

The draft season is my favorite time of year. Now that April is here, I am going over my final rankings for this entire 2023 draft class. I’ve personally scouted over 400 players as I prepare to cover every day of the draft for Denver Sports.

Next up, the quarterback position in what could be a top-heavy class. In 2022, there was only one first-round quarterback (Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh Steelers). This year, we could see as many as four passers selected on Day 1 of the draft.

There’s a chance the Broncos will select a quarterback in this draft later or pick one up as a priority free agent. They’re unlikely to add a top talent, but I’m a proponent of adding a quarterback every year in the draft because the NFL is a quarterback desperate league.

Here are my thoughts on the 2023 quarterback class.

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The Rule of Two

Bryce Young from Alabama is the best quarterback in this class currently – but he’s barely holding onto that top spot because of Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud (more on him a bit). When I’m watching quarterbacks before the draft, I constantly look for plays under pressure. With the talent at Alabama, it’s sometimes more difficult to find plays where Young is under duress. However, when I did find those plays, I felt Young came through in a big way.

Young is smart and accurate – something you can do a lot with in the NFL. I said it years ago when I had Teddy Bridgewater graded as a first-round pick, smart and accurate are things any team can make into quality starting play. Now, Young is much better than Bridgewater or at least he projects to be, but he’s got a fast processor and I like that a lot.

As Yoda said, “size matters not” yet all Young gets dinged for is his lack of size. Young is a small quarterback, measuring in at less than six feet tall. His frame is packed already at 190 pounds, so there’s no room to add more muscle – and teams are rightfully concerned about durability. In addition to size concerns, Young doesn’t have a rocket arm which means he has to put some extra effort into downfield throws.

Stroud should be the no.1 overall pick for the Carolina Panthers. Like Young, it’s somewhat difficult to find pro plays because the Buckeyes are loaded with a ton of talent. To make matters more interesting, Stroud was often found throwing to wide open receivers. College open is sometimes a few yards, while pro open might only be a matter of inches. It will be interesting to see if Stroud can throw into tighter windows, and I believe he will be able to.

To do that, I’d like to see Stroud’s throwing motion sped up a bit. With pro coaching, that should be able to happen as his delivery is a bit too elongated. In college that’s fine, but in the pros, he needs to be fast when pulling the trigger. Stroud does have a strong arm, and he has no problem attacking every level of the field – he just needs to be faster when it comes to getting rid of the ball.

Both Young and Stroud are smart. The difference is size (advantage; Stroud), timing of release (advantage; Young), and scrambling ability (advantage; Young). I believe Stroud has a high floor, and he’s worthy of a top-5 selection. Young has the higher upside, but Stroud is considered the safer pick by most in the scouting community I talk to.

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Faux First Rounder

There are some who see Josh Allen when they watch Will Levis from Kentucky. Nothing could be further from the truth. Levis is big, strong, and he’s athletic like Allen. That’s where the comparisons should end in my opinion – but there are many in the media who insist that Levis will be the best in this draft class. I don’t think Levis is a top-10 talent, but he’s likely to be picked in that range because the NFL is a quarterback desperate league.

I will get over dinging players who transfer to another program, but it’s a slight ding for Levis because he spent three years behind Sean Clifford at Penn State. I’ve written up Clifford as the Broncos had a Zoom call with him a week or so ago, but he’s unlikely to be drafted and is seen as more of a “Taysom Hill-like” quarterback than a regular starter. This isn’t like when Joe Burrow was at Ohio State behind guys like J.T. Barrett and Dwayne Haskins. It’s more like when Joe Flacco was behind Tyler Palko at PITT and ended up transferring to Delaware. Now, Flacco won a Super Bowl and Palko had a cup of coffee in the NFL. Levis has the physical skill to make it in the NFL, but I would have liked it better if he’d stayed in Happy Valley and beat out Clifford.

My personal bias aside, Levis has a big arm and can make all the throws required in the NFL. I like the way he rips passes quickly, and he can do so effectively on the run. Levis can attack a defense with his legs, and he’s tough enough to take hits at the end of his runs if necessary. Levis needs to work on his pass placement, and I’d like to see him show better touch when leading receivers. To me, Levis is not Josh Allen – he’s more Daniel Jones – so plan accordingly and wait for further development.

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My Favorites

Anthony Richardson could be the best quarterback in this class when all is said and done. There are some who promote him as a potential no.1 overall pick – and that could happen, but I don’t believe that will happen. Instead, Richardson should be a first-round pick for a team who can wait a bit and let him develop. I think a perfect landing spot for him would be the Seattle Seahawks.

Richardson has a special arm, and he’s dangerous as a runner. He’s strong and has speed to his game, so Richardson will immediately be a threat for a defense tasked with stopping him. Richardson did not develop much in his college career at Florida, and that gives him a “lottery ticket” feel as a prospect. I believe Richardson has the processor – the most important asset for a quarterback – and that means he’s going to prosper if a team gives him time and develops him properly.

If I’m taking a chance on a quarterback late, it’s Aiden O’Connell from Purdue. I watched him during the week of practice for the East-West Shrine Bowl earlier this year and came away impressed. He’s a quarterback who may not have the tools of others in this class, but I like his moxie and leadership ability in addition to some of the things he can do on the field.

O’Connell is a confident player who isn’t afraid to go after coverage. He doesn’t have a rocket arm, but he does play with great anticipation. This keeps him ahead of most defenders, but that may not work as well in the pros. O’Connell is mechanically sound, and I like the way he sets up his base footwork when dropping back to throw. He’s a late-round pick who could be a quality starter with time or at least a solid backup.

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Overall Grade

This draft has quality quarterbacks, unlike last year’s class. I’m not quite convinced this class is an “A” group. It’s close, but in my opinion, it will come down to whether players like Richardson play up to their full potential. Let’s give this group a B+ for what they are today.

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