The 2023 NFL Draft doesn't have the same buzz in terms of elite-level quarterback prospects compared to some recent years like 2021.
But we could still see as many as four quarterbacks selected in the first round next month.
There isn't a Trevor Lawrence-type prospect in 2023, but there are still several intriguing options at the QB position, including a former Heisman Trophy winner in Alabama's Bryce Young.
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Which of these players stood out at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis last week?
Patriots Talk: A deep look at the NFL’s muddled quarterback landscape | Listen & Subscribe | Watch on YouTube
Phil Perry gave a rundown on the latest episode of NBC Sports Boston's "Patriots Talk Podcast."
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Bryce Young, QB, Alabama: "He's short. He's 5-foot-10 but he weighed in heavier at the combine than he did as a player at Alabama. And I think he weighed in heavier at the combine than he will at the NFL level. I think he just threw on a bunch of weight to get over 200, which he did. But very accurate (passer). I think if you're just looking at the play, he's the best player at that position in this year's draft. But if you want to factor in size, along with the play, and ceiling and that nature, I could see a world in which CJ Stroud is actually the first QB taken off the board. I can't do it with Anthony Richardson or Will Levis. But Bryce Young is the best player, you just have to be comfortable with him playing at 5-foot-10 and 185 pounds."
CJ Stroud, QB, Ohio State: "I think he helped (his draft stock) a little bit. I think his on the field work was pretty impressive. But it's going to be more about the interviews and what teams feel you can handle, and that will continue through the spring. These teams that have the chance to take him will meet with him several times I'm sure, and see what his ability to retain and regurgitate information is like. This is the guy I would move up for if I'm (Raiders head coach) Josh McDaniels because I think he could be a very good fit in the McDaniels offense. He's a pocket passer and he's accurate. In the right system, I think he could have a lot of success."
Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida: "It would require real hubris to believe that you can turn Anthony Richardson into Josh Allen. Does that mean it can't happen? No, but you'd have to have some irresponsible levels of confidence to take him inside the top five. He completed about 50 percent of his passes at Florida. He's working with pros there. ... What I was told was, if you think he can be the next Josh Allen, great. That guy has done something basically nobody else has done in terms of going from an inaccurate player to now an accurate player and one of the best quarterbacks in the league.
"But the thing that made Josh Allen's projection more enticing in some ways was that he was at Wyoming. Who's he throwing to? He's throwing to guys whose careers are done when they leave the field, for the most part. Richardson is in the SEC working with real pro-level talent on the offensive line and the skill positions, and he still completed 50 percent of his passes. That, to me, would be a little scary. But in the right system, could you turn him into a bigger, faster version of Jalen Hurts? That's why this guy is going to go in the first round. That's a thing. And not only bigger and faster, a better arm than Jalen Hurts."
Which teams will be desperate enough to move up and take a chance on one of these quarterbacks? Will the Chicago Bears, who own the No. 1 overall pick, trade it to a team looking to acquire a QB? The buildup to this draft should be fascinating.
Also in this episode: Perry and Tom E. Curran address the Mac Jones/Raiders "chatter", Derek Carr establishing a middle class QB market and whether the Ravens are making the right move with Lamar Jackson.