Eric Froton breaks down and ranks the 2023 NFL Draft quarterback class heading into the NFL Scouting Combine.
2023 NFL Draft QB Rankings
| Quarterbacks |
| Bryce Young, Alabama |
| C.J. Stroud, Ohio State |
| Anthony Richardson, Florida |
| Will Levis, Kentucky |
| Hendon Hooker, Tennessee |
| Tanner McKee, Stanford |
| Jaren Hall, BYU |
| Clayton Tune, Houston |
| Jake Haener, Fresno State |
| Aidan O’Connell, Purdue |
| Dorian Thompson-Robinson |
| Stetson Bennett, Georgia |
| Max Duggan, TCU |
| Tommy DeVito, Syracuse |
| Sean Clifford, Penn State |
| Tyson Bagent, Shepherd |
| Todd Centeio, James Madison |
Bryce Young, Alabama
Alabama’s Bryce Young (6'0/200) is my QB1 despite the oft-parroted concerns about his height and stature. I had the pleasure of interviewing Bryce at the Elite 11 Final last summer when he was still 20 years old. Having had eyes on him up close, I feel like Young is right in the 6-foot ballpark with a solid, lean body, like most young men his age. He’s still 21.5 years old and while he’s never going to be built like Cam Newton, Young should be able to pack more muscle-armor on his frame over the next 2-3 years to help deal with the rigors of the position. I’m more focused on his ability to feel pressure, escape, reset and deliver a strike under duress than how big he is. Young has the second highest PFF passing grade under pressure in this class (Clayton Tune is #1), and averaged 15.7 yards per completion in pivotal third down situations (Grayson McCall #1 w/16.8). He is the most projectable QB in this class and has all the intangibles you want except for prototype size.
C.J. Stroud, Ohio State
My Michigan network swears that Stroud’s game isn’t going to translate to the NFL and won’t be able to rise to the occasion when the chips are down. However Stroud ranked fifth nationally with a sterling 70% completion rate in “close and late” situations, a metric in which Anthony Richardson ranked 90th overall with a 44.5% completion rate. OSU’s signal caller completed 50 passes of 20+ yards in 328 pass attempts for a 15.2% rate that ranks second nationally behind just USC Superstar Caleb Williams. I simply cannot drop C.J. Stroud lower than QB2 after seeing him put it all together against Georgia in the CFP semi-final.
Will Levis, Kentucky
Kentucky quarterback Will Levis (6'3/232) is getting top-10 buzz amidst rumors that the NFL is enamored with his tools despite a lackluster 2022 campaign where he posted a 7-to-13 big time throw-to-turnover worthy play rate. To be fair, Levis performed much better in 2021 under talented OC Liam Cohen, earning a strong 90.6 overall grade from PFF. Kentucky’s porous offensive line’s deficiencies are palpable on tape and a primary source of Kentucky’s offensive woes last year. However I think it’s fair to question how much blame lies on Levis who posted the worst third-down sack rate in the country with 17 sacks in 71 gross attempts for a ghastly 4.2 pass per sack rate, which ranked dead last out of all 47 FBS QBs who qualified. For a QB who was used primarily in a rushing capacity at Penn State, you would think Levis could manage better than the -9.6 rushing yards per game he averaged this season, the 4th lowest mark in FBS. It should also be noted that since 2021 Levis ranks dead last nationally with 26.5 pass attempts-per-interception, just edging out Florida’s Anthony Richardson (26.8 PAPI) for the ignominious distinction. Like Levis, Richardson (6'4/232) has impressive physical tools plus the added ability to uncork high-velocity throws at near full speed. His biggest issue is loose footwork, as his tendency to heel-click rather than keep a stable base when moving within the pocket contributed to a troubling 58% adjusted completion rate and 4-to-5 TD/INT ratio in the 0-9 yard short passing range. For perspective, C.J. Stroud put 84% of his short passes on target, a 26% difference from AR. That being said, he’s a big-game hunter who excels down range, earning a 93.1 PFF Deep Passing grade while throwing 19.4% of his passes 20+ yards, which is the third highest rate in the Power Five. Given the respective age of Levis (24) and Richardson (he turns 22 on May, 22nd), I prefer Richardson since he only has 18 collegiate starts under his belt and could be special if he can harness his physical traits.
Hendon Hooker, Tennessee
The player with the second highest downfield passing rate (20.5%) is none other than Tennessee QB Hendon Hooker (6'4/218), who is a ripe 25 years old and coming off an ACL tear in late-November that derailed his potential Heisman run. Hooker isn’t quite as thickly built as his younger counterpart Richardson, but he’s more elusive when he chooses to run and is distinctly more accurate to all three levels of the field. The question for me is whether the still developing Richardson can hone his footwork and overall feel for the position to a point where in 2-3 years his physical gifts and mechanics have come together. With Hooker, I think he’s sound enough to compete for a starting job at some point considering the dearth of consistent, quality QB play outside of the elite signal callers. While Hooker averaged an exceptional 9.5 yards per pass attempt last year (3rd in FBS), his pressure-to-sack rate of 29% was the second highest rate in the Power Five behind only Jayden Daniels of LSU. Additionally, Hooker was sacked on 15% of his 4th quarter pass attempts in 2022, which was the worst rate in the country according to Inside Edge.
Tanner McKee, Stanford
Tanner McKee (6'6/230) was an elite prep prospect that got saddled with one of the most unimaginative offenses in the Power Five over the last two years. For perspective just 8 of his 713 passes since 2021 went for 40+ yards (1.1%), the 5th-lowest mark in FBS. McKee has taken 33 2nd-half sacks over the last two seasons, which is the most among Power Five QBs, and posted the 7th worst Red Zone passer rating in the nation in 2022. His size, traits and pedigree are intriguing despite a lack of quantifiable results and limited mobility.
Jaren Hall, BYU
BYU QB Jaren Hall (6'1/205) led the nation with a 58.3% adjusted deep completion rate last year, with is not exactly shocking coming from a former MLB draftee. While the 25 year-old has a 46-to-20 career big time throw-to-turnover worthy play rate, just 5 of his 123 third down passes went for 20+ yards over the last two years for a 4.1% explosive play rate. That metric ranks 99th among the 101 FBS qualifying quarterbacks with at least 90 pass attempts since 2021 according to Inside Edge. Hall is an underrated and opportunistic runner who picked up first downs on 38% of his rushes since 2021, which is the second highest rate in the country over that span behind only Utah QB Cam Rising.
Clayton Tune, Houston
Clayton Tune (6'22/216) is my personal favorite sleeper QB of this class, as the Houston signal caller performed very well in a few important advanced metrics, ranking second in FBS (Drake Maye #1) in non-play action situations, and 4th in pressure situations according to PFF (Caleb Williams #1). His passer rating of 180.5 in “close and late” situations ranked 7th overall while 9-of-71 pass attempts in those crucial circumstances went for touchdowns, good for the 8th best TD rate nationally. A five-year starter for the Cougars who was rumored to have run a 4.5 40-yard dash in high school, Tune is also a plus-athlete for the position who topped the Senior Bowl signal callers by hitting 76.8 MPH on the radar gun in addition to fitting many of the key “Bill Parcells QB” attributes. I think Tune could be a late-round selection who could eventually surprise, a-la Brock Purdy.