Evaluating the Top Three Quarterbacks in the 2023 NFL Draft

The first round of the 2023 NFL draft is set to take place in Kansas City on Thursday, April 27. Many are expecting anywhere between 3 to 5 quarterbacks to be taken in round one, which is a lot more than the one that was taken in the first round last year. Of the many talented quarterbacks in this draft, the top is highlighted by Alabama’s Bryce Young, Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud, and Florida’s Anthony Richardson. Here today, I will talk about each one of these young quarterbacks and what I personally think about each of them.

Bryce Young - QB Alabama

Let’s start with who many considered the top quarterback going into the 2022 college season: Alabama’s Bryce Young. Alabama has produced many competent quarterbacks in the previous couple of years, including New England’s Mac Jones, Miami’s Tua Tagovailoa, and Philadelphia’s Jalen Hurts, who just inked a massive new contract worth 255 million dollars over five years. With this in mind, it’s safe to assume that Young will continue the trend and be one of the better quarterbacks in this draft class.

If you watched Young this year, which you probably did, you had to have noticed his insane playmaking ability. Instead of panicking under pressure and throwing the ball away or making irresponsible decisions with the ball, Young moves around the pocket while keeping his eyes downfield. In almost every highlight of Young’s 2022 season, you can notice him avoiding pressure and almost every time still managing to get the ball down the field. He knows when he has to tuck it and run, but somehow is always able to find the open man downfield.

Another amazing aspect of Young’s game that I noticed is his ability to throw off of almost any platform. If you go back and watch his tape from this previous season, you’ll notice how he can throw off his back foot just as accurately as when his feet are set. He can also be seen running toward the line of scrimmage and launching the ball while set heavy on his front foot. Young can also throw without his feet set, moving laterally and just launching the ball to his intended target.

Image via: Sean Gardner, Getty Images

Young’s arm is also a thing of beauty. He has seemingly unlimited range and is able to launch the ball all over the place. Regardless, time after time he still manages to place the ball where only his man can get it. In 12 games in 2022, Young threw for 3,328 yards and 32 touchdowns against just 5 interceptions. This was not as impressive as his 2021 Heisman winning campaign, where he threw for 4,872 yards and 47 touchdowns versus just 7 interceptions. This could be due to the fact that he missed some time this past season with an AC joint injury he suffered early in the season against Arkansas. This injury history may scare some teams during the draft process, as I noticed multiple times in 2022 that Young would short his throws in order to avoid contact. The ball still gets to its target on time, however he releases the ball and snaps his arm back towards his body and almost spins to avoid contact from defenders. This may prove to be an issue later on in his career. On top of this, some believe Young’s height could affect his draft value. However, Young’s height has not proven to be an issue so far, and quarterbacks like Russell Wilson, Kyler Murray, and the great Drew Brees have already shown that height is not as much of a necessity in pro quarterbacks as many believe it to be.

Regardless, Young has still shown flashes and proved himself as a top quarterback in this class. I personally would consider Young the most pro ready out of all three of the quarterbacks, mostly due to the fact that he is coming from the most pro-like college team in Alabama and has faced the most pro-like competition within the SEC. However, if we consider upside and potential, I would rank the other two quarterbacks in this article above Young. That’s not to say Young won’t blossom into an amazing NFL quarterback one day, I just prefer the upside of the other two quarterbacks as opposed to Young’s.

C.J. Stroud - QB Ohio State

Now let’s talk about Ohio State’s quarterback C.J. Stroud. Stroud took over for current Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields, who was taken in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft. In his first year as the starter at Ohio State, Stroud threw for 4,435 yards and 44 touchdowns against just 6 interceptions, and was even a Heisman finalist. Stroud continued his amazing success in 2022 with 3,688 yards, 41 touchdowns, and only 6 interceptions while being named a Heisman finalist yet again.

If you watched Ohio State this previous season, you would have noticed their amazing receiving core, which is definitely due some credit for Stroud’s strong 2022 campaign. On top of this however, Stroud’s accuracy and precision can not be overstated. If you go back and watch some of the tape, you’ll see how Stroud was able to put the ball where only his man can get it, time and time again. I may have said this before about Bryce Young, but Stroud’s accuracy, in comparison, is out of this world. Even when a defender was draped all over one of Stroud’s receivers, Stroud would put the ball where only his man’s hands could get to it and it was barely out of reach for the defender. In addition to this, Stroud is able to anticipate his receivers' cuts when the original play breaks down. If you remember the play back in Super Bowl 55 where Tom Brady knew Rob Gronkowski would cut a certain way in the endzone after the original play was broken down, Stroud was able to replicate that exact event multiple times throughout his 2022 season. It was just amazing to watch.

Image via: Joseph Maiorana, USA Today Sports

Although he did not run the 40 yard dash at the NFL combine, Stroud has amazing scrambling ability and can run when he needs to. However, Stroud is very patient in the pocket and will stand tall while scanning the field for a receiver to get open. Watching his film, I noticed a handful of times where pressure was closing in, and he still managed to stay poised and deliver a strike down the field as his receiver just came open at the right moment. With many other quarterbacks, they would notice the slightest bit of pressure and leave the pocket immediately, giving up on the original play and forcing the rest of the offense to enter scramble mode. Stroud however, continues to stay in the pocket, which is something that many pro offenses like to see.

One knock on Stroud could be the general fact that he played at Ohio State. He did not have to deal with the best competition, and he had one of the best surrounding casts in all of college football. Whatever team drafts him, he will not be receiving a surrounding cast of that caliber. This is not to say that he can not perform to the same level with a lesser cast, it is just one of the many concerns that arise during the scouting process.

In the end, I personally love Stroud and he is the quarterback that I would take if I had the choice of all three. I believe he is the second most pro ready, just behind Young. However, I believe he has more of an upside than Young. His accuracy is just something that can not be taught, and he still has that scrambling and playmaking ability that he did not have to use much in college. This means that he can work in multiple different offensive systems, whether that be one where he needs to use his legs often, or where he stays put in the pocket. Overall, I would rank Stroud second overall when looking at upside and potential, however I consider him the safest pick when it comes to a balance of pro-ready and potential.

Anthony Richardson - QB Florida

Lastly, let us discuss Florida’s Anthony Richardson. Out of these three quarterbacks, Richardson has the least experience. He played just 12 games this previous season, which also happened to be his first season as the Gators starting QB. This alone may concern scouts when evaluating Richardson, as he just hasn’t played enough games for scouts to get a good report on what type of NFL quarterback he may be. Despite this, there have been plenty of quarterbacks taken early in the draft in recent years who had just one memorable season of college football. Some that come to mind are Zach Wilson, Joe Burrow, and Kenny Pickett amongst others.

In those 12 games Richardson played in 2022, he looked amazing. He consistently put his insane scrambling ability on display, and is able to maneuver in the open field just like a running back. On top of this scrambling ability, Richardson would showcase his huge arm on occasion with many deep shots down the field. When you go back and watch the film, you can’t help but be in awe at his highlights. If you remember the Gators first game of the season where they took on the seventh ranked Utah Utes, he made one memorable play where he jumped into the air, pump faked, spun, then landed and took off to the right while still finding the open man and delivering a strike for a touchdown.

There were just so many memorable moments like this for Richardson in 2022, which gets almost every scout excited for his upside and potential. Furthermore, Richardson tested amazingly at the NFL combine. He ran a 4.43 second 40 yard dash, which is almost unheard of for quarterbacks. He also recorded a 40 and a half inch vertical jump. Richardson was just able to show how much of a physical specimen he is, which alone is enough to get him drafted very high this April. Another aspect of his game that I loved while watching his film was his energy. This may not seem like a huge deal to the modern fan, but this is something that good scouts will look into. Everyone knows the quarterback is the face of the franchise, so when you invest in your next guy you want a guy who is passionate about the game and willing to put the team on his back. Richardson just gets so excited when he’s able to make a big play and benefit his team.

Image via: Kim Klement, USA Today Sports

Despite all of this upside and potential, there are still many question marks surrounding Richardson. His ability to run in the open field is amazing, however it may lead to him taking unnecessary hits which can lead to long term injuries. This is an issue that Cam Newton ran into many times throughout his career, who coincidentally also spent some time at Florida during his college days. And again, it can not be understated how important reps are for a starting quarterback. With Richardson only having one season as a starter under his belt, it is expected for him to take some time to adjust to being an NFL quarterback, even more so than the usual college quarterback adjustment. With this in mind, the team selecting Richardson will have to be okay with waiting some time for him to make this adjustment, and with the current speed of the NFL, many teams may not be willing to wait that long.

Overall, Richardson may have the highest upside of these three quarterbacks, however he does provide the biggest risk. I would rank him as the quarterback with the best potential, but the least pro-ready at the moment. With that said, I personally would only take Richardson if my team was in the current state of a rebuild and is able to wait a season or two for him to develop. A team that fits this description exactly is the Carolina Panthers, which is why many expect for them to take Richardson first overall on the night of the first round.

In conclusion, all three of these quarterbacks have many talents and a huge upside, however they each provide some concerns that each team will have to look into when evaluating these players. I previously gave my opinion on where I would rank these quarterbacks when considering upside and potential, and separately when considering their ability to take over a pro-style offense right away. When measuring both, I would rank them as follows: C.J. Stroud, Bryce Young, and Anthony Richardson. Stroud just has the best balance of upside and pro-readiness, making him my easy choice for the top spot. Then we have Young and Richardson. I just value Young’s experience and pro-style play at Alabama more than Richardson’s high upside, hence why I rank him above the Florida product. Regardless of my rankings, each of these quarterbacks have the potential to become NFL greats, and we get to see where their journeys begin on the night of the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft.

(Cover image via: Alika Jenner, Getty Images)