After a lackluster quarterback class in last year’s draft, which ended with Mr. Irrelevant being the best quarterback (QB) from the group, the NFL world is ready for this year’s star-studded group of prospects. Heisman-winning quarterback Bryce Young is at the top of many draft boards and is considered by many to be the number one overall pick if the Chicago Bears decide to make a trade. Not far behind Young is C.J. Stroud, who showed out in the College Football Playoffs against a Georgia Bulldogs defense that will have multiple names called in the first round of this draft. Then there is Will Levis, who could have had a better year going into the draft but has the incredible arm talent to go along with a pro-ready build. The last QB that is worthy of a first-round pick is Anthony Richardson. Richardson is the most significant boom-or-bust prospect going into the draft, as many believe that he has an insanely high ceiling but a pretty low floor as well.
Bryce Young is such an exciting prospect due to his size. In college, Young was phenomenal. However, historically it has been hard for QBs his size to succeed in the league. Young has all the talent, all the IQ, and everything you want as a leader from the QB position. The only downfall is his size. His size might scare some teams away and allow one of the QBs slated behind him to become the QB1 frontrunner come draft time. Young would be an excellent fit for any QB-needy team. Look for the Colts to trade up and snag him, or, if he falls to two, look for the Texans to welcome him with open arms. It is unlikely that Young will slip past the top two picks. However, if we see a Byrce Young slide come draft day, the Lions at six might be tempted to grab him and reunite him with his teammate from last year, Jameson Williams.
C.J. Stroud helped his draft stock in his heroic game against Georgia that came up just short of the upset. However, Stroud has entered his name as the best QB in this draft. Stroud has been fantastic during his time at Ohio State. The main question surrounding him is his beneficiary of having some of the best college weapons possible. Stroud threw to guys such as Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson, Marvin Harrison Jr., and Jaxon Smith-Njigba during his time with the Buckeyes. He will have fewer weapons early on in his career. If the Colts move into that one spot, they will face a tough decision on whether to take Young or Stroud. The Texans should pick up whoever is left of the two. If Stroud falls, the Raiders at seven is an exciting destination, as is the Panthers at nine.
Will Levis is not Zach Wilson. Levis was considered one of the top QB prospects before the season started. On the other hand, Zach Wilson was nowhere to be seen on draft boards before his last season at BYU and came into the top QB conversation after an excellent pro day. Levis did not have a great year, which some will and should question. While having all the tools is perfect, so is winning football games and putting up numbers that a top prospect should. Even with the questions surrounding Levis, he is an excellent prospect that should be in the Top 10. As long as analysts and GMs don’t push Levis into the top two QB conversation, he will get drafted where he should. Both the Raiders and Panthers need a QB and will look to snag Levis. However, a dark horse team that should be heavily interested in him is the Tennessee Titans. The Titans chose to roll with Joshua Dobbs instead of rookie QB Malik Wills down the stretch. So, they neither trust nor have much invested in him. If the Colts fall in love with Levis, he could take over Indianapolis.
The final QB worthy of a top pick in the draft is Anthony Richardson, the biggest question mark. Take one look at Anthony Richardson; it is hard not to see glimpses of Cam Newton. Richardson is a project and has yet to play much competitive football, but he has all the tools that scouts drool over. With the arm, the legs, and the build, he is the best prospect since Josh Allen. Like Allen, Richardson will come into the league with much to prove after not showing much in college. There’s no doubt that Richardson will spark debates on whether he should get drafted in the top 10. The Panthers will take a long look. However, some of his best landing spots will be later in the draft, giving him a year to learn under a veteran signal-caller. Teams such as the Seahawks, Lions, and the Commanders could provide Richardson a year to learn and progress before being thrown into the fire. A dark horse team that would turn a lot of heads is the Baltimore Ravens. If Lamar Jackson wants out of Baltimore, then a team that can give up a lot of assets is the New York Jets. A package with the 13th pick, the next two years’ first-rounders, and a player would be difficult to turn down. The Ravens would not be in a rebuild; it would be more of a retool.
After a year of poor rookie QB plays, this year seems different. These prospects are worth the hype, and there could be another late-round QB who turns many heads this year. The back end of this draft also has some exciting stories.