The Top 3 Safest Quarterback Prospects Heading into the 2023 Draft
With the NFL Draft approaching, this article will examine the top 3 quarterbacks who have proven themselves as the most NFL ready prospects in this year’s draft. There will be an analysis on each prospect divided into four sections: bio, strengths, weaknesses, and their ideal destinations.
Bryce Young:
Bryce Young began his football career in the spotlight on day 1 as the quarterback of the Mater Dei Monarchs, a football juggernaut who has produced multiple Heisman quarterbacks. Bryce left high school as the top ranked quarterback and number 2 overall recruit in the 2020 class and committed to the University of Alabama. After sitting behind future Patriots QB Mac Jones for a year, Bryce dominated the college football landscape in 2021, winning the Heisman Trophy and bringing Bama to the brink of another national championship victory. In his second year as a starter, Bryce played well again. However, a midseason shoulder injury derailed his second Heisman campaign and limited his performance throughout the season. Nevertheless, Bryce is still viewed by many NFL executives as the top QB in the class due to his impressive resume and skill set.
Strengths and Weaknesses:
Clutch gene: Arguably the most important trait for any quarterback to possess, Young’s performances in big games has been as great as practically any player you could think of in recent memory. From the jump, Young constantly delivered for the Crimson Tide, especially in the 2021 SEC championship where he lit up the Dawgs defense, who had been discussed as possibly the greatest defense in college football history, for 421 passing yards and 3 TDs. Even more impressive, Bryce managed to bail out the Tide on numerous occasions during his final year as a starter with possibly the worst receiving corps Bama has seen in recent memory.
Pocket presence: Possibly the most frustrating aspect of playing against Bryce Young whether you’re a defensive coordinator or hardcore fan watching from home is his uncanny ability to evade pressure in the pocket. Young has demonstrated an exceptional ability to escape defenders in a way that rivals the likes of Aaron Rodgers which allows his receivers ample time to break off routes to find open spaces.
Height: If we’re being honest, Bryce does not have any tangible weaknesses. However, NFL scouts have always been skeptical of height due to its effect on the quarterback’s vision in the pocket. Bryce has managed to excel throughout his football career despite being listed at 5’9. There’s nothing Young can really do to respond to these concerns other than to continue to prove his doubters wrong just as he’s done in the past.
Ideal fit: Houston Texans (Pick #2)
It is a ridiculously tight race between Young and Stroud as the number 1 pick; however, I personally view Stroud as the top prospect. Young, however, seems like the perfect quarterback to bring back a sense of excitement to a Houston fanbase who has been left constantly disappointed throughout their history as a franchise. With a lack of talent on the roster, Bryce will be responsible for resurrecting the Texans organization which hasn’t made the playoffs since the days of Deshaun Watson and DeAndre Hopkins. Fortunately for Young, he will be joined by his former teammate John Metchie III who is entering his first season as a pro after missing the entire 2022 season.
CJ Stroud:
The second California QB on this list has a very similar story to that of Bryce Young. Stroud ended his HS career at Rancho Cucamonga HS as a five-star prospect and the third ranked quarterback of the 2020 class, behind only Bryce Young and former Clemson QB DJ Uiagalelei. Like Young, CJ sat behind an All-American quarterback in Justin Fields his first season at Ohio State, then quickly caught on to the scene during his first year as the Buckeyes starter. CJ’s two years were filled with success as he finished fourth and third respectively in the 2021 and 2022 Heisman race and led the Buckeyes to a victory in the Rose Bowl, and an appearance in the 2023 College Football Playoff where Stroud put on arguably the most impressive performance of his career in a heartbreaking defeat to the eventual national champion Georgia Bulldogs. With this performance in his final game as well as his impressive resume, Stroud is now viewed by some as the top QB in the upcoming 2023 Draft.
Strengths and Weaknesses:
Arm accuracy: Stroud has arguably the most accurate arm of anyone not just in the draft this year, but in the league as of today. With a loaded receiving corps at Ohio State, Stroud’s arm talent utterly dismantled defenders across the nation with some of the most beautiful pitch and catch connections that one could ever witness. Stroud’s deadeye accuracy was on full display in the combine where he put up the consensus best throwing performance of anyone in the draft.
Career finale: This may be a somewhat unorthodox takeaway when discussing strengths; however, Stroud’s performance against UGA was simply astonishing. Stroud’s numbers stack up similarly to that of Young’s performance in the SEC championship with 350 passing yards and 4 TDs, but the thing that makes it even more impressive is the fact that Ohio State had absolutely no business being in that game. Stroud’s performance without his number 1 receiver in Jaxon Smith-Njigba may go down as one of the gutsiest performances in sports history and has solidified his status as a top prospect.
Inconsistency in key games: Possibly the biggest blemish on Stroud’s otherwise stellar collegiate career is the fact that he could never defeat OSU’s biggest rival, Michigan. This is almost viewed as a rite of passage among Buckeye faithful for elite quarterbacks and Stroud’s performances in these games has been lackluster at best. Furthermore, Stroud struggled through certain stretches in the 2022 in games against inferior opponents, specifically in a rainy afternoon game against Big 10 bottom feeder Northwestern.
Ideal fit: Carolina Panthers (Pick #1)
As mentioned earlier, the difference between Stroud and Young is razor thin and both seem to be can’t miss prospects; however, Stroud’s final performance ultimately sold him as the number one prospect for me. Stroud already had every box checked as far as arm talent, leadership, and football iq; however, his final performance against all odds to battle tooth and nail with the back-to-back champions exemplified the qualities of a true franchise qb. While I hate to use one game as a deciding factor, especially when Bryce Young has an array of marquee performances of his own, Stroud gets the edge here.
Hendon Hooker:
Hooker has arguably the most unique path to draft out of this year’s top QB prospects. Hooker entered his collegiate career as a four-star prospect in the 2017 recruiting class out of Greensboro, North Carolina. He began his career at Virginia Tech where he was handed the reins in his second year on the team and put-up decent numbers with a limited supporting cast on offense. Things would take a turn in 2020 when Hooker was benched to the dismay of many Hokie fans, which led him to transfer to Tennessee to likely serve as a backup behind Joe Milton. To the surprise of many, Hooker won the starting job in fall camp and ended showcasing his elite talent for the Volunteers throwing for a staggering 31 TDs with only 3 interceptions. Coming into the 2022 season, many questioned whether Hooker would be able to surpass expectations again during his final year of eligibility. The first two months of the season saw Hendon and the Vols go on a tear that will forever be immortalized in Tennessee football as they went undefeated and beat their arch rival Alabama for the first time in nearly two decades, with Hendon himself leading the Heisman race going into November. However, The Vols' run would hit an abrupt end against the Georgia Bulldogs, and Hendon’s season would end in bitter fashion with a torn ACL in a loss to division rival South Carolina two weeks later. Hooker now looks to bounce back and prove his doubters wrong again as a top QB in the class.
Strengths and Weaknesses:
Deep ball accuracy: Hooker has arguably the best deep ball in this year’s class alongside CJ Stroud. He put his arm talent on full display throughout the 2022 college football season as he outright shredded SEC secondary and led the Vols top ranked scoring offense. His best performance came against the Bama where Hooker embarrassed the Tide throwing for 385 passing yards and 5 TDs.
Maturity: While many look at Hooker’s age at 25 years old as the reason behind his maturity, Hooker has demonstrated this quality throughout his collegiate career through the way he’s handled challenges and even on the field. Hooker could have easily become a locker room nightmare for the Hokies when he was unfairly benched at Virginia Tech, or he could have transferred to a smaller school where he would be guaranteed to start from day 1; however, Hooker’s maturity has carried him through these challenges. Furthermore, when you watch Hooker on tape and look at his stats throughout his career, you’ll see a polished quarterback who rarely makes any mistakes which could cost his team the game. In total, Hooker has thrown for 80 TDs with only 12 interceptions in his college career, a feat which is unheard of among top quarterbacks.
Final injury: Many scouts believe that Hooker would have been a top 5 pick if he had not gotten injured in his final game against South Carolina. However, it is a sad truth that Hooker’s torn ACL is going to be difficult to recover from and alters the likelihood of GMs taking a chance on him. Hooker was already known for having average to below average mobility in and outside the pocket, and this injury to his knee only raises scouts’ concerns.
Age: At 25 years old, Hooker is already older or the same age as some of the top quarterbacks in the league including Justin Herbert, Trevor Lawrence, Jalen Hurts, and Tua Tagovailoa. This puts Hooker at a huge disadvantage without the years of experience that these other quarterbacks have. It’s not impossible for Hooker to overcome this age barrier; however, he will be playing catch up compared to the other top QBs in the class.
Ideal fit: Tennessee Titans (Pick #41)
This pick just makes sense for both parties. Hooker is already a fan favorite in Tennessee and with the poor play of incumbent QB Ryan Tannehill and now second year QB Malik Willis, Hooker could have yet another opportunity to prove doubters wrong as the backup QB on the depth chart. Additionally, the Titans have the running game to complement Hooker should he be forced into play earlier than expected as well as a deep ball threat in Traylon Burks to allow Hooker to stretch the field. Overall, this pick could serve as the steal of the draft if Tennessee plays their cards correctly.