Best landing spots for Bryce Young, other top QBs in the 2023 draft class

The 2023 NFL Draft is just a day away and, per the norm, the quarterbacks in the class are the main talking point. The hope for the quarterback-needy teams in the NFL is that they can land one of the top guys in the draft and lock in a franchise cornerstone for the next half-decade, at the very least. But with four quarterbacks set to go in the first round, and one of the peripheral, not every team is going to get the answer they’re hoping for. Figuring out where Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud, Will Levis, Anthony Richardson, and Hendon Hooker could land is a seemingly impossible task. Young is the likely No. 1 pick. But beyond him? Let’s have a stab at guessing the landing spots for those five quarterbacks, starting with Hooker: 5. Hendon Hooker, Tennessee source: AP Hendon Hooker remains one of the toughest to evaluate prospects in recent history. From an entirely physical and fundamental standpoint, there’s a lot to like about Hooker. He’s got a big arm worthy of Sundays, a nice short release, and an excellent — and accurate — deep ball. Plus, at 6-foot-3, 217 pounds, he has to be accounted for as a runner with 10 rushing touchdowns in two years in Tennessee. 5. Hooker (cont’d) source: AP Take a step back and things get a little murky. Hooker will be 25 in his rookie season and is recovering from a torn ACL which means he could be a slow starter — if he even starts from day one. An incredibly simplified and gimmicky Tennessee offense makes it hard to project how Hooker’s skills can translate to the NFL, though. He dealt primarily in heavy play-action and spread formations and too often broke the pocket as a runner when pressured. Hooker (cont’d) source: AP Hooker will step into the NFL as a high-end developmental quarterback at 25 years old — almost unprecedented territory. Despite that, there’s a chance he could still an outside chance he could sneak into the late first round. The Minnesota Vikings make a lot of sense. Kirk Cousins is heading into his age-35 season and is a free agent at the end of the year, Hooker could sit behind him, learn from an experienced quarterback, and an excellent offensive-minded head coach like Kevin O’Connell, and then step into the starting role in 2024. Selecting him with the No. 23 pick feels a little rich — they don’t pick again until No. 87 — but Hooker is toolsy enough to convince someone that they can be the ones to unlock his potential as a late-bloomer. Predicted landing spot: Minnesota Vikings4. Anthony Richardson, Florida source: AP It’s hard not to get carried away when watching Anthony Richardson play football. Is he ready to go from day one? Absolutely not, but the flashes of brilliance are as good as we’ve seen from any prospect — at his best, Richardson could be a mix of Cam Newton and Josh Allen. It’s just about nurturing him to that point. 4. Richardson (cont’d) source: AP There has never been a quarterback with the physical profile of Richardson. His Combine performance led to the best relative athletic score of all-time among quarterbacks (a perfect 10) and had scouts salivating at the prospect of what Richardson could be. On tape, Richardson is just downright fun to watch. He can spin the ball with the best of them, boasting elite arm talent and the velocity, and arm strength to put the ball anywhere on a football field. Boy, he can sling it. Like Hooker, Richardson has the ability to break out the pocket, but times it by five. He’s an electric runner with excellent contact balance, shiftiness, and straight-line speed. He’ll also just have turned 21 prior to training camp, so Richardson is still as young as they come — perfectly in line to be molded into the next big thing. Richardson (cont’d) source: AP Getting there could be arduous. Richardson is as inexperienced as they come, attempting just 393 passes in his college career, considerably less than the rest of the top 5 by some margin, with Levis attempting the next fewest passes (738). He’ll need time to work on the nuances of his game — the footwork, the consistent lower half, the mistakes. All commonplace for a young and inexperienced quarterback. Richardson just oozes boom-or-bust potential, and the right setting could allow him to flourish. He’d benefit from a redshirt year wherever he lands, and that’s why the Detroit Lions make sense as a potential landing spot. He can sit behind Jared Goff for a season before stepping into a fully-loaded offense with a strong offensive line, plenty of playmakers, and an excellent offensive coordinator. It’s all about putting Richardson in the best position to succeed. If he does, there’s every chance he has the highest ceiling of any quarterback drafted in the last couple of years. Predicted landing spot: Detroit Lions3. Will Levis, Kentucky source: AP Will Levis would sit atop any rankings that were based on obscene food and drink choices, but that’s not a flex. Even just concentrating on his on-field performances, Levis is a polarizing prospect. His 2021 tape tells the tale of an excellent prospect, but this year was an exercise in fighting against the tide week in, and week out. He suffered for much of the season with turf toe, a bad supporting cast, and a rudimentary offense, but Levis’ play didn’t do him any favors. 3. Levis (cont’d) source: AP Looking beyond what’s in front of you is important, though, and that’s probably the most optimistic way to look at Levis. At his core, Levis is a physically-gifted quarterback with a cannon of an arm, NFL size, and a constant desire to win. He was a two-time captain in his two seasons in Kentucky, and his play style is infectious. Levis will stand strong in the pocket all day, withstanding pressure, and big hits to deliver the ball to his teammates. He’s got the arm talent and improved his footwork in 2022 to the point where he can slide to evade pressure while keeping his eyes on downfield. Levis (cont’d) source: AP The problem is that the 2022 tape was the last time we saw Levis play and it wasn’t good. His accuracy is better than Richardson’s but still needs a lot of work to be passable in the NFL, and he just needs to learn to trust his eyes more. Improving his base will go a long way too. Levis is a prospect that could start from day one, but he’ll likely sit for a few games behind Gardner Minshew to start the season. That’s right, Levis has “Colt” written all over him. The Indianapolis Colts have seemingly been fans of Levis since early in the draft process and have been continuously linked with him. There’s probably a reason for that. No smoke without fire. Predicted landing spot: Indianapolis Colts2. C.J. Stroud, Ohio State source: AP C.J. Stroud is the definition of a high-floor quarterback if there ever was one. Generally, that’s also used in conjunction with pinning a quarterback to a low ceiling, but that doesn’t feel like the case for Stroud. The build-up to the draft has seen Stroud seemingly slip down the draft order, in part of his S2 test score, but he’s still the second-best quarterback in this class. 2. Stroud (cont’d) source: AP His accuracy and anticipation alone are enough to survive in the NFL. Stroud knows how to put a premium on ball placement and the ability to layer throws better than anyone else in the class. His ability is just so nuanced and refined for such a young quarterback. His accuracy across all levels of the field is excellent and his consistently slick delivery gets the ball out on time without any wasted movement. Stroud is a passers passer and his bread is well and truly buttered within the pocket. He’s used to playing in big moments too, so the mental transition to the NFL won’t be as big of a leap as other quarterbacks. Stroud (cont’d) source: Getty Images Stroud has had the best supporting cast in those moments, though. He’s thrown passes to Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and Marvin Harrison Jr. over the last two seasons — all four have been or will be first-round picks — and he’s had one of the better offensive lines in football. It’s fair to wonder how his performances without an All-Star cast around him could translate. There are also doubts about his general playmaking ability too. Stroud struggles in a pressured pocket and hasn’t consistently shown the wherewithal to create out of structure — something that sets the best quarterbacks apart. At the end of the day, though, there’s a lot to work with in his game and he’ll still wind up as a top-10 pick. However, projecting him to a specific team is harder than it is with Richardson, and Levis. We’re going to go with a team that is potentially trading up: the Tennessee Titans. The Ryan Tannehill era is reaching its final legs and the Titans are one of the favorites to trade up for a quarterback in the draft. Stroud can step into the role immediately if the Titans elect to move on from Tannehill, and there’s reason to believe that Mike Vrabel would have an affinity for a fellow Ohio State alum. Predicted landing spot: Tennessee Titans1. Bryce Young, Alabama source: AP After a week or two of sliding down the board, the consensus has kicked back into gear, and Bryce Young seems all but locked in to be the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. And rightly, so. He’s the most talented quarterback in the class and is, maybe, the best all-around player in the draft. 1. Young (cont’d) source: AP Young wins in the art of creativity. He’s a modern playmaking quarterback, using his instincts, and subtle pocket movements to buy time in the pocket, create out of structure, and manipulate defenders. On top of that, he’s accurate, can throw out of multiple arm slots, and is totally unphased by pressure. For a player of his size, he has no problem standing tall, and delivering the ball to his teammates while knowing he’s about to get rocked. He just gets it. He understands the nuances of the quarterback position and uses them to leverage his game. Young (cont’d) source: Getty Images But he’s an anomaly. There hasn’t ever been a quarterback with his size profile drafted so early and, because of that, it’s tough to predict how he will adapt to the NFL in a physical sense. His arm strength veers closer to average and it suffers when he’s off-platform and slipping the tackles of NFL defenders is going to be a decidedly tougher task than it was in college. But the playmaking ability, the accuracy, and everything in between are enough to alleviate concerns about taking him at No. 1 overall. There’ll naturally be a learning curve at the next level. Young just has all of the necessary tools to shine in Carolina and working behind a strong offensive line and with a good head coach like Frank Reich can only benefit him. Predicted landing spot: Carolina PanthersRelatedbetting sites onlinelatest betting sitesbetting appslive in-game bettinglive streaming sportsbookscashing out bets