2023 Quarterback Class Preview

The 2022 college football season is ending, with the college football playoff set and teams getting prepared for bowl season. It’s time for fantasy managers to start shifting their attention to the 2023 draft class. Throughout the college football season, I have been writing a top-36 big board to give you appropriate value all college football season that you can check out here. But now it’s time to dive deeper into the class itself. This deep dive will give you a first look at many of the draft-eligible prospects, and in this breakdown, we’re going to look at the 2023 quarterbacks. The class has many questions, and we still don’t know who will officially declare for the draft. However, this is a great time to start familiarizing yourself with this class of quarterbacks. We will examine each quarterback's strengths, weaknesses, Projected NFL Draft Capital, and Superflex rookie draft value. Let's dive in!

QB Bryce Young (Jr – Alabama): 6-foot-0, 194 lbs

Projected NFL Draft Capital

Top 5

Projected Superflex Rookie Draft Value

1.01-1.03

Strengths

Bryce Young ends his career at Alabama as one of the most accomplished quarterbacks in its program's history. Outside of the fact he didn’t win a championship as a starter, Young has been phenomenal in his time at Tuscaloosa. He won the 2021 Heisman trophy and set the Alabama single-season record for passing yards (4,972) and touchdowns (47). He elevated the players around him and made up for many of Alabama’s deficiencies in the last two seasons. As a prospect, he is one of the smartest players in this draft. He seems to process the field exceptionally well, and his out-of-structure playmaking is off the charts. His ability to make plays out of the pocket and, when under pressure, is elite. His accuracy is also a strength, especially in the intermediate and short areas of the field. He is one of the most complete quarterback prospects in the 2023 class.

Weaknesses

The most significant area of concern for Young is his size. He’s currently listed at under two hundred pounds, and there is no chance he is six foot. There are concerns from scouts that his size will limit his ability to play the position at the next level. That size concern can also be why it seems Young throws to spots rather than to his receivers. There are multiple times on tape that Young misses his guys completely, and many have assumed these misses should be attributed to timing. I’m not so sure. It could be mainly because of his size limitations. Besides those concerns, Young doesn’t have many weaknesses as a quarterback and should be valued highly in the pre-draft process.

Highlight

Just when I think I couldn’t get higher on Bryce Young as a prospect he does things like this. He played one of the best games of his career against Tennessee in a hostile environment and hurt. Gamer.

pic.twitter.com/lB9Inrls4A

— Kevin (@Daboys_22) October 17, 2022

Young's Career Stats

QB C.J. Stroud (Jr – Ohio State): 6-foot-3, 218 lbs

Projected NFL Draft Capital

Top 20

Projected Superflex Rookie Draft Value

1.01-1.05

Strengths

Stroud will be one of the more debated prospects heading into this class due to Ohio State’s recent struggles down the season's stretch. He could bounce back in the college football playoff, but until his game against Georgia, we have to use the film we’ve seen so far this season. As a passer, he generally does everything reasonably well. His arm strength may not be elite, but he can throw it to all areas of the field. He can make throws in windows and has the accuracy needed to get it to all levels. He also utilizes multiple arm angles to get the ball out. Unlike Young, he has the size and frame that NFL teams will covet. Another underrated characteristic of his game is his decision-making and lack of turnovers. He has shown maturity in his career in making the right reads and taking what defenses give him.

Weaknesses

Stroud isn’t an elite athlete and has not shown the willingness to take off and run when pressured. We’re projecting who will be the best fantasy asset, and his lack of rushing production will cap his ceiling at the next level. There have also been concerns over his attitude and leadership skills. We have seen quarterback prospects in the past struggle with leadership qualities pre-draft and have seen their draft stock take a hit. He doesn’t seem to have any physical limitations, but the off-field qualities are something to pay attention to as teams meet with these prospects. Along with those concerns, we have also heard that he struggles to process defenses at an elite level. The elite defenses he’s played have sometimes exposed him using disguised coverages.

Highlight

Man what a throw by C.J. Stroud 🎯

pic.twitter.com/gQ1iGkZPfW

— Kevin (@Daboys_22) October 22, 2022

Stroud's Career Stats

QB Will Levis (Sr - Kentucky): 6-foot-3, 232 lbs

Projected NFL Draft Capital

Top 20

Projected Superflex Rookie Draft Value

Late 1st

Strengths

The number one word you will hear with Levis this season is “tools.” Levis came into the season as a prospect that scouts were talking about as challenging for the QB1 in the class. After an inconsistent season, there are many questioning that notion. However, he does have the physical tools to be a good NFL quarterback. He has the prototypical size of a quarterback and has elite arm strength. You’ll see plenty of jaw-dropping throws when you go through his tape, and his velocity allows him to place the ball all over the field. He has good mechanics when he’s not under pressure and does his best work with a clean pocket. He’s an underrated athlete, too, and can make plays happen with his legs if the pocket breaks down. Scouts and teams will fall in love with his leadership ability and tools, but many questions remain about him being a top prospect at the position.

Weaknesses

The main issue with Levis and the reason for his drop among some in the draft community is his inconsistencies throughout his game. He has consistently struggled against good competition and has big numbers against inferior opponents in his career. Those issues stem from his anticipation issues and his field awareness. Levis tends to lock onto his pre-snap reads, and many of his bad throws come from his unwillingness to check into other routes. Levis also hesitates on throws, and those timing issues will cause significant issues for him at the next level. Essentially, Levis’ most considerable weaknesses seem to stem from his ability to process defenses and not his physical tools. That's a big red flag for me in my scouting process, and one everyone should take note of as this pre-draft process continues.

Highlight

This throw from Will Levis🔥 pic.twitter.com/biUHQiuebB

— Christian Williams (@CWilliamsNFL) September 28, 2022

Levis' Career Stats

QB Anthony Richardson (Jr – Florida): 6-foot-4, 236 lbs

Projected NFL Draft Capital

1st/2nd Round

Projected Superflex Rookie Draft Value

Mid-Late 1st

Strengths

Richardson is the ultimate boom-or-bust prospect in the draft. With his recent declaration for the draft, Richardson immediately becomes the one player that everyone will have an opinion on. In his first season as a starter, Richardson has been inconsistent, to put it lightly. He has two games on the season where he threw for at least 400 yards and showed his unique upside at the position. But Richardson has also had four games where he registered a completion percentage under 50%, including against Florida State, where he was 9 for 27 putting him at 33% for the game. The one skill set that many are looking at with Richardson is his athletic ability. He is a true dual threat at the position rushing for 654 yards and nine touchdowns this season. The athleticism isn’t a question mark. He has it. His arm strength is also a strength of his the issue can be where the ball ends up. However, the NFL currently has a quarterback problem, and some team could draft Richardson in the first round, making him an intriguing addition in dynasty formats.

Weaknesses

As I highlighted above, his accuracy is his primary concern. He still needs to improve on his completion percentage in his career. The critical question is can the NFL coach him up as a passer? He’ll need to work on his mechanics from the pocket, which is holding back his ability to be an accurate passer. He’s raw, and the hope would be that Richardson could reach his full potential with the right coaching. The problem is we have seen this story all too often in fantasy, most recently with Malik Willis. Many pegged Malik Willis as a first-round draft selection last April, only to see his stock drop to the third round of the draft. Richardson is a much better prospect than Willis, but we must consider NFL precedence when looking at the overall picture. The best landing spot for him could be the New York Giants, where head coach Brian Daboll could further his development as a passer.

Highlight

Anthony Richardson declares for the NFL draft. pic.twitter.com/7cFOkWAdMX

— Kevin (@Daboys_22) December 5, 2022

Richardson's Career Stats

QB Hendon Hooker (Sr - Tennessee): 6-foot-4, 218 lbs

Projected NFL Draft Capital

Day 2

Projected Superflex Rookie Draft Value

2nd-3rd Round

Strengths

Before the ACL injury, Hooker was on his way to becoming a first-round draft pick in the NFL draft. Scouts have highlighted his ability to drive the ball downfield and his awareness in the pocket. One area that he’s made positive strides has been his accuracy from the pocket. As his game matured, Hooker improved his pocket presence and his decision-making under pressure. He struggled with this area of his game before transferring to Tennessee. Under head coach Josh Heupel’s tutelage, he became one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the SEC.

Weaknesses

The two biggest flaws for Hooker in this upcoming draft process are his age and his recent ACL injury. Hooker will turn 25 in January and is one of the older quarterback prospects. He is actually a few months older than Justin Herbert. Tie that in with the fact that this ACL injury will knock him out of pre-draft workouts; his draft stock will undoubtedly take a hit in the next few months. The biggest concern that scouts have noted with Hooker outside of his age was the offense that he plays in. Tennessee's offense allows quarterbacks to put up big numbers, and there are concerns that the system is why Hooker has progressed so much as a quarterback. The pre-draft workouts were vital for Hooker to prove to them that he could play within any system and be tested in different schemes. Now that doesn’t look like it will happen. It’s hard to say where he will get drafted, but with the injury, it will not be in the first round, which is almost entirely a death sentence for long-term value in dynasty formats for quarterbacks.

Highlight

Another Hendon Hooker Appreciation Post pic.twitter.com/ANh2z6u5BL

— More Important Issues (@More_Issues) November 22, 2022

Hooker's Career Stats

QB Bo Nix (Sr - Oregon): 6-foot-2, 213 lbs

Projected NFL Draft Capital

Late Day 2

Projected Superflex Rookie Draft Value

3rd Round

Strengths

As of the day of this article's publishing, Bo Nix has not decided if he is going to declare for the NFL draft. If he declares, he’ll be a fascinating prospect to study in this draft class. Nix was named the starter on Auburn as a freshman and had a very up-and-down career in the SEC. He then transferred to Oregon, where he completely reinvented himself as a quarterback. At Oregon, his potential was maximized by the coaching staff. Nix has good functional athleticism inside and outside of the pocket. His throws show good velocity, and he does have an NFL arm that allows him to push the ball vertically. He has shown maturity in challenging situations in the SEC and has the leadership qualities many NFL teams will covet. When Nix is on, he’s one of the best quarterbacks in the country.

Weaknesses

The main issue with Nix is his decision-making. At times throughout his career, you found yourself watching Nix waiting to see what questionable decisions he would make throughout the game. For every good decision he made on the field, he would follow that up with turnover-worthy throws and inexcusable mistakes. He struggles with consistent accuracy, and his playmaking play style forces him into situations that force mistakes. Nix trusts his arm to make every throw rather than checking down and taking what the defense gives him. While he improved on these things at Oregon, there were times when these old habits popped up and led to costly turnovers. He most likely projects as a high-end backup in the NFL.

Highlight

This throw from Bo Nix is truly ridiculous, my lord. pic.twitter.com/Wgpsk8sVyG

— Christian Williams (@CWilliamsNFL) September 24, 2022

Nix's Career Stats

QB Jaren Hall (Jr - BYU): 6-foot-1, 205 lbs

Projected NFL Draft Capital

Day 3

Projected Superflex Rookie Draft Value

3rd-4th Round

Strengths

Hall has performed well while at BYU. Coaches have raved about his leadership qualities since being named the team's starter, and he is one of the toughest competitors on the field. This season BYU has suffered through a tremendous amount of injuries, but Hall was able to lead his team to seven wins and another bowl appearance. You’ll see him take multiple hits, but he stays in the pocket to deliver the throw. That toughness should elevate his prospect profile. When healthy, he is a dual-threat quarterback with the athleticism to be considered a Konami code quarterback at the next level. His best attribute is his ability to extend plays and be a rushing threat. His rushing style reminds me a lot of Jalen Hurts when he was in college. Hall has demonstrated the arm strength needed at the next level, albeit inconsistent at layering his passes to different field levels.

Weaknesses

Hall has the same issue that Hendon Hooker has regarding his age. He comes into the draft process and has an older prospect with a capped ceiling. He also shows inconsistencies in his footwork which can lead to costly overthrows and accuracy issues. Awareness issues are also something that has popped up with Hall this season, especially under pressure. While he has no issues standing in the pocket and taking hits, his decision-making has been less than ideal. His frame and injury history are also things to consider when grading him.

Highlight

NFL throw here from Jaren Hall.

He has played incredibly well tonight. pic.twitter.com/ulEzZ50TEZ

— Christian Williams (@CWilliamsNFL) September 11, 2022

Hall's Career Stats

Other Names to Know

• QB Tanner McKee (Jr - Stanford): 6-foot-6, 230 lbs
• QB Jake Haener (Sr - Fresno State): 6-foot-1, 200 lbs
• QB Max Duggan (Sr - TCU): 6-foot-2, 210 lbs

Thank you for reading! Follow me on Twitter @Daboys_22 and check out my archive with Footballguys!