The NFL Draft can have a big impact on player value. Five quarterbacks saw their dynasty fantasy football value increase after the NFL Draft.
See Quarterbacks Who Were Hurt By The Draft here >>>
C.J. Stroud, Houston
After a lot of questions and concerns during the closing days of the pre-draft process, C.J. Stroud was selected by the Houston Texans as the second pick in the NFL Draft. Stroud was the subject of pre-draft concerns about reported S2 cognitive testing and appeared to be a possible faller in the draft, so his status as the second pick in the draft is good news for him. The biggest concern for Stroud is the team is devoid of offensive talent but does have offensive coordinator Bobby Slovik, who came from the Kyle Shanahan coaching tree that has been favorable for quarterbacks.
Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis
The Colts’ decision to draft Anthony Richardson with the fourth pick in the draft is going to draw plenty of comparisons to Jalen Hurts. Head coach Shane Steichen coached Hurts in Philadelphia and developed him into an MVP candidate. Steichen was also the quarterback coach for Justin Herbert in Herbert’s rookie season, so he has a trustworthy resume of developing young quarterbacks. Richardson is elite at avoiding sacks on pressured dropbacks but had a limited college sample size and will need the development of his mechanics. In the final week before the draft, Richardson appeared to be a faller, as Will Levis was heavily favored to be selected ahead of Richardson, while Richardson was frequently mock-drafted in the teens. However, Richardson landed in the top five picks of the draft, with the most trustworthy situation for his development, which should vault him near the top of the class in Superflex formats.
Jared Goff, Detroit
There was potential the Lions would address the quarterback position with the 6th or 18th picks in the NFL Draft, but for the third consecutive draft with Jared Goff on the roster, the team passed on a quarterback in the first round. The team drafted Hendon Hooker in the third round, but his drop in the draft is a signal the NFL does not value him as a starter. Hooker is a backup project at this point, so he is not a threat to Goff. Instead of drafting a quarterback, the team selected more skill players, first with running back Jahmyr Gibbs, arguably the best receiving back in the class, and then tight end Sam LaPorta. Gibbs and LaPorta join an offense featuring Amon-Ra St. Brown, David Montgomery, Jameson Williams, and Marvin Jones, giving Goff a high-end supporting cast. Goff will be a free agent after the 2024 season and could be in line for extension conversations within the next year.
Geno Smith, Seattle
Like Jared Goff, Geno Smith avoided major draft competition, and the team added wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Smith signed a three-year contract in the offseason, but the guarantees were on the lower end of the starting quarterback range, which left open the possibility the team would address the position in the draft. Now, Smith is locked into the starting job in Seattle, with a good set of offensive skill position players in the present, while Smith-Njigba projects as a bridge to the future. Geno is in a good situation and is in line to be a multi-year starter.
Desmond Ridder, Atlanta
This has been a great offseason for Desmond Ridder. Despite the team hosting the high-level quarterbacks in the draft class, Atlanta chose to pass on the position and instead drafted Bijan Robinson with the eighth overall pick. Atlanta has selected Kyle Pitts, Drake London, and Bijan Robinson, the top player at their positions, in each of the past three years. Ridder avoided significant draft competition and should get every opportunity to start with a good supporting cast, which is similar to the opportunity Dak Prescott capitalized on in his early career in Dallas. With quality offensive skill position players in a bad division, Ridder could play himself into a long-term starting opportunity.
See Quarterbacks Who Were Hurt By The Draft here >>>