DRAFT TRACKER 2023

Slightly built with measurables that fall below the standard for the quarterback position, Young’s talent and face-of-the-franchise potential could force teams to focus more on his game film and less on his size. Young has had the advantage of working with a former NFL head coach (Bill O’Brien) who understands the challenges facing a pro quarterback. He’s a full-field reader whose confident demeanor on the field oozes off the tape but never becomes unbridled cockiness. He’s thoughtful in where he wants to go with the football and keeps the turnover count low. The deep ball is nothing special and his drive velocity fails to stand out, but he has enough arm strength to make the necessary throws. Young is perfectly capable of extending plays both inside and outside the pocket, but teams will want him to stay on schedule a little more often as a pro passer. He’s poised in the face of both physical and situational pressure and possesses a full offering of intangibles that helps set him apart from some of the more physically gifted quarterbacks in this class.

Two-year starter from a program with a high-octane offense known for creating high-level production opportunities for its quarterbacks. Stroud’s accuracy stands out on tape. He’s able to lead receivers with good placement and make on-frame throws to targets on all areas of the field. The question now is how quickly he will acclimate outside of the Ohio State scheme. Stroud didn’t often attack defenses with his legs, but if he can become a more willing runner, he will be able to extend drives rather than feeling forced into more challenging decision-making situations. NFL teams will have to balance what they saw on tape from Stroud during the 2022 regular season against his great College Football Playoff semifinal performance, when he shined versus Georgia’s impressive collection pro prospects. If he did it once he can do it again, and grading the flashes for Stroud might make the most sense.

Dual-threat quarterback with an elite physical profile and a lot of work that needs to be done to reach a potentially high ceiling. Richardson’s frame, arm talent and mobility will demand respect as a potential first-round option. He has the ability to make plays on the move that very few of his NFL peers will be able to make. However, but his accuracy on short and simple throws left much to be desired due, in part, to shoddy footwork and inconsistent rhythm. The footwork issues can be corrected, but the challenge will be determining whether he can be at least a functionally accurate passer at the next level. Richardson’s potential to strike with the deep ball, attack the secondary from sideline to sideline and gash teams with his legs creates greater leeway in his projection as a developmental prospect. Ultimately, he will succeed or fail based on his ability to play with better post-snap recognition and deliver the football with consistency.

Levis is one of the most physically gifted quarterbacks in the draft, but there are warts in his game that might not be easily corrected. He has prototypical size and experience operating in a pro-style passing attack. He’s an athletic passer, with the ability to zip off-platform throws with plus velocity from a compact release. He struggled to put together an extended period of high-caliber quarterback play in 2022, but was also dealing with injuries that he fought his way through for much of the season. Levis has the arm to beat coverages on all three levels, but inadequate placement and accuracy have created a lot of uncatchable throws. He’s a capable runner outside the pocket but needs to improve his feel for pressure and his consistency when throwing on the move. Levis’ talent is well worth an investment, but could require a talented quarterback coach and a patient plan to tighten up his mechanics, rebuild his confidence and explore an offensive scheme that best suits him.

Hooker’s age and ACL tear will be starting points for many draft conversations, but the most important question to be answered is whether he can thrive outside of the Tennessee offense. Hooker was frequently a half-field reader, which means he could lean on spacing, speed and/or route combinations to make life easier. He’s more accurate outside the numbers than between the hashes and his deep ball placement was much more uneven than expected. However, Hooker plays with excellent poise and footwork as a pocket passer. He will make quarterback coaches and play-callers happy with his adherence to keeping plays on schedule. He’s still showing signs of improvement and growth at the position, and his ability to hurt teams with his legs creates opportunities to help his offense outside of what he does in the pocket. His recovery from the ACL tear will require monitoring, but he has the talent to become a starter in a timing-based, spread offense.

O’Connell’s 2021 tape is better than what we saw from him in 2022, but there were still flashes last season. He’s a pocket passer who can throw with solid accuracy over the first two levels but struggles with trajectory and rhythm on deep targets. O’Connell has below-average mobility inside and outside the pocket. He needs to keep his progressions on schedule and his throws on time to make up for average arm strength. He had to carry a heavy percentage of the offense on his back at Purdue and could benefit from an offense that allows him to manage games. O’Connell has backup potential and his upside is slightly above average.

An undersized pocket quarterback with unimpressive arm strength, Hall’s field command gives him a shot to make it at the next level. He throws with excellent ball placement to targets on the move and delivers a feathery soft deep ball with accuracy. His lack of drive velocity creates smaller margins for error and his timing needs to be impeccable to beat NFL man coverage. Hall operates with ideal poise from the pocket. He does an adequate job of reading coverages and getting rid of the ball without taking sacks. The size and arm strength will concern some teams, but offenses operating out of heavy play-action with levels-based route concepts could target him as a solid future backup.

Bennett will turn 26 years old during his rookie season and he’s small in stature relative to today’s game. Those two things will work against him, but his history of elevating his play in spotlight games against the best competition should be a factor for some teams. He doesn’t have a plus arm and his accuracy and placement can vary from drive to drive, but he throws with anticipation and has shown an ability to get through progressions as a pro-style passer. He’s rarely sacked and has the mobility to do damage outside of the pocket. Bennett has backup potential for a timing-based passing attack that includes concepts often seen in the Shanahan offense.

Resilient in the face of adversity, Tune has proven that he can come back from slow starts and finish seasons strong. He’s more of a snap-taker than playmaker. He’s a full-field reader who needs plays to stay on time, as he lacks improvisational talent. Without a plus physical or athletic profile to lean on, Tune must learn to speed up his eyes, quiet his feet and improve his post-snap process to beat NFL defenses with timing and accuracy.

Team captain with below-average size and arm talent, but above-average football IQ. Haener plays with a pre-snap plan and does a nice job of getting the ball out quickly against the blitz. He senses edge pressure and slides to find a new location to throw from. He doesn’t have the drive velocity to successfully window shop and might require a timing-based scheme or spread attack where he can make quick throws in rhythm. Haener’s lack of traits, coupled with limited mobility outside the pocket, create a challenging road to NFL success.

Long, tall pocket passer with better arm strength than arm talent as a passer. McKee throws with an unorthodox delivery that becomes even more irregular when he feels rushed. He can make all the NFL throws and delivers a tight spiral with good velocity on intermediate and deep throws to the field side. However, his heavy feet and a lack of agility limit his effectiveness outside of the pocket and make him a magnet for pass rushers when protection becomes spotty. McKee clearly improved his throwing process in 2022, but he might lack the decision-making and functional mobility to make it in today’s NFL.

Five-year starter with below-average size, above-average mobility and a recent history of improvement at the position. Thompson-Robinson played in a favorable scheme for quarterbacks, but he also improved as a field-reader over time. While he can extend plays and create opportunities for himself outside of the pocket, he’s at his best when he’s throwing on time and utilizing possession throws as his base. He has lapses in vision and judgment against zone and when pressured, so he must cut down on ill-advised throws. Thompson-Robinson has the potential to find a home as a QB3 with a QB2 ceiling.

Highly decorated and highly confident Division II quarterback with adequate NFL size but mechanical issues that need to be cleaned up. Bagent’s footwork can become erratic under pressure and his delivery is reminiscent of a shortstop’s throw to first base at times. He plays with a good feel for his offensive design and a willingness to attack all intermediate pockets of the field regardless of cover scheme. However, the decision-making and arm strength might not be good enough to beat the window-shopping defensive backs of the NFL.

Dual-threat quarterback who was much more effective as a runner than he was as a passer in 2022. Cunningham's build is slighter than teams typically like at quarterback, and his accuracy is spotty. He possesses premium running talent for zone-read and quarterback draws, and he can turn a lack of contain into a huge play with his legs. Teams will need to decide how Cunningham would fit into an offense, but his ability to make explosive plays with his legs should not be discounted.

Scrappy quarterback possessing the attitude, toughness and leadership that teams love. Duggan has proven himself to be capable of overcoming adversity and finding ways to help his team win with his arm or legs. However, he has limited arm strength and frequently forces receivers to break stride on deep balls and crossing routes. Duggan’s intangibles give him a chance to become an NFL backup but his limitations as a passer cap his ceiling.

Winn has decent size, a quality arm and impressive touch when needed, but teams will not be excited by his career production. Despite facing loads of pressure, he was sacked just 27 times during his career, per PFF. He has improvisational arm talent to make the challenging completion from time to time. He’s a pocket passer with below-average escapability and needs to prove that he can perform more consistently from the pocket. Winn offers passing traits that could intrigue a team enough to give him a look as an undrafted free agent.

Martinez is a dual-threat quarterback who has played plenty of football. He can read defenses and has a fairly quick release, but his mechanics will need work. He’s a much more productive runner than passer right now, so selling himself to teams as a viable backup quarterback could be a tough task unless he makes big strides as a passer.

Short but stocky quarterback who joined five different programs over the last seven seasons. Scott’s production exploded once he took over the scheme for Incarnate Word. He has an average arm with average accuracy but throws with decent timing. The numbers are gaudy, but the tape fails to stand out as translatable to the NFL.

Johnson offers good size and athletic potential, but there isn’t game tape to instill confidence that he will be able to contribute to an NFL squad anytime soon. Johnson will need to work on the fundamentals of the wide receiver position, but teams could be intrigued by his ability to handle gadget packages and short-yardage running opportunities thanks to his quarterback experience.

Mobile four-year starter with desired NFL intangibles and leadership, but a lack of passing talent. Clifford will have his moments, but he doesn’t consistently deliver the ball with accuracy and timing. His arm strength falls below the mark.