When it comes to Quarterbacks I have a proven track record when knowing if a Quarterback will not pan out. The only negative grade I gave to a Quarterback since the 2011 NFL Draft that ended up panning out was Deshaun Watson. But Quarterbacks like Brandon Weeden, E.J. Manuel, Johnny Manziel, Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, Marcus Mariota, Zach Wilson, Jared Goff, and many others Quarterbacks I have been able to see right through the public’s positive perception of them. I have also had a great track record for finding the best Quarterbacks. Some examples of Quarterbacks I have looked at since the 2011 NFL Draft that panned out are Nick Foles, Lamar Jackson, Jalen Hurts, Joe Burrow, Tua Tagovailoa, Derek Carr, and others.
I have broken down full assessments of the five quarterbacks who have a chance of being drafted in the first round. Following the assessments is a list of twenty-one Quarterbacks who will likely enter the NFL, whether that be starting or having a tryout. I am not afraid of my rankings as not even the analysts you see hosting the draft get a lot of their picks right. The rankings in general might show you I am high on certain players but I do not like this Quarterback class at all. It is definitely better than last year but the need for Quarterbacks in the NFL has grown and so has the hype for those coming out of college. Now let’s get into the top prospects.
Bryce Young
- Throwing motion similar to Geno Smith.
- Throws tight and quickly.
- Quick decision maker. Sometimes it gets the best of him and he risks his arm strength and accuracy just so he can get the ball timed perfectly to his receivers. Sometimes balls will be overthrown or underthrown but the timing is there.
- Takes a lot of steps in his footwork. Something to improve upon.
- Plays Superman ball, can be good short term but can it be good long term?
- Very easily knocked down which led to passes thrown when falling(hence the Superman ball).
- Very good accuracy.
- Decent arm strength.
- Good pocket awareness.
- Good mobility and vision on the ground.
- Mechanics look a little messy. Needs to find consistency here.
- Very good at reading the field and making a decision quickly.
Overall: I do think he can be a franchise Quarterback if he remains healthy and calms down. I feel a team who is in a full-out rebuild could hurt his production. Get him a solid O-Line and some solid receivers and let him work. His quick decision-making is concerning. The decision-making reminds me of Carson Wentz only quicker. He has the timing right but he is so focused on the timing that he completely forgets how hard he should be throwing the ball resulting in overthrown or underthrown passes. As a runner, he is electric and exactly what you want in the current age of QBs. Even in his losses he sometimes looks like the best player on the field. He is a smart guy and humble. He is definitely someone who can hold the weight of the franchise but if he can perform to that level is questionable.
My top 3 teams that he would work best with and based on the needs of the team:
- Raiders
- Commanders
- Colts
C.J. Stroud
- Throwing motion similar to Dan Marino. It is a unique motion that was difficult to find.
- Does not take his eye off his main target many times.
- Very good accuracy.
- When the pocket collapses or he is under any pressure he becomes skittish and makes awful decisions.
- Seems to run well with a script of plays but if plays go off the game plan then he lacks creativity or the ability to extend plays. This script gives a poor description for any team to know if he can read defenses or not.
- A lot of time in the pocket to make plays. Factor in the number of first-round receivers he has played with, and the number of quick screens made in the playbook, and you can understand why his completion percentage is very high compared to the competition.
- Takes too long to make decisions thus placing his teammates in harm’s way for a bit hit.
- Not the best runner in the world but not bad by any means. His speed in college was good enough but I do not know if it will translate to the NFL or not. He lacks quickness and strength as a runner.
- The most consistent QB between Young, Richardson, and Levis.
- Footwork is solid but when under pressure he needs improvement which can easily be fixed. Improvement in not throwing off his back foot and pushing the play outside the pocket.
- The only inconsistency in his game is his pocket awareness. Sometimes it’s great and sometimes he is oblivious to any pass rush.
Overall: Probably the Quarterback most worthy of the top spot. I question if he can be a leader. He’s an outspoken person but can he speak to his team the same way? A lot of issues have surrounded Ohio State Quarterbacks and I see the same positives and negatives in Stroud that I have seen in every Ohio State Quarterback in the last 10 years or so. I think at best he can be a franchise Quarterback in the way that he can be solid for quite a few years but I do not know if he can take the next step or not. I know this is a vague analysis but that’s how I have seen every Ohio State Quarterback since I scouted them. I think a team with talented players can flourish well with him but a team needing him to carry them to the playoffs is not happening.
My top 3 teams that he would work best with and based on the needs of the team:
- Raiders
- Colts
- Commanders
Will Levis
- Throwing motion similar to Joe Burrow
- Great arm strength
- Throws very tight and quick.
- Run with power and athleticism like Taysom Hill. Can juke you out, run you over, and hurdle you. Not as fast as Taysom but the same everywhere else.
- Does not protect himself. This is very important in health and longevity as he needs to learn to throw passes away, slide, and not take big hits. He is a competitor but a lot of the hits he took are not good for the long run.
- At times he makes nice, quick decisions but at other times when he holds the ball too long.
- His pocket presence is severely questionable.
- Does not take his eye off his main target many times.
- Overthrows quite a bit which is the issue sometimes with strong-armed QBs like himself.
- Accuracy is average at best.
- Footwork is not good.
Overall: He is not a franchise Quarterback. Teams who do not do their research will look at what he can do and think he is one of the best QBs in the class but it is what he can not do that is not spoken about. He may be big, athletic, and have a strong arm but there are inconsistencies all across the board with him. There is potential here if he works with a great Quarterback Coach/Former Quarterback as Head Coach or Offensive Coordinator. He is a project that could work very well but if he has to go to a team that needs him to play at a high level now because they do not have a talented team(Texans for example) then good luck. Get him a great O-Line to see his best potential. I had the opportunity to watch him play when he could at Penn State and he has not learned much since his time here. I hope the best for him but people are making him out to be something he is not.
My top 3 teams that he would work best with and based on the needs of the team:
- Panthers
- Colts
- Lions
Anthony Richardson
- Freak athletic ability.
- His speed and quickness for his size are amazing and create this enormous potential
- Size of Cam Newton, quick decision-making as a runner of Michael Vick, running style and vision of Steve Young.
- He is an example of someone where you look at their highlights but they make them look better than they are.
- Throwing motion similar to Derek Carr.
- Good arm strength.
- Sometimes has a run-first mentality.
- Poor accuracy.
- Nice release.
- Solid footwork.
- Side note: People are saying Florida’s receivers are dropping passes which is true but there are also a lot of passes thrown too high or too far ahead of them. Looks like an issue on both sides.
- At times has a poor job reading the field and makes weird decisions. Sometimes if two guys are open, he’ll throw to the guy who is closer to him rather than the guy who is just as open further down the field. Again it is weird decision-making.
Overall: The biggest boom or bust at Quarterback. He could take the league by storm or nobody will remember him. His size and athletic ability are freakish and generational but his arm is concerning. It would be best for him to learn behind someone who is a good passer or go to a team who is willing to try anything to be successful. He needs to work better at passing the ball and he will be a project. I understand based on his big features why he is projected to be first round but he does not have any production in college. A team who does not have a great offensive line could still provide enough of him to show his talents so ideally a team who has nice weapons would be better for him.
My top 3 teams that he would work best with and based on the needs of the team:
- Buccaneers
- Falcons
- Texans
Hendon Hooker
- Throwing motion and footwork similar to Dak Prescott.
- Has a serious issue underthrowing, sometimes it looks like the ball is slipping out of his hands.
- Nice job reading the defense.
- Takes too long in the pocket or throws the ball to his intended receiver. Needs to learn to read and throw on receiver breaks.
- Good under pressure.
- Inconsistent throwing on deep passes.
- Mobility similar to Cam Newton but he tends to make decisions on the ground as if he is a lot bigger than he is.
- Skittish against good defenses. He needs to calm himself.
- Needs to learn how to slide.
- Side note: The torn ACL is a large question mark. Drafting Hooker is a large question mark due to how he can come back from his injury.
Overall: Hooker for being a mobile QB and coming off of an ACL injury, I can see why there are a lot of questions surrounding him. I do think he would benefit from sitting behind a veteran but a major issue here is being 25 years old. If he were to sit behind some veteran Quarterback for 2-3 years then he would be 27 or 28 by the time he could be a starter. I do not know if any teams are willing to do this. Factoring out the obvious, Hooker needs to learn from either a veteran QB or a great Quarterback coach for his team in order to fix some of the inconsistencies in his game. I do think the inconsistent deep balls and be fixed by learning. If he did not get hurt then he would easily be one of the top QBs in the draft. Hooker ultimately is a project but in the right team could be a nice starter if a team is willing to commit. If not, he’d be a pretty good backup.
My top 3 teams that he would work best with and based on the needs of the team:
- Broncos
- Rams
- Seahawks
Quarterback Rankings
Tier 1:
1A. C.J. Stroud
1B. Bryce Young
3. Max Duggan
Tier 2:
4. Jaren Hall
5. Tanner McKee
Tier 3:
6A. Anthony Richardson
6B. Will Levis
8. Clayton Tune
Tier 4:
9. Dorian Thompson-Robinson
10. Hendon Hooker
11. Todd Centeio
Tier 5:
12. Stetson Bennett
13. Jake Haener
14. Aidan O’Connell
15. Tim DeMorat
Tier 6:
16. Adrian Martinez
17. Malik Cunningham
18. Sean Clifford
19. Tanner Morgan
20. Myles Brennan
21. Tyson Bagent
Jordan Burden