The 2022 NFL draft was lacking in elite quarterback talent, managing just one first-round pick at the game’s most important position, and that didn’t even happen until the No. 20 overall pick.
Next year’s quarterback class appears to have much more promise, as evidenced by the latest 2023 NFL mock draft from Pro Football Focus.
This early projection kicks off with Alabama’s Bryce Young going No. 1 overall to the Houston Texans, followed by Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud at No. 4 overall to the Detroit Lions. Stanford’s Tanner McKee lands with the Carolina Panthers at No. 6 overall, while Kentucky’s Will Levis makes it four quarterbacks in the top 10 when he heads to the Seattle Seahawks at No. 8 overall.
PFF’s Mike Renner explains why Young, last year’s Heisman Trophy winner, could end up in the top spot next April:
We’ll have a full year to debate Young’s size, but there’s no debating how the 2021 Heisman Trophy winner plays the quarterback position. Last season, the sophomore not only earned a 92.2 overall grade in his first season as a starter, but he also earned by far the highest grade of anyone against Georgia’s loaded defense — 89.0 in the SEC Championship.
The only other quarterback to crash this first-round mock comes at No. 31 overall, where the Tampa Bay Buccaneers grab North Carolina State’s Devin Leary.
To check out the full first-round projection at Pro Football Focus, click here.
