The 2023 NFL draft is coming up fast, and the most buzz is, of course, about the quarterbacks.
Who will be the first taken? Who’s going to be the best in the class? And who’s trading up to get one?
Our latest NFL mock draft from Christian D’Andrea had four QBs going in the first quartet of picks, with the Colts and Raiders trading up and the Texans moving down to get them.
In Mel Kiper Jr.’s latest ESPN mock draft, it’s the same with four QBs in the top four. At No. 3? He’s got the Titans trading with the Cardinals to grab their QB in the future. And who could that be? Kiper has Anthony Richardson going there:
Here’s that quarterback for the Titans. The 6-foot-4 Richardson might have the highest ceiling of any prospect in this class. If he puts together all of his tools and isn’t rushed into being the guy in Week 1, he could be a star. It’s a big “if,” though, because he was extremely inconsistent as a passer in college and has a ways to go to clean up his mechanics. Now, the hope for Tennessee is that it can coach him up, unlock some of those traits and let him show his dual-threat ability. And it could sit him behind [Ryan] Tannehill in Year 1.
As we saw last season when Tannehill got injured, though, [Malik] Willis was forced to step in, and there’s no doubt it hurt his development. Willis wasn’t ready to play. Richardson needs time as well, and I hope whichever team takes him understands that.
Be sure to check out our latest NFL mock draft, along with our “consensus” mock that looks at where the experts are picking the top prospects. There’s also our 2023 Big Board of the best players available and the up-to-date draft order for the first round.
