Ranking the Top 30 Draft-Eligible Quarterbacks
The 2023 NFL Draft quarterback class is one of the deepest we've seen in recent history and there are a plethora of names with the potential to be full-time starters or high-end backups at the next level.
CJ Stroud and Bryce Young have been pinned as potential generational talents with several others within the class that could be major risers.
Here's a look at the top 30 quarterbacks heading into the season and how they stack up:
1. CJ Stroud, Ohio State.
There's a reason why Stroud has been pinned as the possible No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming draft and it would be surprising to see him go any later than within the first five picks next year.
Stroud finished out the 2021 season with a 71.9% completion rate, passing for 4,435 yards with 44 touchdowns and six interceptions. Between what Stroud brings to the table in his own right and who he's got in his supporting cast, Ohio State has a strong chance of winning the national championship this season.
Stroud has showcased the ability to handle a lot of responsibility at the line of scrimmage and reads defenses well, looking to be well ahead of a player who has just one season of experience.
This is a player who has been impressive both through the air and on the ground impressing with an elite level of accuracy and anticipation early on as a first-year starter.
2. Bryce Young, Alabama.
If the first player off the board in next year's draft is a quarterback not named CJ Stroud, it's bound to be Alabama's Bryce Young. He shined last year as he took the reins for one of the more beatable Alabama teams over recent history and has shown the ability to get the team a win in tough situations (like the quadruple-overtime win over Auburn last season).
With some of the best mechanics in college football, Young is where he mentally needs to be as well, rarely making bad decisions or forcing the ball in harm's way. Between his level of mental processing, athleticism and reliability as a passer, this is a quarterback who should transition to the NFL easily.
He finished out the 2021 season with a 66.9% completion rate, 4,872 passing yards, 47 touchdowns and seven interceptions on 547 attempts.
3. Grayson McCall, Coastal Carolina.
McCall couldn't have done a much better job executing the Chanticleers' triple-option offense than he did last season as just a sophomore. The 6-foot-3, 210-pounder completed 73% of his passes for 2,873 yards with 27 touchdowns and just three interceptions on 241 attempts in 2021 -- a stat line that is already impressive but could have been even better if it weren't for him being hampered by injury.
He has a high football IQ and is a quick decision-maker, something that is imperative in an intricate offense like the one he plays in. McCall has shown solid anticipation on even the most difficult of throws, maintaining a high level of accuracy at all levels of the field. He navigates the pocket well and can make throws on the run even if his feet are not set.
In addition to how strong of a passer he is, McCall's "it" factor lies in his gritty mobility and mentality. He projects as a true dual-threat who has everything he needs to make an easy leap to the NFL, despite going up against the stigma of being a small school player (though it's safe to say he could have transferred and performed just as well in a more competitive conference against higher-level competition if he had wanted to go that route).
“I'm a quarterback but I'm also a football player,” McCall told me earlier this offseason. “I don't mind the contact, sticking my nose in there and being tough. I like watching guys like Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers. Their toughness and their grit and the way they extend plays and the way they throw on the run. I don't model my game off of anyone in particular, but I do like watching those guys.”
McCall has been criticized for a "lack of arm strength" but looking at the film, he puts adequate zip on his throws despite not having a howitzer for an arm, so this shouldn't be something worth severely knocking him for in the pre-draft process.
4. Devin Leary, NC State.
Leary was hardly on anyone's radar ahead of the 2021 season even with it being a so-called "weaker" quarterback class. But he earned his way into the conversation of being potentially the best quarterback in the ACC with his play last year. Leary finished out the season with a completion percentage of 65.7%, 3,433 passing yards, 35 touchdowns and five interceptions, showing notable improvement in taking care of the football and not forcing things that aren't there. In fact, according to Pro Football Focus, Leary had the lowest rate of turnover-worthy plays among quarterbacks in 2021 (1.8%).
It's easy to see why Leary broke into the late Heisman conversation, between an already impressive level of mental processing that it is ever-improving, his ability to make plays in unlikely situations between his overall talent as a passer, mobility and ability to evade pressure, the velocity he puts on his throws and from a broader perspective, the way his team is never truly out of the fight with Leary taking the snaps. He showcased that best when he threw two touchdown passes in 63 seconds to knock off in-state rival UNC, 34-30.
NC State offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Tim Beck has praised Leary for his leadership ability and his ability to pick things up now on his third offense of his college career. Leary continued to progress throughout the spring and should be expected to be getting the ball out faster in 2022.
“This spring, one thing we worked on was a quicker release,” Beck told me in April. “We do a lot of the RPO stuff and making the decision hasn’t always been the issue, sometimes it’s being a little bit longer, you’re trying to get your feet set, trying to be on platform, like the perfect throwing mechanics, right? Well, that doesn’t work all the time – he’s got a really strong arm and we’ve worked a lot on off-balance throws, different arm angles and I thought he really made a jump there. I really like what he did.”
5. Tyler Van Dyke, Miami.
The Mario Cristobal effect has taken root in Miami and will only get stronger as the team moves through the year. This could mean huge things for Van Dyke, who showed as in 2021 that he could rise to the occasion in the midst of adversity in place of D'Eriq King. He played in 10 games last season, completing 62.3% of his passes for 2,931 yards with 25 touchdowns and six interceptions. One of his best showings came against the No. 17-ranked Pittsburgh Panthers as he recorded a 76.2% completion percentage, passing for 426 yards with three touchdowns and one interception in a 38-34 win.
The third-year sophomore looks to have the best arm in the upcoming draft class and has a prototypical frame at 6-foot-4 and 224 pounds. Just about everything about his game last year was impressive considering he was a freshman first-year starter thrown into the fire. He's an overall accurate passer with sound lower-body mechanics who throws with good anticipation and placement, unaffected by pressure. Another aspect of his game that's not so talked-about is mobility. He's not Lamar Jackson, but he can move when he's forced to leave the pocket.
When I spoke with Van Dyke during spring football, he noted studying defense more in-depth as an area he was focusing on and was pleased with his growth during the 2021 season.
“Last year, I feel like what I got better at was my decision-making, my poise in the pocket, when everything breaks down, just staying calm,” Van Dyke said. “Moving forward, I’m focused on watching more film, getting better at reading defenses, knowing where the defensive guys are going to be on each and every play will help me get to the next level.”
6. Jake Haener, Fresno State.
Haener is far and away the most exciting quarterback prospect in the Mountain West and has the potential to develop into an early-round draft selection this year. He had one of the most solid starts to the 2021 season, throwing for no less than 300 yards in his first six games of the season with a single-game high of 455 yards. He ended the year with a 67.1% completion percentage, 4,096 passing yards, 33 touchdowns and nine interceptions.
One of his biggest moments was taking down No. 13-ranked UCLA while gritting through a right hip injury, but unfortunately the injury he sustained limited him and affected both his performance and stat line.
“I was battling through some injuries and some things I needed to get over… I had some problems with my lower leg and my hip and stuff like that was kind of lingering and it was really an issue for me,” Haener told me earlier this year. “I had to wear different cleats and do a bunch of things with my cleats and find ways to get out there and play and tough it through things. It was just a matter of responding. Even the best players have bad games, everybody has bad games. You learn from your failures and try to be more successful down the road.”
There's no question Haener checks all of the boxes on the intangibles and he leaves everything he has on the field. He's received some knocks for his size at 6-foot-1 and 210 pounds, but where the tangibles are concerned, he's showing he is an accurate passer with plenty of pocket presence. Haener's film reflects his ability to make plays out of structure, complete difficult passes and put the right amount of touch and arm strength on different throws, though he can afford to improve his ball placement a bit.
7. Brennan Armstrong, UVA.
Perhaps there would be even more talk of Armstrong right now if he wasn't held back by a rib injury that hampered him in the second half of the season. Armstrong played 11 games in UVA's Air Raid offense last season, completing 65.3% of his passes for 4,444 yards with 31 touchdowns and 10 interceptions on 501 passing attempts. That's a touchdown-to-interception ratio he'll need to improve a bit in 2022, although it is obviously more mathematically probable for a quarterback to throw more interceptions in a pass-happy offense. He throws well with touch and velocity and knows when to throw with which, placing the ball well where only his receiver can grab it and doesn't have an issue with tight windows.
Armstrong throws one of the best deep balls in the country, and unlike some other Air Raid quarterbacks, which are largely pocket passers, he has the ability to keep defenses honest with his legs when the situation calls for it. Maneuvering the pocket well and having the ability to evade pressure are boxes all quarterbacks must check, but what he can do on the ground goes beyond that. Injury issue and all, Armstrong managed two games where he came within six yards or less of hitting the century-mark on the ground. Despite this, Armstrong needs to do a better job of hanging in the pocket moving forward as he's shown a tendency to want to bail early.
Armstrong's stat line as a passer is something that instantly catches the eye. One of the first things an analyst usually does when they see numbers like this is question if they're inflated or not. Armstrong's success is a result of his own doing and isn't just a yards after the catch thing, considering his average depth of target was 11.1 yards -- third in the Power Five.
8. Will Rogers, Mississippi State.
Rogers has flown under the radar for the better part of his career, but quickly rose to receiving national attention after a successful 2021 season.
He took a big step forward last year as a sophomore, impressing as he broke school and conference records, ending the season with a 73.9% completion rate, 4,739 passing yards, 36 touchdowns and nine interceptions.
The second half of the season was where Rogers made his biggest strides in getting the ball out faster, his decision-making and ball placement. Rogers has been consistently praised for his intangibles with his leadership ability coming up frequently in conversation, but things seem to be coming together for him on the field in a way that could make for a meteoric rise in 2022.
9. Will Levis, Kentucky.
Few quarterbacks in the upcoming draft compare to Levis where athleticism and physical tools are concerned. Transitioning from the Taysom Hill type of "Lion" role at Penn State to that of a traditional quarterback is a big jump to make, but it's one Levis has done a fine job of to this point.
Levis has made significant strides mechanically and has continued to grow as a pure passer -- something that on top of everything else could quickly cement him as one of the top prospects regardless of position in the 2023 NFL Draft.
He ended out last season with a 66% completion rate, 2,826 passing yards, 24 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.
10. Michael Pratt, Tulane. (prev: Sam Hartman, Wake Forest)
Pratt may be one of the best-kept secrets in college football, lacking national attention despite being potentially the most underrated quarterback in the sport. He dealt with injury issues last season -- something that began to appear to affect him mechanically -- and he suffered a concussion against SMU. The play from the supporting cast and offensive line also left much to be desired and the effects of that always extend back to the quarterback. Pratt finished the 2021 season with a 57.6% completion rate, 2,381 passing yards, 21 touchdowns and eight interceptions, numbers that could have been a lot better if circumstances were more ideal.
Pratt was heralded early on in his career as one of the best freshman quarterbacks in the nation and made national headlines when he nearly led Tulane to a major upset victory over the No. 2-ranked Oklahoma Sooners in the first game of the 2021 season, though some of the attention faded as Tulane struggled as a team on their way to finishing the year with a 2-10 overall record.
Though the numbers themselves don't reflect it, Pratt has shown a high ceiling as a passer and is much more accurate than his completion rate would imply. He looks to be mentally more mature than several other quarterbacks with the same amount of experience and should continue to speed up his already strong mental processing. From a mobility perspective, Pratt has shown the ability to evade pressure, make plays on the run and beat defenses with his legs. And he brings a true element of speed, with head coach Willie Fritz describing him to me earlier this year as a legitimate 4.6-second 40-yard dash player. All of these things fit the modern era of the NFL, which is headed out of the era of the hyper-athletic quarterback to one that first and foremost demands a quarterback be successful passing from the pocket with some degree of mobility, putting a preference on real dual-threats.
Just as important as all of this is though is who a quarterback is as a leader and the ability to keep the team behind him even when things get rough, which is much easier said than done. Even through the down points, Pratt has consistently played with a lot of energy and has the full backing and respect of those around him.
"He's one of the best practice guys I've ever had, you know, particularly at that position,” Fritz said. “The quality I think he's best at is - he's just an incredible leader. He's into it all the time. He's friends with all the guys on the team - offense, defense, specialists. Always offering an encouraging word. He's a servant leader. He's always trying to do whatever he can to help other people.”
With an offensive coaching staff that looks a bit different and a promising overall group on offense that should be majorly upgraded in comparison to last year, Fritz's team is in a position to take a significant step in 2022. That bodes well for Pratt, who could be in for a breakout year and a return to the national spotlight.
Editor's Note: This was previously Hartman's spot on the list with Pratt at No. 11, but the Wake Forest quarterback is out indefinitely with a non-football related medical condition.
11. Tanner McKee, Stanford.
McKee is a prospect a number of analysts have a split opinion on and he's been placed all over the way-too-early mock drafts.
When it comes to tools that translate to the NFL, McKee doesn't leave much to be desired. He fits the prototypical NFL frame at 6-foot-6 and 227 pounds, has a strong football IQ, a live arm, is accurate at all levels of the field, rarely puts the ball in harm's way and has showcased a high level of leadership ability.
I spoke with McKee earlier this offseason, and there seems to be a lot of excitement surrounding what Stanford will look like in what's set to be a big season for him despite Stanford finishing out at 3-9.
“We're bringing in some new concepts and we have a lot of guys who have been hurt that I feel like I have good timing with who are coming back—a lot very talented wide receivers, running backs, O-linemen, we didn't really lose anybody on the offensive side of the ball,” McKee said. “Our expectation is to put up 40-50 points per game. We're not going to settle for anything less. We feel like we have that capability and we should be able to do that.”
McKee finished out the 2021 season with a 65.4% completion rate, 2,327 passing yards, 15 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
12. Cameron Rising, Utah.
Rising garnered a bit of attention last season but has become a name that's progressively been more talked about throughout the offseason. He raised his stock a good bit at the Manning Passing Academy, impressing with his arm strength and mobility with one scout saying he could be "this year's Zach Wilson."
He's a quarterback who can beat defenders with his legs and has steadily improved his ball placement throughout his career. Rising has been mostly accurate in the short and intermediate passing game, but could afford to improve as a downfield passer and in his decision-making.
Rising ended out 2021 with a 63.8% completion rate, 2,493 passing yards, 20 touchdowns and five interceptions.
13. Clayton Tune, Houston.
Tune flashed a lot in 2021, recording a season of personal bests as he completed 68.2% of his passes for 3,546 passing yards, 30 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He ranked second in the conference in QBR (158.1), third in YPA (8.4) and first in completion percentage.
He presents adequate arm strength and has shown the ability to sufficiently evade pressure with enough mobility to get the first down for his team in short-yardage situations. That being said, this isn't an incredibly athletic quarterback who is going to be a consistent threat with his legs, though. Tune takes care of business as a passer within the Cougars' offense that features a lot of Air Raid elements under head coach Dan Holgorsen -- who comes from the Mike Leach coaching tree -- and he's already drawn comparisons to players who have had NFL success like Ben Roethlisberger. (Though this is a player who can move around a bit more than Roethlisberger).
Systems like that rely a lot on a quarterback who can throw the football well and maintain consistently high levels of accuracy at all areas of the field, something that Tune has shown. With wide receiver Tank Dell and running back Alton McCaskill in the fold, Houston's offense should run like a well-oiled machine in 2022 and both the Cougars and Tune could be in for something special.
One of the biggest improvements Tune has made between last season and this season lies within the intangibles and leadership ability, with multiple teammates noting that he had become a more vocal leader.
“He's been better like being a leader vocally,” Houston wide receiver Nathaniel Dell said at AAC media day. “He's been walking around talking to the defense. Usually like two years ago, last year, he was just talking to offensive players, receivers, stuff like that.
“Now he's talking to like (cornerback) Jayce (Rogers), linebackers, defensive lineman, everybody. He's getting comfortable with everybody. That's a good thing with a quarterback.”
14. Aidan O'Connell, Purdue.
O'Connell enters the 2022 season as a dark horse to become one of the best quarterbacks in the nation and a big rise could be in store for him this fall. O'Connell's arm talent and accuracy at all levels of the field are what got him noticed after he was given the starting nod in Week 5 last season.
O'Connell finished last season with a 71.6% completion rate, 3,712 passing yards, 28 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He will be with an entirely new group of receivers this year, so how he builds chemistry with them and how things click on the field in the passing game will be something to keep an eye on.
The former walk-on's pure abilities as a passer should help the offense overcome this transition though with O'Connell's nearly perfect ball placement and timing on his throws. O'Connell relies more on his arm and is very much a pass-first quarterback, but he has shown the ability to evade pressure and make plays with his legs when needed.
15. Hendon Hooker, Tennessee.
Hooker isn't as talked about as some of the other SEC quarterbacks who are considered potential early-round picks, but he's been an essential piece to a Tennessee offense that has found new life under head coach Josh Heupel.
Hooker finished out the 2021 season with a 68.2% completion rate, 2,945 passing yards, 31 touchdowns and and three interceptions. In addition to his accuracy as a passer, Hooker is a quarterback who can also get things done on the ground, rushing for 620 yards with five touchdowns in 2021.
Hooker needs to throw with more touch and cut down on some of his overthrows in 2022, but he's got a tight release and plenty of arm strength to put the ball wherever he wants it on the field. If he shows some added development as a passer this fall, this is a quarterback whose name will be heard a lot more in April.
16. Dillon Gabriel, Oklahoma.
17. JT Daniels, West Virginia.
18. Kedon Slovis, Pittsburgh.
19. Jaren Hall, BYU.
20. Tanner Mordecai, SMU.
21. Phil Jurkovec, Boston College.
22. KJ Jefferson, Arkansas.
23. Stetson Bennett, UGA.
24. Spencer Rattler, South Carolina.
25. Anthony Richardson, Florida.
26. Bo Nix, Oregon.
27. Cam Ward, Washington State.
28. Malik Cunningham, Louisville.
29. Taulia Tagovailoa, Maryland.
30. Dorian Thompson-Robinson, UCLA.
