PFF ranks Tanner McKee as the third best QB in the 2023 NFL Draft class
While the 2021 season did not go as planned for Stanford or their quarterback, Tanner McKee, the Cardinal do have one of the nation's top projected signal callers returning with a majority of his weapons.
This past season was a tail of two halves for McKee, as through his first five games it was obvious why he was one of the top quarterbacks in a class that included Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields. McKee's first five starts saw him complete 65% of his passes on 7.2 yards per attempt, while throwing for 11 touchdowns and no interceptions. The second half of the season did not go nearly as expected, as his numbers would take a serious hit as he would go on to throw just four more touchdowns, throw seven interceptions, and was sacked 17 times.
Even with the mixed results from McKee this past season, it did not deter PFF from ranking him as the third best quarterback in the 2023 NFL Draft class, only behind Heisman winner Bryce Young (Alabama) and runner up C.J. Stroud (Ohio State).
Here is what they said about McKee:
In his first season as a starter last season, he showed a number of high-end NFL traits. Most impressive was McKee's footwork in the pocket. No returning quarterback in college football throws with a more consistent base — especially when forced past their first read. He also has a live arm and already some of the best ball placement in the class, which is necessary given the surrounding talent he’s working with at Stanford.
They also touched on what they believe McKee needs to improve upon this next season saying:
Of course, McKee is not without things to improve on. Of his turnovers, most came in panicked situations under pressure. He’ll too often throw with anticipation even when a defender's leverage makes a route untenable. We’ll see if he can clean up those issues for a more productive 2022 season that could lock him into the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
McKee has a chance to be Stanford's fourth quarterback taken in the draft since 2011. As it stands right now, he may be benefiting from a very top heavy quarterback class, as there are a few proven passers, so if he can show improvements he may hear his name called in one of the first couple rounds.
