Where Tanner McKee ranks in what some GMs believe is the deepest quarterback draft class in years
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Despite being just two weeks into the college football season, it is never too early to look ahead to the NFL Draft.
A time where some of the best players in college football hear their name called and begin great careers, or a time where someone is overlooked and goes on to win seven Super Bowls after being drafted No. 199. Regardless, even with the season being in its infancy, ESPN's draft expert Matt Miller broke down some of the deepest position groups for the 2023 draft, and Stanford quarterback Tanner McKee was right in the thick of things when it came to the signal callers.
Before divulging in where McKee ranked, you should know the tiers that Miller is basing his rankings off of. There are three tiers; Proven prospects with serious first-round buzz, Prospects with potential to rise, and Possible midrounders to watch. While most people would want to see their favorite quarterback in tier-one, it is extremely tough to crack as according to one Gm:
"This might be the deepest QB class in a long, long time. Maybe ever. Especially in terms of volume. We're evaluating so many guys. It's a great year to need a quarterback."
McKee ended up in tier two, "Prospects with potential to rise", and was listed as the first quarterback in the category. This should come as no surprise as he has been considered to be a borderline first rounder, and has the makeup of an NFL quarterback.
He grades very well for the most part, as according to ESPN's Draft Profile is he is average or above average in all four "football traits"; production, durability, height-weight-speed, and intangibles. His "quarterback specific traits" were a little more on the side of needing improvement as he is below average in terms of pocket mobility, while being viewed as average for his mental makeup and arm strength/release. His accuracy was the only trait viewed as being viewed as above average.
Other quarterbacks in his tier include players such as Aidan O'Connell (Purdue), Devin Leary (NC State), Cameron Rising (Utah), Jaren Hall (BYU), Phil Jurkovec (Boston College), Kedon Slovis (Pittsburgh), and Spencer Rattler (South Carolina).
McKee has shown flashes through two games as he held the highest PFF Grade in the country after Week 1, and outside of two costly turnovers against USC was able to go blow for blow with Caleb Williams.
He and Stanford have an early bye week this week, but will be tasked with taking on a tough Washington team who may be coming off a major upset over No. 11 Michigan State. Either way, McKee has 10 more weeks to prove that he belongs in the category with Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud.
