2023 NFL Draft: Best NFL Fits for the Top 5 Quarterback Prospects in Next Year’s Draft
For quarterback-needy teams, the NFL Draft represents an opportunity to find the franchise quarterback who will turn things around. In recent years, quarterbacks like Josh Allen and Joe Burrow have transformed their teams into perennial Super Bowl contenders. While last year’s draft saw only one quarterback get drafted in the first round (Kenny Pickett to the Pittsburgh Steelers), the 2023 NFL Draft figures to feature a host of top-flight quarterback prospects.
This article attempts to match the top quarterbacks in next year’s draft with the teams on which they might make the most sense.
Ohio State QB C.J. Stroud: Houston Texans
The Texans are probably going to be picking early in the 2023 NFL Draft, and Stroud should be the pick if he’s available when Houston is on the clock. The Texans do not have much of an offensive identity right now (although rookie running back Dameon Pierce has looked effective of late). Stroud is the perfect quarterback to build an offense around—he is one of the rare passers who can “do it all” in terms of the levels of throws he is able to make. Texans offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton, a top-tier offensive mind who does a nice job tailoring offenses to the skill sets of his personnel, would have a fun time crafting a scheme that emphasizes Stroud’s best traits.
Alabama QB Bryce Young: Seattle Seahawks
Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith has been terrific thus far this season, but it’s not clear that he is the long-term answer in Seattle. The Seahawks have a Russell Wilson-sized hole both in their offense and in their locker room. Enter Young, a quarterback who would slot right into Seattle’s offensive scheme and provide leadership from Day One. While it’s likely that he is even shorter than Wilson, he is tremendously accurate, poised in the pocket, and able to extend plays as well as any quarterback in the country. Depending on where the Seahawks end up, this could be a great fit.
Kentucky QB Will Levis: New York Giants
After a 4-1 start to the season, the Giants look like they might be on their way to the playoffs. New head coach Brian Daboll is clearly doing something right. While Giants quarterback Daniel Jones has been fine, the team’s ceiling with a better passer would be even higher. Levis makes a ton of sense for the Giants; he is a northeast native (hailing originally from Connecticut) with good athleticism, a thick build, a rocket for an arm, and experience in big games as an SEC quarterback. At his best, Levis has drawn comparisons to a quarterback with whom Daboll had success when he was the Buffalo Bills’ offensive coordinator: Josh Allen. Expect the Giants to have their eyes on this Kentucky standout.
Tennessee QB Hendon Hooker: Miami Dolphins
Barring a significant dropoff in the latter half of the season, Hooker is a first-round quarterback. He has been lights-out for a still-undefeated Tennessee squad that has a few big games coming up. We cannot yet know what will come next for Tua Tagovailoa after his recent struggles with concussions, but Miami would be wise to do its homework on Hooker. Listed at 6-foot-4 with great scrambling ability, Hooker’s best trait might actually be his deep ball placement, which would make him a natural fit on a team that already has speedsters Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle in tow. Hooker was fantastic in 2021 and is playing even better this season; watch for him to shoot up draft boards if he can continue his excellent season.
Clemson QB D.J. Uiagalelei: Carolina Panthers
Many draft analysts left D.J. Uiagalelei for dead after a rough 2021 season. But this year, he’s clawed his way back into first round consideration with some gutsy play for a good-looking Clemson team that might make it back to the College Football Playoff. The Panthers just fired their head coach, and Baker Mayfield might not be long in Charlotte either. Drafting Uiagalelei, who plays college ball less than two-and-a-half hours from Bank of America Stadium, could be the shot in the arm that the Panthers need to compete again in the NFC South. A patient passer who has gotten a lot better at going through his progressions, Uiagalelei has helped his draft stock immensely this season.
