2023 NFL Draft Matchup Preview: The Most Important Game for Each of the Top 5 Quarterbacks
Going into the 2022 college football season, NFL Draft enthusiasts have their eye on a few potential first-rounders at the quarterback position. The 2023 NFL Draft could see a handful of passers selected in the first round. Only one quarterback heard his name called in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft—Kenny Pickett to the Pittsburgh Steelers with the 20th selection. Fortunately for the league, next year should be quite different.
As it stands today, Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud and Alabama’s Bryce Young are jockeying for the QB1 spot in the 2023 class. That said, Kentucky signal-caller Will Levis could also end up as the first overall pick. For these and other top quarterbacks, the 2022 college football season will be an opportunity to showcase their talents to NFL teams and make their case for selection in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Each game will be important.
Each of these signal-callers will have to demonstrate consistency over the course of the upcoming season. Putting on a show against a top-ranked defense wouldn’t hurt, either. In that vein, this post highlights the most important matchup this season for each of the Top Five quarterbacks on our NFL Draft Bible Quarterback Prospect Rankings (rankings are as of June 16):
- C.J. Stroud (Ohio State)
- Bryce Young (Alabama)
- Tyler Van Dyke (Miami)
- Will Levis (Kentucky)
- Anthony Richardson (Florida)
The matchups are discussed in order of their date on the calendar.
QB C.J. Stroud, Ohio State
Matchup: September 3 vs. Notre Dame
The end-of-season Michigan game is a tempting pick here. The Wolverines are highly ranked going into the season, Ohio State-Michigan is one of the most storied rivalries in all of sports, and Stroud’s Buckeyes are still smarting after losing to Michigan last season for the first time in the Jim Harbaugh era. But Stroud’s biggest test will actually come in the first week of the season against a very good Notre Dame squad.
With a defensive-minded head coach in Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame is going to be coming after Stroud from the first play. The headliner here is EDGE Isaiah Foskey—a long, lean pass rusher whose matchup with OT Paris Johnson will be consequential. Foskey looks like a first-rounder. Meanwhile, S Brandon Joseph (a Northwestern transfer) is another player who could break into the first round. He’ll make it difficult for Stroud to rack up chunk plays, especially given how much of the Buckeye offense figures to go through slot receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
Past Foskey and Joseph, Notre Dame boasts a few other 2023 prospects on defense who will give Stroud headaches—including DL Jayson Ademilola and CBs Cam Hart and Clarence Lewis. How Stroud meets this early-season challenge will help determine whether he ultimately goes No. 1 overall next year.
QB Anthony Richardson, Florida
Matchup: October 15 vs. LSU
As tempting as it is to put Georgia here, I am saving the Bulldogs for Will Levis. Besides, LSU is likely going to test Richardson’s mettle in a way that will be more relevant for NFL evaluators. Projecting Richarson as a first-round pick is risky at this point—he simply has not seen the field as much as the other quarterbacks on this list. But what we have seen from Richardson is quite good, and we will know by the end of 2022 if he truly merits first-round consideration.
The LSU game pits Richardson against one of the most menacing defensive lines in all of college football. For a quarterback like Richardson who likes to run the football, he will need to air it out a bit if he hopes to move the ball down the field against the Tigers. LSU’s top prospect is EDGE B.J. Ojulari, a lethal pass rusher who beats offensive linemen at a high rate—he should go in the first round in 2023. At the same time, DL Jaquelin Roy and EDGE Ali Gaye project as mid-round picks. These three will give Florida’s offensive line a ton to handle, to say nothing of superstar DL Maason Smith (an All-American-caliber sophomore who will not be eligible for the 2023 draft).
QB Tyler Van Dyke, Miami
Matchup: November 19 at Clemson
By November, we should have some sense of whether Van Dyke lived up to the preseason first-round hype. Either way, Miami’s late-season matchup at Clemson will yield important film for Van Dyke, who will need to show that he has NFL-level timing and quickness if he is going to avoid getting sacked in this game.
Clemson’s defensive line could produce multiple first-rounders with EDGE Myles Murphy and DL Bryan Bresee. Bresee is one of the most athletically gifted players in college football, and at one time he was the No. 1 overall recruit coming out of high school. Although he earned ACC Defensive Freshman of the Year honors in 2020, Bresee struggled with injuries last season and did not see the field much. If he can return to form in 2022, the sky is the limit in terms of his draft potential. Moreover, LB Trenton Simpson—another possible first-round pick—will be all over the field for the Tigers. Van Dyke will need to watch his back when the trio of Murphy, Bresee, and Simpson all come on a blitz.
Rounding out the noteworthy 2023 NFL Draft prospects on the defensive unit for Clemson are CB Sheridan Jones, DL Tyler Davis, and EDGEs Xavier Thomas and K.J. Henry. Fortunately for Van Dyke, his left tackle Zion Nelson is also a potential early-round pick in 2023. Van Dyke will need all the help he can get against this fantastic Clemson defense.
QB Will Levis, Kentucky
Matchup: November 19 vs. Georgia
We won’t have to wait for 2023 to see Levis play against an NFL defense. After bulldozing its way to a national championship last year, Georgia has reloaded and threatens to push for the title yet again. Tuning into a Georgia Bulldogs game this year is considered NFL Draft scouting—the team has numerous potential first-rounders, especially on defense.
Levis has an NFL-caliber arm, impressive athleticism, and good instincts. The key question is whether he can put together another great season now that his top wide receiver—Wan’Dale Robinson—has left for the NFL. The Georgia game will be massively important for Levis’s draft stock, as he will line up across from first-round talents at all levels of the defense.
Starting up front, DL Jalen Carter may have been the best defensive lineman last season on a unit that saw three of its players get picked in the first round (including No. 1 overall pick Travon Walker). Behind Carter, EDGE Nolan Smith will look to break through in a talented class of EDGE rushers, but early signs indicate that he will likely be in the first-round conversation. And in the defensive backfield, CB Kelee Ringo is an early favorite to be the first cornerback off the board in 2023. Levis will also need to watch out for prolific sack artist EDGE Robert Beal Jr. and ballhawking safeties Christopher Smith and Tykee Smith.
QB Bryce Young, Alabama
Matchup: November 26 vs. Auburn
The September 10 game at Texas will be an important data point for Young. And for those interested in the top 2023 NFL Draft prospects on the Longhorns, I did a write-up about them recently. But Auburn’s terrifying front seven is set to test Young in a way that will tell us a lot about the Alabama quarterback’s potential for NFL superstardom.
Last year’s Iron Bowl came down to the wire. Some have argued that Young had his “Heisman Moment” against the Tigers last year when he led the Crimson Tide to a come-from-behind victory in overtime against Auburn. This season, Auburn will look to avoid a repeat. Leading the way for the Tigers is EDGE Derick Hall, who is likely to be a first-rounder in 2023. But Young will also have to watch out for DL Colby Wooden, who has great size and could shoot up draft boards with a productive season. Finally, LB Owen Pappoe is a former five-star recruit who could make an impact in pass coverage—if he can stay healthy (a big “if” for Pappoe). Young will not be able to have his way over the middle easily if Pappoe plays, and a full season of dominant football from Pappoe could vault him into the Day Two conversation.
Especially for a shorter quarterback like Young, dominating a team with a stellar front seven will go a long way toward assuaging the concerns of NFL scouts.
