2023 NFL Draft: Pros and cons of Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud, Will Levis, other QBs

June 16, 2024

The 2023 NFL Draft prospects at quarterback are, almost by default, an upgrade from their 2022 brethren. While we are still accumulating more data points on them from conference games against better competition, I wanted to check in on the quarterbacks whose names have been brought up as the top signal-callers of this draft class — C.J. Stroud, Bryce Young and Will Levis — as well as a handful of other prospects who are persons of interest when doing the detective work on this quarterback class.

Here’s a look at their strengths and the lingering questions they’ll need to address in the second half of the college football season, before the “Eye of Sauron” of NFL decision-makers and fans turns to the draft season.

The Big Three

C.J. Stroud, Ohio State

Strengths

Stroud is justifiably the betting favorite to win the Heisman Trophy right now. He has thrown 24 touchdown passes to only three interceptions on 160 attempts, good for a hilarious touchdown rate of 15 percent. Stroud just does all of the quarterback things well. He is an accurate passer at all three levels from the pocket and when having to throw on the move. And while Stroud’s arm strength is more good rather than great or elite, he throws with touch and his ball placement lets him maximize his opportunities.

This throw against Notre Dame shows how Stroud places a throw in the ideal location away from defenders, which not only ends up in a completion but allows his receiver to create yards after the catch. He is taking the one-on-one and is unfazed by the defender buzzing underneath the throw or the cornerback having inside leverage. Stroud throws his receiver open, putting the ball where only his receiver can catch it.

Stroud benefits from a strong supporting cast and the Buckeyes’ offense can make it simple for him, but he consistently goes to the right spot with his reads and does not shy away from having to make the more difficult throws when needed. He is an intelligent player who plays with a calmness in the pocket and gets better and better with his pocket movement every week, showing off balance while keeping his eyes downfield as he hunts for throws.

Stroud, who just turned 21 this month, looks like he put in work this offseason to improve his frame and is solidly built. And while Stroud is a quality athlete who can pick up yards with his legs and be consistently accurate while throwing on the move, he chooses to do his damage from the pocket and scrambles only as a last resort.

Question mark/room for improvement

Sometimes you do want to see Stroud tap into his running ability more and make it easier on himself. He has 10 rushes on the season, and while a big part of that is because Ohio State has been so dominant on offense and Stroud wants to launch balls from the pocket, that is still an aspect of Stroud’s game that I hope to see him unleash as the season goes along.

Stroud will still at times take unnecessary bounces in his dropbacks and end up late on throws because of the vertical structure of the Ohio State offense. Even in the clip above, you can see Stroud taking an extra little hitch. He still places the throw right on the money in a tight spot, but the room for error is so ridiculously small in the NFL that trimming any fat he can will make his life easier. He has already improved in this area — it’s remarkable how far he has come since his matchup against Oregon in 2021 — but it’s a clear part of his game needing further improvement.

Bryce Young, Alabama

Strengths

The 2021 Heisman Trophy winner is just a gamer through and through. He is incredibly tough and makes his teammates around him better, hiding the blemishes of his offensive line or a lacking play call.

Young is an excellent creator while out of structure. He possesses the ability to not only throw off-platform both inside and outside of the pocket, but to create explosive plays in those situations.

Young’s athleticism and ability to ad-lib might be what his highlights consist of, but he is actually a bit underrated when operating from the pocket:

While Young has below-average height, it does not limit his ability to throw over the middle of the field, similar to other quarterbacks on the shorter end. The above clip against Texas is a good example of how Young is constantly attacking down the field when working from the pocket. He could take the angle route to the running back, and that would be a more than fine answer. But he is hunting for explosive plays and takes the “high” portion of the concept. He also throws the ball while on time and in rhythm.

Young is not just a big-play hunter, though. He is willing to find his check-down when downfield options are covered, displaying an understanding of operating an offense.

Young constantly breaks loose from what should be easy sacks and can make difficult throws on the move look routine, but that shouldn’t take away from his ability as a pocket passer. He is accurate and can alternate between throwing with touch or line-driving a ball into a tight space. And you appreciate his ability to play the quarterback position the more you watch him, which I’m sure NFL teams will also agree with. He’s just a football player.

Question marks/room for improvement

It’s going to be an exhausting conversation by the time draft season is in full swing, but every conversation about Young as a pro will begin and end with his size. The last quarterback listed under 200 pounds to be drafted in the first round was Jim McMahon in 1982. The last quarterback listed under 200 pounds to go in the first three rounds was Pat White in 2009.

Outliers certainly do exist. And Young does a lot of the “traditional” things well on top of his creation ability, so arguing he could be that type of outlier isn’t a fool’s errand. While Kyler Murray is the easy body type comparison to draw with Young, Murray has a thicker build, which helps alleviate some of the size concerns (although Murray did rack up injuries and miss three games in the 2021 season). There are similarities to their play styles, but Murray might have just a little more arm strength, too.

If we’re picking nits, Young can also bail out of the pocket a bit early at times. His ability and willingness to find throws from between the tackles is already much improved from his Heisman Award-winning 2021 season, but this is an area where he will have to find the correct balance at the next level.

Kentucky’s Will Levis. (Jordan Prather / USA Today)

Will Levis, Kentucky

Strengths

It’s easy to see why evaluators might take a liking to Levis. He has a big arm with a stupidly quick release and has improved his accuracy in the underneath and intermediate areas. The Kentucky offense asks him to make “real” reads with their dropback passing concepts, including throws that take him over the middle part of the field, and Levis shows the ability to drive the ball into tight spaces with enough anticipation to maximize yards after the catch.

Levis ➡️ Dingle

Tie game 😼 pic.twitter.com/DyXcB2EPbm

— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) October 1, 2022

Levis can throw his teammates open when they’re tightly covered, which is often. On underneath throws and downfield, he flashes the ability to place the ball in locations where his teammate is the only one who can catch it. He has the arm strength to pin the ball on their chest like a lapel.

Levis’ arm strength shows up when throwing deep. He can threaten defenses starting to creep down because every throw is available to him, even when he can’t step into it. His deep-ball accuracy can be scattershot, but a glass-half-full take is that Kentucky’s receivers don’t help him too much in that regard.

Levis is also a strong and explosive athlete. He stands strong in the pocket and is a valid weapon on quarterback read plays or when he decides to tuck the ball and run.

Question marks/room for improvement

Levis is a good athlete and a tough runner, but his vision as a runner is lacking and he can be a magnet for contact. Levis also will force throws into tight spaces when late on his reads, even when his feet are screaming at him to check the ball down or throw it away. His willingness to try tough throws is a good problem, but something that still must be honed.

His internal clock has sped up compared to 2021, but it’s another area where he has to learn to not “wish” a throw open and instead take an easier answer underneath. Levis’ pocket movement has improved, but he takes a ton of big shots because he can lock on to a receiver for a bit too long or try to do too much to make a play. Again, he has improved as a processor and flashes the ability to work through his progressions, but there is still plenty of room for improvement.

Levis is still far from a finished product, even if his flashes and tools are exciting. His age — he will be a 24-year-old rookie — must also be noted, especially when compared to Stroud and Young.

Best of the rest

Tyler Van Dyke, Miami (Fla.)

Strengths

My nickname for Van Dyke is “The Stork” because of his long limbs (maybe “The Ibis” is more fitting). Van Dyke hasn’t played in the cleanest of offensive systems in his short career as a starter, but he does try to make the most of it.

Van Dyke pushes the ball and has no fear of throwing the ball into a crowd — or fear of taking a shot when staring down the barrel of pass rushers. That throw down the pipe against North Carolina is an NFL-level throw. He also does a nice job of placing throws underneath and has quickened up his release on shorter throws, which has helped make his accuracy more consistent.

Van Dyke has long speed once he gets going and flashes twitch in the pocket despite his frame. His anticipation has improved several tiers this year as he has gotten used to throwing routes other than go balls and screens like he constantly had to do in 2021. He has also started to release the football before his receivers are breaking on their route, a good sign that increases his room for error.

THIS IS A DIME.

Lasers only from @CanesFootball QB @Tyler_Van_Dyke 💯 pic.twitter.com/hadvmGry1F

— ACC Network (@accnetwork) October 15, 2022

Question marks/room for improvement

Those long limbs can hinder Van Dyke when he has to operate in a tight space in the pocket. His release isn’t as long as Byron Leftwich’s was, and his arm action speeds up the release, but it still is a touch on the longer side. Van Dyke’s legs can also lead to inconsistencies with his accuracy, as his stride will get long and the ball will spray.

Van Dyke is improving with the more plays and games he racks up, but he is an inconsistent passer and player right now. He can lock in on receivers and put the ball in harm’s way, which can of course improve with more game repetitions. There are glimpses of strong play, with throws that make your eyebrows shoot up in surprise. And the promise displayed in those big-time throws — with legit size and athleticism — makes him worth keeping an eye on to see if those glimpses can become consistent.

Anthony Richardson, Florida

Strengths

It doesn’t take too long to see why Richardson is such an interesting prospect.

ANTHONY RICHARDSON WAS UNSTOPPABLE ✈️ pic.twitter.com/0EDr211DHI

— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) October 16, 2022

Richardson has an outstanding combination of size, big arm and explosive athleticism — traits that every evaluator will love. He has excellent arm strength, able to drive the ball with a quick release and launch moon balls with the best of them.

While his play is streaky, he is consistently trying to do the right thing. He progresses on plays that he’s comfortable with and shows a willingness to work through plays to find the right throw, even finding checkdowns when routes are covered down the field.

Richardson is a powerful player who can bounce off tacklers and has real burst as a runner. Every quarterback run concept is available for him, and he can go the distance on any run.

Question marks/weaknesses

Richardson is a home run swing of a prospect. While his best plays are simply exquisite, they can be few and far between.

And while Richardson is trying to do the right thing on plays, his feel varies both when reading plays out and navigating the pocket. He lacks anticipation on throws and often ends up late, which then can have the domino effect of Richardson trying to jam a throw in, often with erratic footwork and accuracy.

Richardson’s fantastic athletic ability can get him out of trouble, but he can also create trouble in the pocket. He’ll bounce around into an offensive lineman or bail out earlier than needed.

Richardson is a bundle of tools who needs as many repetitions as possible. He shows that he can progress and find throws from the pocket, but he needs to do it more regularly. If he does, watch out.

Stanford’s Tanner McKee. (Bob Kupbens / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Tanner McKee, Stanford

Strengths

Another long-levered quarterback in this class, McKee stands tall in the pocket both literally and figuratively. But he plays with surprising twitch when steering through the pocket and getting rid of the football. Stanford uses a mix of offensive concepts, including long-developing RPO plays, and McKee’s quick release helps unlock a lot of throws on the passing game menu.

McKee’s athleticism shows up as a scrambler. He can pull away from defenders as a runner and has decent acceleration despite his big frame. He also flashes real ability to throw on the move on sprint-outs and bootleg concepts.

The variability of Stanford’s offense does allow for more peeks at what can translate for McKee. He’s asked to throw all kinds of routes, and whether it’s an under-center play-action concept or a spread look, McKee has proof through his play that he can handle it.

Question marks/room for improvement

Those long-developing RPO plays are doing a number on McKee and Stanford’s offensive line. McKee’s timing and internal clock might need some retuning at the next level, as he can hang a bit too long when he’s progressing and needs to continue to speed up his progression through plays (which can also be attributed to the swath of Cardinal plays).

His throwing motion can be mechanical, similar to other quarterbacks who have played at Stanford under David Shaw. And his accuracy can vary when the pocket closes in. But he is another quarterback in this class with glimpses of ability who needs more data points to show whether the flashes are real or just flashes.

Tennessee’s Hendon Hooker. (Bryan Lynn / USA Today)

Hendon Hooker, Tennessee

Strengths

Hooker plays in an explosive offense that has the green light for launching bombs seemingly every single play. And while it’s easy to paint a broad brush and chalk him up as a system quarterback with a talented receiver room, there has to be credit given for how well Hooker is playing as the triggerman.

He has good arm strength on intermediate throws and throws a very catchable deep ball, which he gets to uncork early and often. Hooker is a relaxed player who plays with quiet feet and is in control of the offense. He has a comfort level with what’s being asked on each play and can quickly scan through his progression and check the ball down when needed. He’s also a smart scrambler who knows when to tuck and run when his downfield options aren’t popping open.

Question marks/room for improvement

While Hooker should get credit for how well he is playing, he certainly does benefit from an offense that is littered with easy buttons and standout players. The Volunteers’ offense places defenders on islands to deal with wide splits, stack alignments and switch releases, leaving them chasing Tennessee receivers all over the field. Hooker gets to have his pick of the litter working through his options.

Hooker shows the ability to anticipate in-breakers, but his longer release time can get him in trouble when he doesn’t have a clean pocket to drive on throws. And while Hooker knows when to scramble, he is more of just a fine athlete than a notable one with solid burst and play strength rather than it being a true plus to his game.

Hooker is also a sixth-year senior who will be a 25-year-old rookie. And while being old enough to rent a car legally shouldn’t damn a prospect instantly, it does naturally cause some hesitation about how much room for growth there is with his game.

Arkansas’ KJ Jefferson. (Nelson Chenault / USA Today)

KJ Jefferson, Arkansas

Strengths

Jefferson throws a great deep ball when given a good pocket to work with, and he has enough arm strength to get to deep throws late and still make them work.

The combination of his size and athleticism is a true plus to his game. He has enough speed to create plays with his feet and the strength to run between the tackles when needed on design quarterback run plays, opening up an entire section on the play-caller’s sheet.

Jefferson shows the ability to throw with touch when needed, and he can place throws that he anticipates, giving his receiver room to work with.

Question marks/room for improvement

Jefferson is a bit all over the place when having to make post-snap decisions. He seems to decide where he’s going with the ball before the snap, then tries to make that throw happen come hell or high water. While he does have more than enough athleticism to make a play when that read doesn’t work out or the pocket starts collapsing, being comfortable working from the pocket is essentially a prerequisite for playing quarterback at the next level.

His accuracy is also (literally) hit-and-miss, especially on shorter throws. He can try to aim throws instead of letting the ball go with confidence, which can lead to misses high and low. And because he can lock on to his receivers, he will end up putting the ball in harm’s way more than needed.

Overall, Jefferson has some interesting tools, and his running ability is a true weapon. But he needs to continue to develop his comfort level as a pocket passer.

(Top illustration: Sean Reilly / The Athletic; Photos: Kevin C. Cox, Ben Jackson / Getty Images)

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