X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

2023 NFL QB Mock Draft: Where will the Rookie QBs Land?

Anthony Richardson - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Rookies, Draft Sleepers

The free agency frenzy has slotted most of their quarterbacks. It is time for the remaining quarterback starved teams to look towards the 2023 NFL Draft for their quarterback. Who will be the first quarterback picked? How many will go in the first round?

We know that the Carolina Panthers will select a quarterback in the 2023 NFL Draft and that the Chicago Bears are the better for it. The question is always who is going where?

We also know that the Las Vegas Raiders, New Orleans Saints, and Seattle Seahawks have their quarterbacks. That still leaves three teams in the first round looking for a quarterback.

Which of the quarterback-needy teams will select a QB in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft? I'm going to take a shot at making some predictions as to who lands where.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

1st 2023 NFL Draft Overall Pick---Carolina Panthers pick Anthony Richardson, Florida

Richardson is 6'4", 244-pound, hand size 10.5", and arm length 323/4". He is the most athletically gifted quarterback in this class and has the highest ceiling.

Richardson was awed and amazed at the 2023 NFL Combine. Take a look.

But not just his Combine performance puts him at number one. In 2022 he took over the starting job in Florida. He amassed 17 touchdowns and nine interceptions on 2549 passing yards. He also ran for 654 yards with nine rushing touchdowns. He averaged 6.3 yards per carry in 12 games.

Richardson's 53.8% completion percentage resulted from his inconsistency and inaccuracies, some of which can be nullified when he cleans up his footwork. His dual-threat ability is a reminiscence of Cam Newton, who excelled in Carolina. His size and arm strength are Andrew Luck-like (not saying he is Luck), whom Frank Reich coached.

Richardson isn't the most polished quarterback in this class. He has below-average touch on the ball when on the move and needs to learn to look off defenders. But he has the highest ceiling of any quarterback in this class, and his natural dual-threat ability is too tasty to pass up.

 

2nd 2023 NFL Draft Overall Pick---Houston Texans pick CJ Stroud, Ohio State University

Stroud is 6'3", 214 pounds with 32 5/8" arm length and 10" hand size. And is the best pure passer in the 2023 class.

Here's Stroud showing off his passing ability.

After starting two years at Ohio State, he is projected to be a year-one starter in the NFL. And for a good reason, he has the size and the arm talent for an NFL quarterback. Last season he led the FBS in passing efficiency (177.7), was second in FBS with his 41 passing touchdowns against only six interceptions, and was third in the FBS, averaging 9.48 yards per passing attempt.

If there is a knock-on Stroud, it is his unwillingness to extend plays with his legs. But even that comes into question with his performance against Georgi in the semi-final College Football Playoff game. In that game, Stroud had four touchdowns, zero interceptions, and used his legs to extend plays.

 

4th 2023 NFL Draft Overall Pick---Indianapolis Colts pick Bryce Young, Alabama

Young is 5'10", 204 pounds with a 30.5" arm length and nine ¾" hand size. His size is the biggest knock on him (no quarterback weighing less than 207 pounds at the NFL Combine has been drafted in the first round).

Young is about to break that mold. In 2021 when he took over the starting position in Alabama, he won the Heisman Trophy, Maxwell Award, Davey O'Brien, and Manning awards. In 2022 with fewer weapons, he passed for 3325 yards, 32 touchdowns, and five interceptions with a 64.5% completion percentage. He also rushed for 306 yards, averaging 9.3 yards per rushing attempt.

Young's football IQ is elite. His ability to deliver accurate passes to all field levels is accomplished even when under pressure. If his size were "NFL standard," he would be the consensus first pick of the draft. Even with his smaller stature, his football acumen puts him in the conversation for the number one overall pick and puts him in the first round.

 

41st 2023 NFL Draft Overall Pick---Tennessee Titans pick Will Levis, University of Kentucky

Levis is 6'4", 229 pounds, with 10 5/8' hands. He has the prototypical size and builds of an NFL quarterback. Levis also possesses arm talent and has experience playing in a pro-style passing offense. However, he has suffered from inaccuracies.

Levis transferred from Pennsylvania State University to the University of Kentucky in 2021. In the 2021 season, he started 13 games throwing for 2827 yards with a 66% completion rate. He also led the team with nine rushing touchdowns.

Levis started 11 games and threw for 2416 yards with a 65.4% completion percentage. He had 19 rushing touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Levis only ran for two rushing touchdowns averaging 2.6 yards per rushing attempt. He regressed in the 2022 season. According to Pro Football Focus, 25% of Levis's passes were thrown to targets behind the line of scrimmage.

While he looks the part and is the biggest boom-or-bust quarterback in this year's draft, he struggles with his touch and isn't quick to pick up blitzes. The ceiling on his arm strength, his ability to throw into tight windows, and the fact that he is a legitimate dual-threat quarterback will lead teams to weigh more toward the boom potential in Levis.

 

47th 2023 NFL Draft Overall Pick---Washington Commanders pick Dorian Thompson-Robinson, UCLA

The fifth-year senior, Thompson-Robinson, stands 6'2" and weighs 203 pounds with 9 7/8" hands. He is a natural athlete with a high football character. Thompson-Robinson has good arm strength but not elite arm strength. He is mostly accurate in short to intermediate throws. He has shown improvement during his five-year career, going from a 57.9% completion percentage in his first year to a 69.4% completion percentage in his last year.

Thompson-Robinson lacks the arm strength to stretch the field horizontally or vertically. But his instincts and pure athleticism will allow him to make plays when plays break down.

 

50th 2023 NFL Draft Overall Pick---Tampa Bay Buccaneers pick Stetson Bennett, Georgia

Bennett, the redshirted senior, stands 5'11", weighs 192 pounds, and has 10" hands. Bennett started as a walk-on at the University of Georgia, transferred to Jones College for a year, and returned to Georgia in 2019.

In the 2021 season, Bennett started 12 of 14 games when then-starter JT Daniels went down with an injury after the first game. Bennett then led Georgia to the national championship. His stats for the season include a 64.5% completion percentage, 29 touchdowns, and seven interceptions on 2862 passing yards. He also added one rushing touchdown.

Although eligible for the NFL Draft for the 2022 season, Bennett opted to return to Georgia. He once again led the team to a national championship. In the 2022 season, Bennett finished with 10 rushing touchdowns, 27 passing touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He passed for 4127 yards.

Bennett's NFL Draft stock is compromised due to his slight build. He lacks the velocity to get throws in tight windows, and his deep ball is often inconsistent. An elite arm does not accompany his slight build.

There is also the additional factor of his age. Bennett's leadership ability, tenacity, and football IQ will help him in the NFL Draft. While his stature, age, and arrest for public intoxication will work against him.

 

68th 2023 NFL Draft Overall Pick---Denver Broncos pick Hendon Hooker, Tennessee

Hooker is 6'3" tall and weighs 217 pounds. His hands measure 10 ½". He started his college career at Virginia Tech. As a redshirt freshman, he started eight games. He set a school record in those eight games with 124 completions without an interception. He finished the season with a 61.1% completion percentage, throwing 13 touchdowns with two interceptions. He also had five rushing touchdowns averaging 2.9 yards per rushing attempt.

The next season Hooker started eight games. He had a 65.3% completion percentage, with nine touchdowns and five interceptions, adding one rushing touchdown. After the 2020 season, Hooker decided to transfer to the University of Tennessee.

Hooker took over the starting job early in the 2021 season. He had 11 starts in 13 games. For the season, he ranked third in the FBS in passing efficiency (181.4) and fourth in yards per attempt (9.72). He finished the season with a 68% completion percentage, throwing for 2945 yards with 31 touchdowns and three interceptions. Hooker also rushed for five touchdowns averaging 3.7 yards per carry.

In the 2022 season, Hooker started 11 games before suffering a torn left ACL in November. Before his season-ending injury, he passed for 27 touchdowns and two interceptions with a 69.6% completion percentage. He ran for five touchdowns averaging 4.1 yards per carry.

Hooker has the ideal NFL size and dual-threat athleticism. While his arm talent is good, it isn't elite. His biggest asset is his accuracy on short and intermediate throws. He finished his career at Tennessee with a 58:5 touchdown to interception ratio.

In addition to his age (25) and the late ACL injury, there are questions regarding his ability to play in an NFL offense. Tennessee played a vertical spread tempo offense, a completely different animal than the NFL offenses. His throws were mostly predetermined, and his receivers relied on space.

Hooker's dual-threat potential and accuracy should serve him well if he fully recovers from the ACL injury.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!

More Fantasy Football Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

PGA

Chris Gotterup Punches Ticket to Royal Portrush With Win at Scottish Open
Bryson DeChambeau

Hopes to Reverse Links Golf Struggle at the 153rd Open
Keegan Bradley

Needs to Find The Weekend at Royal Portrush for Ryder Cup Hopes
Kyle Filipowski

Records 35-Point Double-Double Against Spurs
Kel'el Ware

Dominates Against Celtics
Kon Knueppel

Gets Going Monday
Matas Buzelis

Puts Up 28 Points in Win Over Pacers
Reed Sheppard

Shut Down for Rest of Summer League
Paul George

Undergoes Arthroscopic Knee Surgery
Oneil Cruz

Ties Home Run Derby Distance Record
Cal Raleigh

Wins 2025 Home Run Derby
Najee Harris

Likely to Miss Time at Start of Training Camp
Justin Thomas

Finishes Tied For 22nd at Genesis Scottish Open
Scottie Scheffler

Finishes Tied For Eighth at Genesis Scottish Open
Jon Rahm

Finishes in Second at LIV Andalucia
Collin Morikawa

Misses The Cut at Genesis Scottish Open
Hideki Matsuyama

Finishes Tied For 13th at Rocket Mortgage Classic
Brooks Koepka

Finishes Tied For 32nd at LIV Andalucia
Tommy Fleetwood

Finishes Tied For 34th at Genesis Scottish Open
Jason Day

Misses The Cut at John Deere Classic
Ludvig Aberg

Finishes Tied For Eighth at Genesis Scottish Open
Cam Taylor-Britt

has Benefited From Addition of Al Golden
Rome Odunze

Could Take Off in Year 2
RJ Harvey

to Get "Significant" Work in Broncos' Passing Game
Jackson Powers-Johnson

More Comfortable Heading into Year 2
Luke McCaffrey

In Line for Larger Role?
Braelon Allen

Jets Viewing Braelon Allen as Long-Term Starter?
Joel Embiid

Participating in Partial Basketball Activities
Victor Wembanyama

Officially Cleared to Return After Blood-Clot Recovery
Mike Williams

Heading to PUP List
Garrett Wilson

Lands Historic Deal
Colston Loveland

Shoulder "Good" After Surgery
New York Jets

Jets Pushing Sauce Gardner to Strive for Perfection
Xavier Worthy

Chiefs to Open Up Offense in 2025
Tallison Teixeira

Suffers First-Round TKO
Derrick Lewis

Scores First-Round TKO
Michael Lorenzen

Royals Put Michael Lorenzen on Injured List With Oblique Strain
Stephen Thompson

Loses Controversial Split Decision
Stefon Diggs

Likely to Begin Camp Working on the Side
Gabriel Bonfim

Wins Controversial Split Decision
Calvin Kattar

Gets Outclassed At UFC Nashville
Xavier Legette

Should be More Productive
Steve Garcia

Extends His Win Streak
Cole Bishop

has Good Shot to Win a Starting Job
Nate Landwehr

Gets Knocked Out
Nate Wiggins

Ravens Think Nate Wiggins has Star Potential
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere Scores Third-Round Knockout
Kel'el Ware

Collects 21 Points in Summer League Loss on Sunday
Austen Lane

Suffers Submission Loss
Vitor Petrino

Scores First-Round Submission In Heavyweight Debut
Cam Spencer

Contract Being Restructured
Drew Timme

Scores 30 Points in Summer League Loss to Wizards
Quinshon Judkins

More Details Emerge on Quinshon Judkins' Arrest
Tuco Tokkos

Earns His First UFC Win
Alexandre Sarr

Logs Impressive Outing in Summer League Action on Sunday
Junior Tafa

Unsuccessful in his Light-Heavyweight Debut
Kaden Elliss

Could be Atlanta's Most Impactful Pass-Rusher
Kyle Filipowski

Scores 21 Points in Summer League Loss to Warriors
Darius Robinson

Ready to Make his Mark in 2025?
Jauan Jennings

Expected to Report for Training Camp
Trey Smith

the Only Player Still on the Franchise Tag
Cody Williams

Collects 22 Points in Summer League Loss on Sunday
Chase Elliott

Charges to A Finish of Third At Sonoma
Chase Briscoe

Finishes Second With his First Career Road-Course Top-Five at Sonoma
Christopher Bell

Rollercoaster Day Ends With Top-5 Finish at Sonoma
William Byron

Maintains the Regular-Season Points Lead
Kyle Busch

Earns A Hard-Fought Top-10 Finish At Sonoma
Alex Ovechkin

Not Thinking About Retirement
PIT

Penguins Acquire Arturs Silovs
NHL

Nikolai Kovalenko Returns to Russia
Yoshinobu Yamamoto

Tosses Gem Against Giants
Shota Imanaga

Shuts Down Yankees on Sunday
Nathan Eovaldi

Dominant Again in Seventh Win
Tyler Reddick

Evades Near Upset to Remain Alive in In-Season Challenge
Ty Gibbs

One of Three Tylers to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinals
Kyle Larson

Curiously Mediocre at Sonoma Before Late-Race Crash
NASCAR

John H. Nemechek Edges Out Teammate to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Alex Bowman

Ty Dillon Bumps Alex Bowman to Advance to In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Chicago White Sox

Billy Carlson Goes 10th Overall to White Sox
Cincinnati Reds

Steele Hall Selected Ninth by Cincinnati
Toronto Blue Jays

Blue Jays Select JoJo Parker with Eighth Overall Pick
Boston Celtics

Damian Lillard Drawing Interest from the Celtics
Miami Marlins

Marlins Select Aiva Arquette With Seventh Overall Pick
Pittsburgh Pirates

Pirates Select Seth Hernandez with Sixth Overall Pick
Kyle Stowers

Punishes Former Team with Three-Homer Game
St. Louis Cardinals

Cardinals Select Liam Doyle with Fifth Overall Pick
Daniel Gafford

Agrees to Contract Extension with Dallas
Colorado Rockies

Rockies Select Ethan Holliday Fourth Overall
Seattle Mariners

Kade Anderson Selected Third Overall by Seattle
Ha-Seong Kim

X-rays on Ha-Seong Kim's Foot Come Back Negative
Los Angeles Angels

Tyler Bremner Selected Second Overall by Angels in 2025 MLB Draft
Washington Nationals

Nationals Select Eli Willits First Overall
Jake Meyers

to Miss More Than Three Weeks With Calf Injury
Cooper Flagg

Shut Down for Rest of Summer League
LeBron James

Hasn't Requested a Trade
Memphis Grizzlies

Cole Anthony, Grizzlies Agree to Contract Buyout
Edward Cabrera

Hopeful to Avoid Injured List
Oneil Cruz

Absent on Sunday
Shane Van Gisbergen

Can Anyone Beat Shane van Gisbergen at Sonoma?
Tyler Reddick

Better at Sonoma Than Record Shows
Chase Elliott

a Prime DFS Option at Sonoma
Michael McDowell

Struggling a Bit at Sonoma
NASCAR

Christopher Bell Has Never Finished Better Than Ninth at Sonoma
Ryan Blaney

Has Top-10 Upside at Sonoma
NASCAR

Sunday at Sonoma Will Likely Be a Long Race for Bubba Wallace
Kyle Larson

Is A Likely Top-Five Contender for Sonoma
Ryan Preece

Points Position Could Affect Race at Sonoma
Todd Gilliland

Struggling to Find Speed at Sonoma
Ty Gibbs

May be an Underrated Favorite to Compete for the Win at Sonoma
Alexandre Sarr

Plays Well in Summer League Loss to Phoenix
Yang Hansen

Looks Good on Friday Night
Erik Karlsson

Open to Move Away From Pittsburgh
Zach Hyman

Hopes to be Ready for Start of Next Season
SJ

Jeff Skinner Joins Sharks on One-Year Contract
Ryan Reaves

Traded to Sharks
Vladislav Kolyachonok

Moves to Dallas
Matt Dumba

Lands in Pittsburgh
Mackie Samoskevich

Re-Signs with Panthers on One-Year Deal
Josh Manson

Inks Two-Year Extension with Avalanche
EDM

Isaac Howard Signs Three-Year, Entry-Level Contract With Oilers
Tallison Teixeira

Set For His First UFC Main Event
Derrick Lewis

Set To Headline UFC Nashville
Gabriel Bonfim

Looks For His Third UFC Win
Stephen Thompson

Returns At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Calvin Kattar

In Dire Need Of Victory
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere A Favorite At UFC Nashville
Nate Landwehr

Aims To Bounce Back
MMA

Austen Lane Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Gary Woodland

Looking to Find Rhythm at Scottish Open
Aaron Rai

Brings Consistent Play to Scottish Open
Maverick McNealy

a Solid Value Play at Scottish Open
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF