2023 NFL Draft: Making sense of a divergent quarterback class, notable nuggets to know
The 2023 NFL Draft has come and gone, and while the usual suspects dominated the draft, the most interesting storyline this year was the strange way quarterbacks came off the board.
Compared to recent years, this was considered a decent draft for future signal-callers. There was a consensus Top 5 and then a slew of intriguing developmental options. A year ago, Kenny Pickett was the lone QB selected in the Top 75 picks.
Only the 2023 board didn’t unfold as predicted.
Bryce Young went No. 1 overall to Carolina. That was expected. But CJ Stroud at No. 2 to Houston? Not until the closing minutes before the draft was that even viewed as a betting possibility. For most of the 24 hours preceding the draft, Will Levis was a -1500 favorite to go No. 2 overall.
He wasn’t even taken in the 1st Round.
Instead, Anthony Richardson went No. 4 overall to Indianapolis, giving way to three quarterbacks going into the Top 4 picks. But that was it for the 1st Round.
No Levis. No Hendon Hooker.
For the first time since 1971 — 52 YEARS! — the NFL Draft saw three quarterbacks go in the Top 10 … but then not a single other one was selected in the rest of the first round, per the Ringer’s Benjamin Solak.
And yet, while NFL teams didn’t seem to value the extra fifth-year option for QBs in Round 1, they certainly seemed eager to grab cheap backup options — or better — the rest of the draft.
Why not try to find the next Brock Purdy? Last fall, Purdy went from Mr. Irrelevant to San Francisco’s starting quarterback and guided the 49ers to the NFC Championship.
A modern draft record 12 quarterbacks heard their names called through five rounds, with guys like Stetson Bennett, Sean Clifford and Jaren Hall all getting picked earlier than most prognosticators predicted.
Why? Well, the Rams, Packers and Vikings, among others, were all in need of cheap, capable QB2 options.
By the end of the 2023 NFL Draft, 15 quarterbacks came off the board — the most since 2016.
What does this mean moving forward?
I expect a similar number of QBs — or more — to get drafted in 2024.
We know Caleb Williams and Drake Maye will be top picks, but NFL teams are going to take cheap fliers on guys not predicted to be Day 1 draftees like Michael Pratt, KJ Jefferson and Sam Hartman.
Expect a similar number of QBs to come of the board this time next year — and most drafts moving forward.
PICKS PER CONFERENCE
SEC: 62
BIG TEN: 55
ACC: 32
BIG 12: 30
Pac-12: 27
BY THE NUMBERS
9 – Tight end selected in the first three rounds — the most in 56 years. The portion was considered a strength pre-draft and it delivered. Dalton Kincaid was the first to come off the board with a run on the position in the second and third rounds.
10 — The number of draftees by both Alabama and Georgia, leading the way in 2023. Notably, Michigan, which has won the Big Ten in back-to-back seasons came in No. 3 with nine overall selections,
11 — On3 Industry 5-star prospects selected the in Round One — the most since 2017. Six of the first 10 picks in the draft were 5-star recruits.
Take a bow, On3 Director of Scouting and Rankings Charles Power, who was instrumental in the rankings at 247Sports previously.
Power & Co., hit on Bryce Young (No. 1 overall), Will Anderson (No. 3), Paris Johnson (No. 6), Bijan Robinson (No. 8), Jalen Carter (No. 9), Darnell Wright (No. 10), Broderick Jones (No. 14), Jaxon Smith-Njigba (No. 20), Myles Murphy (No. 28), Bryan Breese (No. 29) and Nolan Smith (No. 30) on Thursday.
20 — Big Ten players were selected in the first two rounds — a conference record in the modern draft era.
31 — SEC players off the board in Rounds 1-3, including 14 picks alone in Round 3. The conference had 34 picks through three rounds in the 2022 NFL Draft.
41 – An NFL Draft record number of trades happened this year, with the shuffling starting right away as the Houston Texans moved up to the No. 3 pick in a deal with the Arizona Cardinals on Thursday.
FINAL NUGGETS & NOTES
* On Day 3, Georgia saw Kelee Ringo, Christopher Smith and Robert Beal all get selected, meaning the Bulldogs’ entire starting defense in their 2021 National Championship win over Alabama has been drafted the last two seasons.
DE Travon Walker (1st Round pick)
NT Jordan Davis (1st Round pick)
DT Devonte Wyatt (1st Round pick)
OLB Nolan Smith (1st Round pick)
OLB Robert Beal (5th Round pick)
ILB Quay Walker (1st Round pick
ILB Nakobe Dean (3rd Round pick)
CB Derion Kendrick (6th Round pick)
CB Kylee Ringo (4th Round pick)
S Lewis Cine (1st Round pick)
S Christopher Smith (5th Round pick)
More than half of the starting lineup ended up as 1st Round picks, and again, that doesn’t even include Carter, who was the No. 9 overall pick this year, or third inside linebacker Channing Tindall, who went in Round 3 last year, too.
In total, Georgia has had 25 players selected in the last two years — the most draft picks for a single school over a two-draft span in the common era.
* Florida continued its storied streak of having at least one player selected in every NFL Draft since 1967 — 56 consecutive years — something only Michigan and Southern Cal can also say. The Gators had six players drafted overall. Similarly, Sunshine State rival Florida State kept its long draft streak alive when defensive back Jamie Robinson was selected in the fifth round, extending the Seminoles’ streak of 44 straight seasons with at least one pick.
* TCU, which made the national championship in surprising fashion in 2022, led the Big 12 with eight picks — close to 30% of the conference’s entire showing the whole draft. Oklahoma and Texas combined for 10 picks (five apiece) in their second-to-last season in the league.