2023 NFL Draft: A tale of three quarterbacks
CJ Stroud, Bryce Young and Anthony Richardson could become the first black quarterback trio ever to be selected in the top ten.
This week, the futures of over 350 young talents across collegiate sport and internationally will materialise when one-by-one, they will be selected by the 32 teams of the National Football League.
The draft is what allows for so much parity and balance across the league, as the worst teams from the previous campaign will get the pick of the best players in each round. The big stars highlight the opening round or two, hidden gems and underrated talents are unearthed in the later rounds, while teams put in unimaginable amount of hours hoping to strike gold with their selections and avoid the dreaded draft busts.
Every year, the most attention is given to the quarterbacks available for selection. Undoubtedly the most important position on the football field, a good quarterback generally sets an organisation up for success down the line. Patrick Mahomes at Kansas City is an obvious example, picked #10 in 2017, he has gone on to become a two-time Super Bowl winner and premier quarterback of his generation, the face of the NFL in a post Peyton Manning, Tom Brady era.
There’s also many pitfalls with picking a quarterback high in the draft, which is why thousand upon thousand of hours are spent analyzing, debating and pouring over every minute detail of the players’ resume to date, both on and off the field.
And when you’re spending a top ten pick on your quarterback of the future, the pressure and expectation on both the player and the team can be monstrous.
The tale of the 2023 draft is told in the stories of three quarterbacks. They have been scrutinised within an inch of their lives, ranked in various orders from best to worst, and come early on Friday morning their fates will be settled and we will know which team has hinged the next years of their hopes and fortunes on these young men.
Those three: CJ Stroud, Bryce Young and Anthony Richardson.
All three have excelled at the collegiate level and bring an arsenal of tools that has set the draft world alight in the lead up these past few months. They have various limitations, vastly different skillsets and plenty of debatable pros and cons.
But something they have in common is that they are all black, and it is potentially the first time ever that three black quarterbacks will get selected in the top ten, if not the top five.
The last time three quarterbacks were selected in the first round was back in 1999, when Donovan McNabb and Akili Smith went number two and three, and Daunte Culpepper followed later at pick number 11.
14 years later, this is a seminal moment for the position which has seen a rise in the black quarterback of late, someone who was once overlooked, burdened with unfair stereotypes and expectations, but has now broken the ceiling that held them back for so long.
As recently as Lamar Jackson in the draft year of 2018, who was thought of by some as better off moving to wide receiver, had an unreasonable amount of doubt placed on his ability. Four quarterbacks were selected ahead of him and only one has matched his quality, that being Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills.
Back in February, Mahomes and Jalen Hurts became the first black quarterback duo to play in the Super Bowl. Just last week Hurts was rewarded for his incredible rise the past few seasons with a bumper contract, having gone from a late-round pick with many justified concerns to a bona fide stud. You could argue not too long ago he wouldn’t have been given as much of a chance to shine.
I spoke to NFL writer at NinersNation, Kyle Posey, who told me about the changing landscape of the black quarterback in the NFL.
“The Super Bowl proved that, at the highest stage, a black quarterback can be counted upon. For years and years, we heard they could be successful, but it was always through coded language. But Jalen Hurts proved to be much more than a rushing threat, while everyone is aware of how special of a quarterback Patrick Mahomes is.”
“Growing up, it was rare for a black quarterback to garner top 10 attention. We may have three in the top 10, which is unheard of. We’ve come along way, but that’s because we’re a handful of decades behind the 8-ball.”
With the breaking down of predetermined stereotypes, the NFL is now beginning to analyse the player and not the person.
“Now that we’re getting closer to the norm of the black quarterback being a thing in the NFL and the first round, the next step is to accept that they all have their faults. And not the C.J. Stroud made up test scores. Instead of Bryce Young’s size limitations, let’s focus on his ability to come through in the clutch time and time again. Anthony Richardson has accuracy issues, but he’s a threat in and outside of the pocket.”
“Stroud could score a five out of 95 on a test and still read defenses quicker than a computer and put the ball wherever he wants.”
It would be remiss not to mention Hendon Hooker of Tennessee, another black quarterback in contention for an early pick. Although he hasn’t grabbed the headlines of the aforementioned trio he could be a fourth to get picked on Thurday night.
“There’s one quarterback that’s lost a QB battle and was forced to transfer [Hooker] who is currently being mocked to go early in the draft, and he hasn’t been mentioned yet. That’s the type of leash Young, Stroud, and Richardson should be afforded.”
“I’d be a seminal moment if four black quarterbacks went in the first round. But I want to get to a point where that’s expected. In a class where each have different styles, we’re headed in the right direction.”
So what about the Xs and Os and the play on the field? I spoke to fellow Substacker and draft analyst Nicholas McGee to give me his thoughts on each prospect.
“CJ Stroud is probably the most refined thrower of the three and has the trait that should translate quickest to the NFL, outstanding ball placement. He’s extremely accurate when attacking all levels of the defense. He’s got a superb arm and can really drive the ball.”
“He throws with anticipation to consistently hit his receivers in stride. He can deliver accurately under pressure and has the pocket movement to evade pressure, but he has had some issues with consistency when defenders push the pocket quickly to speed up his process. The main knock on him is that he doesn’t make plays with legs often, but he did it in pretty spectacular fashion against Georgia in the CFP semi-final, and there’s no doubt he can throw on the run.”
“Of the three, he’s probably the most ‘pro-ready’ but the question will be whether he can make those off the cuff plays on the move often enough in the NFL to maximise his ceiling.”
“Bryce Young does a lot of the same things Stroud does. I don’t think his arm is as good but he’s still accurate to all levels consistently. He’s decisive with the ball, has a quick release and can deliver with timing and anticipation. He’s quite advanced in that he regularly moves defenders with his eyes to open throwing windows.”
“Young is really good in the pocket. He dealt with consistently bad pass protection in his final year at Alabama but showed patience in going through his progressions and a willingness to hang in messy pockets and deliver under pressure. He has a really good sense for pressure and can negate either by finding his checkdown, using his agility to evade it or climbing the pocket and identifying his running lane. He’s a constant threat to make those improvisational plays that are the norm today. He can throw very well on the move and has the speed and elusiveness in the open field to be a big threat on the ground.”
“The main negative is obviously the size, it’s less his height and more his weight. With his improvisational style of play, it’s a big question whether his body can hold up to the kind of hits he’ll expose himself to playing that way in the NFL.”
“Anthony Richardson has the highest ceiling of any quarterback in the class, but he’s still very inexperienced and hasn’t really run much of anything you’ll see in the NFL. Still, his arm is incredible. He makes high-difficulty downfield throws look extremely easy and can deliver with startling accuracy when at his best.”
“He can throw with timing and anticipation over the middle of the field and, though he isn’t on the same level as Young in this sense, he’s shown some ability to move defenders with his eyes.”
“He’s the best athlete we’ve seen at the position, and he uses his athleticism to evade pressure and escape the pocket. He keeps his eyes downfield when scrambling and does an outstanding job throwing accurately on the move.”
“He’s tremendously poised operating on the move and is a really dynamic runner, blending power, elusiveness and incredible speed for a 244-pound man. He definitely needs to do a better job reading the field and has been guilty of trying to do too much on the move and putting the ball in harm’s way, but if he lands in the right situation with a coach that can harness his upside he’ll emerge as the best of this class.”
This is a story of three quarterbacks headlining Thursday night’s NFL Draft. But it is also a moment where they are breaking down one more barrier for future prospects and athletes dreaming of the NFL, letting their play do the talking and not being typecast based on the colour of their skin.
But ultimately, the due diligence has been done and once the picks are made three organisations are in store for a very exciting future. The landscape has changed and the identity of the NFL is changing with it.