Every year, there is a belief that the next year’s NFL draft quarterback class is going to be more impressive than the present one. It was true last year, but the grass is not always greener on the other side. Consider the amount of hype that surrounded Alabama’s Bryce Young and Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud during the preseason and how the narrative changed with each passing week.
‘Just wait until next year’s draft class’ is already permeating the scouting community and it is a dangerous game but, is it accurate?
First, let’s take a general look at the concept of waiting an additional year to address the position.
A lot can change
USC quarterback Matt Barkley was regarded as a top quarterback prospect and a potential top 10 overall selection after the 2011 season, but he returned for his senior campaign. A year later, he was taken in the fourth round, No. 98 overall. BYU’s Zach Wilson went from unknown to the No. 2 overall selection in the course of a calendar year. A lot can change, and the same is true of NFL teams.
Unfortunate injuries, a tough schedule and/or other extenuating circumstances may lead a franchise to pick early in the draft one year, but their fortunes could shift the following. It is much easier to be aggressive and get a coveted player when picking in the top 3 compared to finishing with a .500 record and picking No. 14 overall. Then, there is the understanding that teams miss on quarterback evaluations every year. You can probably think of five ‘busts’ off the top of your head. The other side of that coin lands on Lamar Jackson lasting until No. 32 overall, Patrick Mahomes falling to No. 10 overall (after Mitchell Trubisky) and the more extreme cases like Tom Brady, Dak Prescott and Russell Wilson.
The stars could align for a franchise to land its potential quarterback of the future, but if they don’t have a strong supporting cast and competent coaching staff, then the resources may not be in place for that player to succeed anyway.
Sizing up Drake Maye and Caleb Williams
‘Just wait until next year’s class.’
North Carolina’s Drake Maye and USC’s Caleb Williams are already being discussed as better quarterback prospects than what is available in the 2023 NFL Draft (Texas’ Quinn Ewers is another to watch). Neither is a finished product, but both have tools that validate the buzz.
Neither Maye nor Williams are eligible for the 2023 NFL Draft…
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