2023 NFL Draft: Take a QB early or wait? What Seahawks, Raiders, Vikings and other teams should do on Day 1

The 2023 NFL Draft is fast approaching, and that means many, if not all, of the league’s remaining quarterback vacancies will soon be filled. Some clubs are in dire need of a new signal-caller. Others have veterans in place but could be eyeing future replacements. No matter what, four — maybe even five — QBs are expected to come off the board on Day 1, with the potential to start in 2023.

So which of the QB-needy teams should actually prioritize the position early on? We’ve pooled together 12 of the most logical candidates to spend a first-round pick at the position, then suggested whether they should take or wait on a QB:

Pick: No. 1

There isn’t a more obvious decision on the list. After moving up from No. 9 to No. 1, Carolina is primed to secure one of the consensus top two QBs of the class in Alabama’s Bryce Young or Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud. The thinking here is that it’ll be Young, with new coach Frank Reich valuing Young’s veteran-level poise over Stroud’s prototypical build. But either choice is a winner for a franchise that’s been searching for stable QB play since Cam Newton’s 2015 MVP season.

Picks: Nos. 2, 12

Word on the street is the Texans might pass on QB, their most glaring need, at No. 2 in the name of adding a premium defensive prospect. But we’re not buying it — or at least we hope Houston isn’t. Unless the Texans can guarantee they’ll get the raw but superhuman traits of, say, Florida’s Anthony Richardson with their second Day 1 pick, there’s no reason they should pass on whichever of Stroud or Young is still available at No. 2. Both project as immediate difference-makers, and it’s not like new coach DeMeco Ryans couldn’t get a starting-caliber defender and/or wide receiver with one of the team’s other top 35 picks.

Pick: No. 4

Years ago, amid his short-term gambles at QB, general manager Chris Ballard insisted he wouldn’t draft a QB early just for the sake of it. It’s about getting the right guy, he argued. Well now that approach — wise as it may be — will really be put to the test, with both Young and Stroud likely to be off the board, barring a trade up. If Young goes No. 1 but the rival Texans pass on Stroud, then this is a no-brainer; the latter would give new coach Shane Steichen a polished pocket passer to build around. Assuming both are gone, however, the Colts still can’t really leave Day 1 without a consolation prize, be it Richardson (who…