2023 NFL Draft QB rankings: Where top prospects feat. C.J. Stroud, Anthony Richardson stand a week before D-day

Over the last couple of months, CJ Stroud, Anthony Richardson, and Bryce Young have sat in the center of a myriad of arguments between NFL analysts, pundits, and fans.

Next Thursday, the chips will fall where they will, but in what order? Here's a look at the top five quarterback prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft.

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#1 Bryce Young

Bryce Young at the 2023 NFL Combine

Bryce Young and CJ Stroud are the top two choices, and analysts have alternated between which they would want to see first. Young helms from Alabama, so on the heels of seeing former Alabama and Oklahoma standout Jalen Hurts take his team to the Super Bowl adds extra credibility to him.

Which quarterback will be drafted first?

Additionally, while Mac Jones fell off a bit in 2022, having a repeat of his 2021 esque accomplishments would be a big step up for the Carolina Panthers or Houston Texans. As such, Young has the highest chance of hitting the ground running. He threw for 79 touchdowns and 12 interceptions over the last two seasons of his college career.

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#2 C.J. Stroud

CJ Stroud at the 2023 NFL Combine

C.J. Stroud isn't from as vaunted of a college as Young, but depending on the day, many would slot him in as the best quarterback in the NFL Draft. In his most recent two seasons, he's thrown for 85 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Some even say his size is a clear advantage over Young. That said, if Young succeeds, he has a greater chance of confusing the league with his smaller-sized playstyle.

If Stroud succeeds, teams might be able to adjust to his style of play faster. However, in the end, the top two players are completely interchangeable and seemingly have about an equal chance of success in the NFL.

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#3 Anthony Richardson

Anthony Richardson at the 2023 NFL Combine

Anthony Richardson is a bit more raw than the top two quarterbacks. With only 22 total games of action under his belt, he could be spending a lot of time learning the game at the professional level. However, his athleticism is undeniable. That said, his arm has left a lot of room for improvement, throwing for just 17 touchdowns and nine interceptions in his final season at Florida.

The quarterback has been likened to Lamar Jackson and Cam Newton. Meaning, the fear is that he could burn brightly, but extingish quickly. In the end, the ride would be fun, but it could be short.

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#4 Stetson Bennett

Stetson Bennett at the 2023 NFL Combine

This may be a hot take, but the winner of the last two National Championship games should not be ignored to the level that he currently has been. Over the last two seasons, Bennett's statistics have trounced that of Levis, throwing for a combined 56 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.

Of course, the loaded rosters he was gifted shouldn't factor as much into the calculus, but he definitely didn't hold the team back. Most NFL general managers would take a quarterback that could win it all with a loaded roster and simply find a way to get out of the way.

Sure, a team that runs through their quarterback is better, but it doesn't matter if winning a championship is done with flash. It simply matters if it is done.

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#5 Will Levis

Will Levis at 2023 NFL Combine

Most agree that Levis ranks a bit farther behind the other quarterbacks. He lacks the mobility of Richardson and the arm of Stroud and Young. His most recent season in college wasn't his best, throwing for 19 touchdowns and 10 interceptions compared to 24 touchdowns and 13 interceptions the previous season.

Compared to the previous year, he also saw a drop in completion percentage (66.0 to 65.4). The worry is that the downward trend could turn into a spiral at the NFL level.