Which Team Won the NFL Draft QB Sweepstakes?

WHICH TEAM WON THE NFL DRAFT QB SWEEPSTAKES – The 2023 NFL Draft has come to a close with a ton of movement. The quarterback carousel was the most widely discussed topic once again. This year, Bryce Young and CJ Stroud were the consensus 1-2 picks all the way through. 

Young went first overall to the Carolina Panthers and Stroud went second to the Houston Texans, to the surprise of nobody. Florida QB Anthony Richardson went fourth to the Indianapolis Colts, and a lot of those picks were pretty much expected. 

Perhaps the biggest surprise was Kentucky QB Will Levis falling out of the first round altogether. He was picked by the Tennessee Titans early in the second round after they traded up with the Chicago Bears. 

So, who won the quarterback sweepstakes? At this moment, it’s hard to tell. Levis and Richardson are a year or two away from starting, possibly. Young and Stroud should enter Week 1 of the 2023 season as the QB1 for their respective teams, although Frank Reich has insisted that it will be a competition in Carolina. 

Nonetheless, let’s have some fun and take a stab at the first four quarterbacks selected and ranking them. 

4) Will Levis, Tennessee Titans 

Levis’ slide down the draft board was rather surprising, especially with endless rumors of him potentially going No. 2 overall. Nonetheless, the Titans selected Levis despite drafting Malik Willis a year ago. Ryan Tannehill’s days as the starter are limited, so there is a solid chance that Levis gets some runs this year. 

However, he didn’t have the best numbers at Kentucky. Yes, he has arm strength, some of the best in the class. But he needs development and to improve on his reads. The Titans needed a quarterback – they didn’t seem set on Willis last year – so Levis has a shot to make some noise. 

3) Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers 

Remember, it’s nearly impossible to predict how a player will do this early on. Bryce Young was fantastic at Alabama, but look at the team and coaching staff that was around him.

The height concerns for Young are legitimate, but he has the accuracy and precision that coaches love. Frank Reich is entering his first year as Panthers head coach, and Young should be able to earn the job from Day One. On the other hand, if he struggles, don’t be surprised if Reich pulls the trigger. 

The only reason I’m hesitant is because we have seen Alabama quarterbacks dazzle in college and fade out in the pros (AJ McCarron, most notably). Young should be a decent starter for the next half-dozen years, but will he be a Pro Bowl QB? 

2) Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis Colts 

Here’s where the fun begins. Richardson has arguably the best tools of any quarterback in this class. The question is, will he be able to develop into a full-time starter?

Shane Steichen worked with Jalen Hurts on the Eagles, and now he is the head coach for the Colts.

The Colts have Gardner Minshew, who will likely be the starter until Richardson is ready. On top of that, an offense that includes Jonathan Taylor and Michael Pittman Jr. should help Richardson once he’s ready to take over. 

Out of all the four quarterbacks in this draft, Richardson has the highest ceiling. 

1) CJ Stroud, Houston Texans 

The Texans threw smokescreens for days but ultimately landed CJ Stroud in an obvious choice. Stroud was the QB1 of this class and the most pro-ready, and he lands in a situation with a rebuilding team that is full of decent weapons.

Robert Woods and Devin Singletary signed in the offseason along with Dallas Schultz. The Texans have John Metchie set to make his debut as well. 

Houston got Stroud some protection with Juice Scruggs, and they gave him more weapons with Tank Dell and Xavier Hutchinson.

DeMeco Ryans should be able to get this team back on track, and Stroud has the size, accuracy, and can throw a heck of a deep ball. He’s my favorite of this class, the most NFL-ready, and should be the starter in Houston for at least the next five seasons.