With the top quarterback prospects from the 2023 NFL Draft (Alabama’s Bryce Young, Ohio State’s CJ Stroud and Florida’s Anthony Richardson) all selected in the first round, there are some quarterbacks who will be off the board at the end of Day 2 (Round 3). will come. on Day 3 (Rounds 4-7) who could play critical roles during the 2023 season. Brock Purdy, the final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, ended up winning a pair of playoff games, which may be the long-term future for his position for the 49ers changed. Granted, Purdy’s situation was the perfect marriage of opportunity plus a phenomenal supporting cast and offensive play-caller, but other rookies could end up with a spot start or extended playing time if similar injuries happen to them as they did with Purdy.
Fourth-round picks like Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins are two of the highest-paid players in the entire NFL, and who knows, maybe a Day 3 quarterback in this year’s draft will eventually follow in their footprints. Here’s a look at six of the more promising mid-round quarterbacks, each with a light scouting record and potential NFL team fit.
* All QB metrics come from the NFL Scouting Combine
- Height: 6-2 1/2″
- Weight: 220 lbs
- Hand Size: 9 3/8″
Clayton Tune has the size and agility NFL teams look for when evaluating quarterbacks. He always stays balanced when throwing, thanks to the great movement in the pocket, which allows him to create just enough time for his intended targets to come open. Tune was incredibly prolific in college, as his 104 touchdown passes were the second highest in school history behind Case Keenum’s 155, the most in college football history. He had his best season in 2022 with 4,074 passing yards and 40 passing touchdowns, tied for third in college football, tied only with Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams and Heisman Trophy finalist CJ Stroud. Tune’s blows are that he will stare at receivers, resulting in double-digit interceptions in each of his past three seasons, and he’s not nearly as good when throwing runs. If he improves his decision making, Tune could have a great NFL career.
Potential fit: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tune could immediately compete with Kyle Trask and Baker Mayfield for the starting spot of the Buccaneers in Tampa Bay. Even if he doesn’t win, Tune would be in a nice place to develop with receivers like Mike Evans and Chris Godwin close by. Mayfield is only on a one-year contract, so Tune could have playing time opportunities in 2024 if it falls through in 2023.
- Height: 6-1 1/2″
- Weight: 207 lbs
- Hand Size: 9 7/8″
TCU quarterback Max Duggan, a 2023 NFL Draft prospect, would have sounded ridiculous after his first three seasons of 2019-2021. His season high in passing touchdowns in his first three seasons was 16 in 2021. Then Duggan became a changed man in Year 1 of Fort Worth’s Sonny Dykes era, throwing 32 touchdowns to just eight interceptions while rushing for nine ratings. That led to a second-place finish by Heisman as the Horned Frogs clinched the national championship. What changed? Duggan became a more accurate passer, locating his quick passes with much more regularity while playing in a much more nuanced offensive schedule. He led college football in touchdown passes of 20 or more yards (17) and 50 or more yards (nine). His 4.52 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine matches his tape where he consistently runs past and through defenders while putting his body on the line for extra yards at all times.
The downsides would be that Duggan needs quite a bit of work with his touch on throws, but he continues to work on cleaning up his footwork and throwing mechanics. with superstar quarterback coach Jordan Palmer. He is a project that needs to develop to the next level, but he could surprise the NFL world as much as the college football world if he provided the right environment to grow.
Possible Fit: Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers were one of the few teams interested in Duggan on TCU’s Pro Day on March 30. Los Angeles quarterback coach Doug Nussmeier had an extended talk with the quarterback after his passing practice. Newly hired offensive coordinator Kellen Moore helped Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott develop from a fourth-round pick to one of the more prolific passers in the NFC. The Chargers just drafted wide receiver Quentin Johnston, Duggan’s go-to guy at TCU, in round 1 with the 21st overall pick. Adjusting to NFL life alongside Johnston while learning from Moore and starting quarterback Justin Herbert couldn’t be a much better setup for Duggan.
- Height: 6-0
- Weight: 207 lbs
- Hand Size: 9 3/8″
Jake Haener doesn’t have a prototypical NFL size, but his timing and accuracy as a passer more than make up for it. He moves quickly through his route progressions and has strong anticipation skills. Haener’s mechanics are consistent under pressure and his mobility is strong enough to evade pressure and allow him to reset his arm angles. His best year in college came in 2021 when he rolled for 4,096 passing yards, 33 passing touchdowns, and nine interceptions. The highlight was a stunning 40-37 upset victory at UCLA in which he totaled 455 passing yards, two passing touchdowns, and an interception on 39 of 53 passes (73.6%). Every third down or big moment seemed to end with Haener making another brave pitch under pressure. His field vision and anticipation allowed him to break up the Bruins’ defense like a Halloween Jack-o’-lantern.
Haener performed well in the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama, making 12 of 19 passes for 139 yards and a touchdown. That performance earned him the MVP award. His lesser physical attributes compared to other professional quarterbacks hurt him on deep throws, but Haener is a baller on under and between throws.
Potential fit: Las Vegas Raiders
Haener would fit in early on in Vegas as Jimmy Garoppolo’s backup. The Raiders have saved slot receivers great in the center and bottom in Jakobi Meyers, Hunter Renfrow, Phillip Dorsett and DeAndre Carter. Not to mention All-Pro Davante Adams. That’s Haener’s wheelhouse, throwing with timing and anticipation underneath and over center on intermediate throws. Josh McDaniels would love to work with a quarterback stylistically tailored for his offense.
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- Height: 6-2
- Weight: 203 lbs
- Hand Size: 9 7/8″
Dorian Thompson-Robinson, UCLA’s all-time leader in total offensive yards (12,537), touchdown passes (88), and total touchdowns (116), brings a wealth of experience and production to the NFL as a five-year collegiate starter. He finished well at Westwood with career-highs in completion percentage (69.6%, sixth best in the NCAA), passing touchdowns (27), passing yards (3,169), passer rating (157.4), and rushing touchdowns (12). He and Oregon quarterback Bo Nix were the only players in college football with 25 or more passing touchdowns and 11 or more rushing touchdowns in 2022.
His throws fly out of his hand in tight spirals and his close and medium range accuracy is strong. As a runner, Thompson-Robinson is also strong and elusive in the open field. His timing on throws over the middle and anticipation of throws in general needs to be improved. His throwing mechanics and footwork can get rattled a little too quickly, leading to too many mistakes under pressure. Thompson-Robinson could be a solid backup early in his career with a decent advantage in the right system.
Potential fit: Los Angeles Rams
Matthew Stafford is now 35 years old and coming off an injury-plagued 2022 that saw him deal with neck and head injuries. The Rams need a backup they can develop that could be available to play in 2023 in case Stafford runs into trouble again. Thompson-Robinson is a nice candidate that head coach Sean McVay would like to mold on the road.
- Height: 5-11
- Weight: 192 lbs
- Hand Size: 10″
The starting quarterback for the back-to-back National Champion Georgia Bulldogs has a smooth throwing mechanism with a quick release. Bennett regularly anticipates pitches before his pass catchers are out of their breaks, delivering the ball with plenty of touch. However, his smaller stature and his age (he will be 26 in October) hurt his business as a prospect. There are maturity issues off the field his arrest for public intoxication while training for the draft in Dallas.
Potential Fit: Baltimore Ravens
While it doesn’t make sense at first for someone like Bennett to be Lamar Jackson’s backup, the Baltimore fit makes sense upon closer examination. Bennett would be reunited with the college offensive coordinator, now in the same role with the Ravens, in Todd Monken. Plus, the Ravens staff is stylistically similar to what Bennett had in Georgia: a punishing offensive line, a dominant tight end (Mark Andrews), and speed at the wide receiver position (Rashod Bateman, Devin Duvernay, and James Proche).
- Height: 6-3
- Weight: 213 lbs
- Hand Size: 9 3/4″
Aidan O’Connell excelled as a rhythm passer in Purdue’s staggered offense under former head coach Jeff Brohm, now Louisville’s head coach. He is an accurate passer with a good feel for the ball and quickly gets the ball out of his hand. O’Connell’s accuracy does not decrease with play action rollout. The downsides are that he forces some passes and sometimes fades when throwing against pressure. Purdue’s staggering and spacing allowed O’Connell to handle progress in halves across the field, allowing him to play the game in easy mode. That’s great in college, but he’s going to be much more in demand reading the field in the NFL. His arm strength is solid and he plans to be a good backup in the NFL. Being a 25-year-old rookie is a blow to him considering that Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts became the NFL’s highest-paid player at 24three seasons into his NFL career.
Potential Fit: Minnesota Vikings
A Shanahan thug is the perfect place for O’Connell to end up. The route concepts and formations are all designed to resemble each other, relying on the duality in simplicity. This lulls the defense to sleep, allowing a player like O’Connell to tear the defense apart, thanks to a schematic advantage. There’s plenty of play action too, as the Vikings had the fourth-highest play action percentage in the league (19.3% of games) under first-year head coach Kevin O’Connell. That bodes well for a young quarterback like O’Connell, as route advances are easier to digest before unloading the pitch. He would be in a great spot behind Kirk Cousins.