Surveying potential landing spots for top QBs in 2023 NFL Draft
With only a week until the 2023 NFL Draft in Kansas City, the picture seems to be getting clearer for quarterbacks. Carolina appears to be zeroing in on a QB while a report last week suggested Houston could throw a curveball and draft a top defensive prospect instead of a QB at No. 2.
Per OddsChecker, here's where the big-name QBs are expected to land (odds as of Thursday, April 20):
Alabama's Bryce Young: Panthers (-1200)
No drama exists at the top of the draft. Young is a runaway favorite at this point, with his implied odds of being drafted No. 1 at 92.3 percent. He gave scouts no reason to doubt him based on his play at Alabama, winning the Heisman in 2021 and consistently making mesmerizing plays, even in defeat.
Head coach Frank Reich shot down concerns about Young's height last month. He has a history of coaching taller QBs than Young (5-foot-10 1/8, 208 pounds), but the coach recently told reporters, "Don't read anything into it."
Ohio State's C.J. Stroud (odds not listed)
OddsChecker doesn't provide odds on which teams are likeliest to draft Stroud, but he sits at -500 to be drafted in the top five, which carries with it an implied probability of 83.3 percent that he'll be drafted within the first five picks.
Stroud has the same agent as former Texans and current Browns QB Deshaun Watson, which might be the reason why Houston is wary about selecting him at No. 2. Unless a team trades up for Houston's or Arizona's first-round pick, Stroud could end up falling.
Seattle holds the No. 5 pick, and head coach Pete Carroll said earlier this offseason that the Seahawks were "totally connected" to this year's QB class. Stroud could be the one Seattle latches on to on Thursday.
Teams to watch: Indianapolis Colts, Seattle Seahawks, Las Vegas Raiders
Kentucky's Will Levis: Colts (+115)
With so much up in the air in regard where Stroud will land, oddsmakers have the Colts as the favorite to grab Levis, and there's reason to believe that might not be a misdirection. "Good Morning Football" co-host Peter Schrager revealed one of the biggest reactions his recent mock draft received was his pairing of Stroud with the Colts.
As Schrager tells it, people around the league think Levis to Indianapolis isn't far-fetched.
Other teams to watch: Houston Texans (+200), Las Vegas Raiders (+750)
Florida's Anthony Richardson: Titans (+200)
Tennessee holds the No. 11 pick and would likely need to trade up to select the former Florida QB, who is at -150 to be selected in the top five. Much has been written this offseason about Richardson being raw and underdeveloped with only 13 career college starts, but there's reason to believe the Titans won't hold that against him.
New general manager Ran Carthon spent the past two seasons as director of player personnel in San Francisco. He was responsible for evaluating draft talent. During the 2021 draft, the 49ers selected similarly unproven Trey Lance third overall over more established prospects Mac Jones and Justin Fields.
Other teams to watch: Indianapolis Colts (+350), Las Vegas Raiders (+400)
Tennessee's Hendon Hooker: Vikings (+500)
Despite any trepidation regarding Hooker's age (25), the Vikings look like a viable landing spot for the Tennessee QB in the first round. Kirk Cousins is in the final year of his contract, and if the organization wants to move on from him after the 2023 season, it makes sense to have his replacement on the roster.
Other teams to watch: Las Vegas Raiders (+600), Detroit Lions/Seattle Seahawks (+800)
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