Analyst: 2023 rookie QBs are not ready to play in Week 1

At least one knowledgeable individual suggested the Carolina Panthers, Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts are rushing their rookie quarterbacks into action this weekend far too soon. 

"None of them are ready," former NFL quarterback and current ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky directly said about the first-year signal-callers during a chat with Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post. "It’s like becoming a parent. Are they ready? Absolutely not. But do you have any skills that allow you to survive a little bit? Because that’s what it is early on. And then, with those skills, can you thrive?" 

The Panthers selected Bryce Young with the first overall pick of this year's draft and began preparing him to be a Week 1 starter this past spring amid understandable concerns about his size. Young measured at 5-foot-10 1/8 and weighed 204 pounds at the combine and presumably is walking around a bit lighter heading into Sunday's regular-season opener at the Atlanta Falcons. 

"Bryce is going to have to be really good at evading unblocked guys or free runners or guys that win their pass rush," Orlovsky explained. "Making sure they don’t get free shots on him." 

C.J. Stroud, the draft's second overall pick, had to wait until late last month to learn he'd get the nod for Sunday's matchup at the Baltimore Ravens. 

"You walk away going, 'If we can protect him, he can throw it all over the yard,'" Orlovsky said about Stroud and the Texans, "and I think their offensive line is solid." 

As for Anthony Richardson, the fourth overall draft choice recorded just 13 college starts with the Florida Gators and was thought to be a project for the future before he was named Indianapolis' QB1 for Sunday's home game against the Jacksonville Jaguars after a single preseason appearance. Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson recently compared the rookie who measured 6-foot-4 and 244 pounds at the combine to one-time NFL Most Valuable Player Cam Newton.

Richardson will be without star running back Jonathan Taylor, who is unavailable through at least the first four games of the season while on the physically unable to perform list.

"Anthony is such a rocket ship," Orlovsky added during his comments. "He saw the field really cleanly and he threw it well. The biggest thing for Indy is there are going to be some tough moments because they are not super-talented. How mentally strong can he stay? Can he be totally focused on developing?" 

Fans and analysts, alike, routinely voice concerns about franchises potentially "ruining" quarterback prospects by playing them against first-team defenses before they're allegedly ready. Only time will tell if one or all of this year's first-round picks would've been better off learning about life in the NFL from the sidelines through at least a portion of the fall months.