Bryce Young, CJ Stroud headline top 5 QBs ahead of NFL Draft

Updated Mar. 1, 2023 1:58 p.m. ET

Which quarterback deserves to be selected first in the 2023 NFL Draft?

For FOX Sports college football analyst Joel Klatt, Alabama QB Bryce Young is the clear-cut answer. Despite concerns surrounding Young's height (5-foot-10 ½) and weight (under 200 pounds), Klatt stands by the 2021 Heisman winner as the premier passer in this draft class. 

"He's obviously a distributor, he's accurate, the ball comes out, he's like a ninja man," Klatt said on the latest episode of his podcast, "The Joel Klatt Show."  "It's just whoa."

After his "no-brainer" No. 2 choice, Ohio State's C.J. Stroud, Klatt notes a significant drop-off in the rest of his top five.

"When you get to 3-5, I think it really gets interesting ... In my estimation, there's a pretty sizable gap between those two who I feel like are NFL-ready players, and the rest of the quarterbacks in the draft," Klatt said.

Klatt explains that after the NFL-ready QBs Young and Stroud, he gives more weight to a player's talent, traits and potential when evaluating the remaining signal-callers.

"If I don't need a guy who's absolutely ready to play in the NFL, I've got to go with traits and I've got to go with upside," he explained. 

Klatt named his top five QBs ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft.

1. Bryce Young (Alabama)

Klatt on Young: "This guy is and should be the No. 1 pick. He's so good. When you watch him on film … his feet are amazing, he's got so much poise, he's got great leadership [and] he's really good in clutch moments. Bryce Young's a terrific player so he's my No. 1 quarterback on the board this year."

2. C.J. Stroud (Ohio State)

Klatt on Stroud: "No. 2 is a no-brainer, it's C.J. Stroud, quarterback for Ohio State … He is very accurate, he's worked hard, [and] he's been a really good leader for Ohio State … CJ Stroud is a heck of a player."

3. Anthony Richardson (Florida)

Klatt on Richardson: "Anthony Richardson is so talented; he is explosive, he's got a great arm, and he's the type of guy that yes, is raw and there's things that need to be refined … his decision-making [and] his accuracy are the two most prominent ones, but if they can get fixed, man this guy's a dynamo — he's a better version of Josh Allen."

4. Will Levis (Kentucky)

Klatt on Levis: "I'm not terribly excited about Will Levis, but he does have some traits — not nearly Richardson-style or -level traits — but he does have some traits. He's got a strong arm."

5. Hendon Hooker (Tennessee)

Klatt on Hooker: "I know he's injured, and he's got to come back from this. Love his disposition, he was so good before he got injured this year for Tennessee."

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