We haven’t seen a quarterback draft class like this in quite some time, have we?
We thought the 2018 class had potential – in terms of the entire group of QBs – but Baker Mayfield proceeded to drastically underperform his status as the No. 1 overall pick, while Sam Darnold disappointed at 3 and Josh Rosen completely busted at 10. We gotta keep our hopes high for this 2023 group though, right?
When it comes to Bryce Young, CJ Stroud, Anthony Richardson and Will Levis, where are the ideal fantasy landing spots? Where can they truly thrive and become the best possible versions of themselves? For example, at the time Rosen was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals, they had no protection, no weapons and a defensive-minded coaching staff. How well was he really going to do under those circumstances?
Let’s hope for better luck for Young, Stroud, Richardson and Levis. It’s time for my ideal landing spots (no teams will be repeated, otherwise that’s boring and repetitive).
Bryce Young, Ideal Landing Spot: No. 1 to Carolina Panthers
For a good portion of this NFL offseason, it was lookin’ like the Panthers were leaning in the direction of CJ Stroud with the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Now, in the past couple weeks or so, the pendulum has swung in favor of the consensus “best all-around” – 6-footer Bryce Young out of Alabama.
As the most NFL-ready quarterback of the class, Young could potentially thrive in Carolina thanks to the offseason pickups they made: RB Miles Sanders, WRs Adam Thielen and DJ Chark and TE Hayden Hurst. These are win-now type players, thus the most NFL-ready quarterback makes sense as a potential fit. I don’t like Young to the Texans at No. 2 because that team is just too raw right now. With the way the Panthers’ front office has positioned its team, Young looks like a match made in heaven for Carolina’s current roster construction.
CJ Stroud, Ideal Landing Spot: No. 4 to Indianapolis Colts
Crazy things would have to happen in order for this runout to occur, but again I don’t like what the Texans would potentially do to Stroud’s developing game. If Stroud somehow ended up in Indy, he’d have immediate assistance from serious playmakers in RB Jonathan Taylor and WR Michael Pittman Jr.
Furthermore, the Colts are going to be looking at the game from an offensive mindset with rookie head coach Shane Steichen running the show. As the offensive coordinator of the high-powered Philadelphia Eagles, Steichen had his boys runnin-and-gunnin with Jalen Hurts, AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith leading the way. Indy is a great potential landing spot for the two ready-made quarterbacks in this draft: Young and Stroud.
Anthony Richardson, Ideal Landing Spot: No. 2 to Houston Texans
Now here’s the right man for the job. With defensive-minded rookie head coach DeMeco Ryans taking over for the Texans, they could use a creative, ad-lib quarterback under center. Expectations would be low for both Richardson and the team – with the Texans coming off a putrid 3-13-1 season – so he could play free and easy with less pressure than both Young and Stroud.
We know Richardson is raw, so he will need ample time to develop at the NFL level – thus Houston makes for a match made in heaven. Anyone expecting the Texans to suddenly rocket from 3 to 8-9 wins is simply out of touch with the current reality of the NFL. Richardson could join the Texans and slowly develop at his own pace. I like the fit from both perspectives here.
Will Levis, Ideal Landing Spot: No. 3 to Detroit Lions
Now this is a tricky one because I happen to be a Jared Goff Believer these days. Goff is still just 28 years of age, and he’s really figured things out with Detroit’s talented OC Ben Johnson. So I’d be committing to Goff if I were Detroit… but guess what? I’m not Detroit! And a lot of people are telling me they might still be on the market for a potential long-term franchise quarterback.
Enter Will Levis, who would love to see young weapons like D’Andre Swift, David Montgomery, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams running around. The Lions have seen the light – offense is the way of the league right now – and they are doing everything they possibly can to build an explosive offensive machine. What rookie quarterback wouldn’t prefer a situation like that?
Levis has a strong arm and is very confident in his abilities, so I’m sure he wouldn’t mind targeting St. Brown and Williams all day. I also think young WR Quintez Cephus has some untapped potential remaining for Detroit.
In the end, it’s often about situation and not individual ability! I’ll see ya right back here next week.
John Frascella is a published sports author who has been covering the NFL for 19 years. Follow him on Twitter @LegendSports7 for all things fantasy football, baseball and basketball throughout the year.
