By Lucas Kochevar

I did a profile on each of the top five quarterbacks in this years draft and now that they're finally in their spots, it's time to rank them. The situation is the most important factor for a rookie quarterback. We've seen countless spots where rookies come in and fail. The Jets with Sam Darnold stands out to me and Josh Rosen with the Cardinals that same year. These quarterbacks failed themselves, but part of the blame has to go to the team. Rosen's offensive line in 2018 was one of the worst lines in history. The Jets were an absolute trainwreck leading up to drafting Darnold. Then there's the inverse with Patrick Mahomes going to the Chiefs. He sat behind one of the better veterans to learn from with Alex Smith, an all-time offensive mind in Andy Reid and cheat code receivers in Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce. He was set up perfectly. Let's rank this years top five quarterbacks taken. 

1. Bryce Young to Carolina 

Young goes to a spot that I think can win now. The Panthers were competing for the division until the final week, albeit was a terrible division. With a prospect like Bryce Young, they can contend in the division once again. He won't be pressured to start immediately with Andy Dalton there and he has Frank Reich as his coach, who is known as a quarterback maestro. Although he ended up getting fired from Indianapolis, Reich was still successful in his time in Indy with a 40-33-1 record. He did that with a different quarterback every season. It'll be intriguing to see him work and mold a rookie quarterback, especially one like Young. Reich has really only dealt with bigger quarterbacks so the transition to Young will be intriguing.

Young also will have a helpful supporting cast around him. Miles Sanders, Adam Thielen and DJ Chark are all solid players that can help the young gun. The run game, in particular, can be the X-factor for Young. The Panthers were around top ten in the league in most rushing statistics and the Sanders-Chuba Hubbard duo can provide a great one-two punch out of the backfield running and catching the ball. I also like what the Panthers did by adding Jonathan Mingo. He's a rookie receiver that can mature with Young and provides a big target and catch radius for Young to throw to. This situation is great and he could really shine as a rookie in the league, if he can stay healthy.

2. Hendon Hooker to Detroit

​Hooker takes his talents to Detroit and doesn't have an ounce of pressure to perform early on. For the first time in a long time, the Lions seem to be in win-now mode. With those expectations, Jared Goff is the quarterback to lead the Lions to the promise land. He had one of his best seasons last year, yet the Lions still drafted Hooker. Drafting Hooker seems more like insurance than anything, but in a couple seasons I could see him supplanting Goff. Since he tore his ACL late last season, Hooker won't be ready anyways. Hooker is in the perfect position to just sit back and learn this season.

The Lions are a great situation for Hooker because of the main reason I listed above, he won't have to start immediately. The other reason it's a great spot for him is the weapons around him. When the time comes, he has the potential to work with Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams. St. Brown is a technician as a receiver and Williams is a home run hitter so the duo could be very threatening for opponents. The Lions also have good compliments in the backfield with Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery. On top of that, their offensive line is terrific and should be strong for the coming years. 

3. Anthony Richardson to Indianapolis

This is another great situation for a young quarterback that needs time to grow. The Colts were a trainwreck towards the end of last year, but we have to remember that JEFF SATRUDAY was the coach. The Colts have transitioned to Shane Steichen and, as I have said several times on this website, the connection between him and Richardson fits like a glove. There's a chance that Richardson starts out of the gate, but I could realistically see veteran Gardner Minshew starting to begin the season. It'll be an interesting situation to watch in training camp. 

The weapons that Richardson has to work with are miles ahead of anyone he had at Florida and I think that'll help him tremendously. Michael Pittman Jr. is a big-body receiver and has a great catch radius. Alec Pierce had an underrated rookie season and the rookie Josh Downs should provide a deep threat. Outside of the receivers, Jonathan Taylor is as good as they come as an every down back. The offensive line has a couple guys that are great but they need more consistency from their tackles. I think the part that could sink Richardson is rushing his development and there's the unknown element of Steichen in his first role as a head coach. 

4. C.J. Stroud to Houston

I briefly touched on C.J. Stroud's situation in the last volume of LK League Notes and my main takeaway from looking at this offense again is that it could be worse. The Texans are bad. That's no secret, but now they feel like a team that's bad because they're young. The previous iterations of the Texans felt like a team ready to pick first. Now, they seem like a young group of guys that can grow together and form the foundation for a good team. They're still a ways from that, but it's not crazy to imagine in the future, especially with Stroud at the helm. 

Similar to Richardson, Stroud is getting a first-time head coach so that'll be something to watch, but if Demeco Ryans emulates a Shannahan-offense, Stroud should be able to make something shake. He has a veteran pass catchers to rely on with Robert Woods and Dalton Schultz. He also has three young receivers with Nico Collins, John Metchie III and Nathaniel 'Tank' Dell. His connection with these three guys will be huge in his development over the years. The Texans also have a solid running back and offensive line. I'm hopeful for Stroud, but this whole situation is very dependent on his development. 

5. Will Levis to Tennessee

Last, but not least, Will Levis to Tennessee. I'm not low on Levis like many people. I understand why he fell to the second round, even though he had very similar stats to Richardson last season. Sadly, Levis falls to this spot because of the Titans. My thoughts on the Titans are known. I think they're a bad team that's heading towards a rebuild. They don't seem to know that quite yet. The Titans have consistently been competitive the past couple of seasons with superb coaching and a division that hasn't been serious, however, they're frauds. 

When I look at this Titans team they don't have that optimistic look of young talent on the team, like the Texans. Despite having the alien named Derrick Henry, the offense is bad. Treylon Burks is the best receiver on the team and I don't mean that as a compliment to Burks, who was the player selected after trading away star receiver A.J. Brown. Burks came onto the scene late last season, but the jury is still out. The other guys in the receiver room are Nick Westbrook-Ikhine and Kyle Philips. At their best, these two guys are barely WR2 material. Outside of that, the offensive line is full of players that are either young or just bad. The road is long for Levis and the situation could get better. The sad reality is that he's the third quarterback on the depth chart behind Ryan Tannehill and Malik Willis. Even if he does break through as the starter, the roster is just not good for him to win immediately. 

Source: Image via AP

By: Lucas Kochevar

#5 Hendon Hooker, Tennessee, 6’4’’ 218lbs.

• 3,135 Yds, 27TD, 2Ints
• Games Watched: Alabama, UGA, South Carolina

Film Thoughts: Good footwork and pocket presence. Decent mobility (Got to see it post-ACL surgery). Sold short throws and good accuracy over the middle.  Good decision-making in terms of going to run. Good arm strength, but can be inconsistent with his deep throws. Can throw with velocity to the sidelines, but the placement isn’t perfect. Solid frame. Play action needs work and need to play under center. Deep throws tend to float to the outside. Feels like he only throws it one style and speed. As a runner, he’s not supremely agile.

Hendon Hooker was on pace to be the Heisman winner of 2022, but an ACL injury cut his season short and will be a concern moving forward. Hooker exploded onto the scene with big, flashy offensive numbers in a very QB friendly offense under Josh Heupel. Before his injury, Hooker was good with his mobility North and South. Hooker is solid in his short and medium level throws; however, the placement can be inconsistent. His deep ball is more of a wild card as he has good arm strength but is inconsistent in his placement. He can throw on the run, but with the injury it may be hindered. Another concern regarding Hooker is his age at 25 years old. I think Hooker can play a good role on a team with an aging veteran. As a backup, he can recover from his injury and develop his game as a passer more. 

Sources: Image via Caitie McMekin, USA TODAY NETWORK.

By: Lucas Kochevar

#15 Anthony Richardson, Florida, 6’4’’ 232 lbs.

• 2,549 Yds, 17TDs, 9Ints
• Games Watched: Tennessee, UGA, Florida St.

Film Thoughts: Runs with force, not scared of big hits. Doesn’t have a lot of ball carrier moves. Unreal arm talent. Crazy strong-arm power. Decision-making is spotty at times. Accuracy is inconsistent for 15 yards and more. Running vision isn’t entirely there. Pocket mobility is great, can throw the ball on a rope without a great base. Play action is solid. With a clean pocket, can make any throw. Short throws are solid accuracy, medium can be some trouble, the deep throws are great when he has time, but can be trouble with any amount of pressure. Can attack man, but zone is tricky. Takes a fair number of risks. Great throw on the run. A tough SOB. Velocity on throws is always fast.
 
Anthony Richardson is another big, strong quarterback with an enormous amount of arm talent. The accuracy numbers won’t look favorable for him, but he can make every throw on the field when given a clean pocket. His athleticism is natural as he isn’t scared of contact and has great ability at escaping pressure. His ball carrier vision isn’t quite there yet. Richardson has solid short accuracy, but he could throw it away sometimes on these throws. The medium accuracy and throws to the sideline are iffy. This is also his biggest flaw where he trusts his arm talent too much and will gamble on tight windows. The deep throws are on the money for only his receiver to catch unless he gets hit. Also, his throws on the run are impressive for someone that hasn’t hit their full potential. I think he’s a great project quarterback with a ton of potential. I think a rough Florida team made him look worse than he actually is and if put in the right spot, I think he can have a ton of success in the league. 

Sources: Image via James Gilbert, Getty Images

By: Lucas Kochevar

#7 Will Levis, Kentucky, 6’3’’ 232 lbs.

• 2,406 Yds, 19TDs, 10Ints
• Games watched: Tennessee, UGA, 2021 UGA, Florida

Film Thoughts: Quick trigger release, Uses his legs well, Willing to take contact, Decision making can be inconsistent. Deep ball velocity a tad inconsistent, really strong play action game. Throws very dangerous passes. Reading coverages are a work in progress. Needs to throw with more anticipation. Short accuracy is good. Medium throws are troublesome in terms of putting his receiver in trouble and the anticipation isn’t quite there. Pocket presence is not great, but knows when to escape the pocket, can throw on the run but its not great. Has pretty good speed, curious to see the 40 at the combine. Internal clock has to speed up for the NFL. Decent throws outside the numbers. Can flip hips pretty fast.

​Will Levis is a big, strong player with an arm that can get him into trouble at the next level. The 2022 version of him struggled mightily with a new offensive coordinator and below average O-line. The 2021 version of him is the player that you’re drafting for as he looked much more comfortable throwing in play-action heavy scheme. The short throws are typically on time and the medium throws tend to be hospital balls. The deep ball is very 50/50 and the inconsistency in whether he floats it or not is there. The lack in decisiveness killed him as his turnovers came from a lot of hesitation. His footwork can be inconsistent but he has a quick trigger. He tends to get away with a lot of mistakes that wouldn’t work in the NFL. I can understand the appeal with his tools, but in order to have long term success, he needs to work on the tools upstairs. 

Sources: Image via Andy Lyons,  Getty Images.

By: Lucas Kochevar

#7 C.J. Stroud, Ohio State University, 6’3’’, 218lbs.

• 3,688 Yds, 41 TDs, 6Ints
• Games Watched: Iowa, Michigan, Georgia

Film Thoughts: A true pocket passer, doesn’t look to run when given the chance. Throws to the outside have great zip and are placed well. Makes the throw to the corner of the endzone look very easy (his WRs are very good too). Has bad habit of trying to squeeze in throws across the middle. Could use word in fluid play-action movements. Throws to the sideline fantastically. Inconsistent footwork. Learn to throw the ball away. Quick throwing motion. Ball placement is pinpoint on a ton of throws. His throw on the run is inconsistent. Loses control when under pressure. Doesn’t escape pressure well when touched. Processes well. The short accuracy is solid, while the medium accuracy is inconsistent between the numbers. The deep accuracy is really strong and the arm strength is defiantly there. The throws on the run are where he struggles. His throws with anticipation are really strong. Arm strength on the run isn’t great, but the velocity is still there.
       C.J. Stroud is a quarterback that can make any throw in the pocket. Short throws, medium throws, and long throws are made with ease in a clean pocket. When the play breaks down is when he runs into problems. In times of pass rush, his footwork gets messy and he’ll force a throw into coverage. The throws to the perimeter are all on target for only his receiver to catch. Deep throws with single coverage are where his best highlights are, really any man coverage is where he thrives. He has decent mobility, but doesn’t uses it when he needs to, which will often lead to those troublesome throws he makes into traffic. When it comes to throwing on the run, he struggles to place it accurately consistently. His arm talent shows some great zip and distance. In the right system, I think he can be a real threat in the league, however, I could see him struggling mightily under a troublesome organization.

​Sources: Image via Jay LaPrete, AP Photo