The 2023 NFL Draft is loaded at the quarterback position and most mock drafts have as many as five quarterbacks being selected in the first round.
CJ Stroud, Bryce Young, and Anthony Richardson will be the first QBs selected in Round 1. Will Levis and Hendon Hooker are also expected to go off of the board in the first round but they aren’t the only quarterbacks with the potential to make an impact in the NFL.
Here are some of the top QB sleepers heading into the 2023 NFL Draft.
Dorian Thompson-Robinson
- NFL Draft Projection:5th to 7th Round Pick
Thompson-Robinson was rated the No. 2 dual-threat quarterback in the country out of high school but he didn’t quite fulfill his potential at UCLA.
Few quarterbacks entering the NFL Draft amassed as much experience as Thompson-Robinson, who had 1,359 career passing attempts at UCLA. A dangerous runner, Thompson-Robinson alsomade striders as a passer during his college career.
He completed 69.2 percent of his passes as a senior and compiled a 48:16 TD-to-INT ratio over his final two seasons. Thompson-Robinson also rushed for more than 600 yards in both campaigns and added 21 touchdowns on the ground during that span.
Despite his production, the 23-year-old quarterback is still projected to go towards the back end of the draft and figures to be a backup, at best, in the NFL.
Still, after recent visits with the San Francisco 49ers, Las Vegas Raiders, Cleveland Browns and more, it seems like NFL scouts believe that Thompson-Robinson still has room left to grow.
With a high ceiling and a ton of experience, Thompson-Robinson could be one of the sleepers in this year’s draft class.
Holton Ahlers
- NFL Draft Projection:4th to 7th Round Pick
Teams that are in search of a quarterback in the mold of Josh Allen might want to look at East Carolina quarterback Holton Ahlers.
A 6-foot-4, 230-pound quarterback that can move the chains with his legs when needed, Ahlers is a bit of a late-bloomer that burst onto the scene at ECU. He has good mobility for his size and has flashed good accuracy and touch, even when throwing on the run.
He threw for a career-best 3,708 yards with 28 touchdowns and only five interceptions as a senior and has some untapped potential, as he hasn’t had as much professional training as other top quarterbacks.
In the right system, Ahlers could thrive, though he might get some added time to develop before being thrown in the fire. His size, arm strength, and athleticism alone might be enough to make him worth a late-round pick for the right team.
Malik Cunningham
- NFL Draft Projection:4th to 7th Round Pick
Malik Cunningham was one of the sleepers to keep an eye on heading into the college football season but his senior year didn’t turn out the way that many had imagined.
Undersized at just 6-foot-1, Cunningham is a dynamic dual-threat quarterback that can move the chains with his arm and his legs. As a senior, he battled injuries to finish with 1,568 passing yards with eight touchdowns and five interceptions.
However, over the course of his career at Louisville, Cunningham showed strong decision-making skills, throwing for 70 touchdowns and only 29 interceptions.
He also rushed for 3,184 yards and 51 touchdowns during his college career, including a 1,031-yard season as a junior.
In the NFL, Cunningham’s size and arm strength will be concerns, especially early on in his career, but he has the athleticism that would warrant a second-look if he has time to develop in the right system.
Stetson Bennett
- NFL Draft Projection:5th to 7th Round Pick
A back-to-back National Champion during his time at Georgia, Stetson Bennett took the college football world by storm after taking over as a full-time starter.
At 5-foot-11, Bennett will have to overcome questions about his height in the NFL but he’s not alone among undersized QBs in this draft class. Alabama quarterback Bryce Young is widely considered a top-five pick despite measuring in at 5-foot-10 at the NFL Combine.
Despite his height, few can argue with Bennett’s on-the-field production. As a senior, he took a major leap forward in his development as a passer, throwing for 4,127 yards with 27 touchdowns and only seven interceptions. In his two years as a starter, Bennett combined for 56 touchdowns and only 14 interceptions.
Since winning his second national title, Bennett has done little to dispel his off-the-field concerns. Bennett was arrested for public intoxication in January and his reputation took another hit after body cam footage of the incident was released.
A former walk-on at Georgia, Bennett is no stranger to overcoming adversity and earning his shot. For now, it appears that he’ll have to face a similar path to becoming a starter in the NFL.
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