Top 5 QBs

Pretty good assessment here, MB. It will be incredibly interesting to see where these QBs go on Thursday night. I don't think I disagree with any of this, especially your take on Stroud....if I was being nitpicky, I'd say your Hendon Hooker take is one I might not be completely on board with.

Thx @MB...I dont know if I rate Levis as highly as you, but I am a casual player in the draft space. 

I think we've all gotten caught-up in the QB a bunch since its so obvious the Vikings need a Kirko backfill. I'm just not convinced it'll be something they try to pull off in Rd1 vs a flyer later. 

We need us a thread on 5t's, DB's, WR and LBs!! 

@"purplefaithful" said: Thx @MB...I dont know if I rate Levis as highly as you, but I am a casual player in the draft space. 

I think we've all gotten caught-up in the QB a bunch since its so obvious the Vikings need a Kirko backfill. I'm just not convinced it'll be something they try to pull off in Rd1 vs a flyer later. 

I think the Vikings will TRY to pull it off, but might not be able to accomplish it. I do think they'll make the effort behind the scenes, but the odds are against it as it will be an expensive endeavor from a comp perspective. Maybe if things fall right in the top 10 it could be more doable.

@"purplefaithful" said: Thx @MB...I dont know if I rate Levis as highly as you, but I am a casual player in the draft space. 

I think we've all gotten caught-up in the QB a bunch since its so obvious the Vikings need a Kirko backfill. I'm just not convinced it'll be something they try to pull off in Rd1 vs a flyer later. 

We need us a thread on 5t's, DB's, WR and LBs!! 

Even though I love Levis and would love to be able to draft him, I wouldn't favor a mortgage-the-future type deal to get him. Or any QB. Ideally, we could trade back and still get a guy like Hooker, but that seems less and less likely by the day. 

@"MaroonBells" said:

@"purplefaithful" said: Thx @MB...I dont know if I rate Levis as highly as you, but I am a casual player in the draft space. 

I think we've all gotten caught-up in the QB a bunch since its so obvious the Vikings need a Kirko backfill. I'm just not convinced it'll be something they try to pull off in Rd1 vs a flyer later. 

We need us a thread on 5t's, DB's, WR and LBs!! 

Even though I love Levis and would love to be able to draft him, I wouldn't favor a mortgage-the-future type deal to get him. Or any QB. Ideally, we could trade back and still get a guy like Hooker, but that seems less and less likely by the day. 

After Young, I don't see any of the leftovers worthy of trading up for based on our lack of picks and positioning. I don't think Levis falls out of the Top 10. Hooker is the most likely option to be available at 23 unless Tampa Bay decides to draft him. 

Levis odds to go #1 overall have moved from 40/1 to 4/1 on DraftKings this morning... :o

I would rank them Levis, Stroud, Hooker, Young, Richardson - I think Levis could be another Herbert and I like his attitude from everything I have seen about him, I love Hooker's work ethic and leadership, I see Young as another Tua, no way I would use a high pick on him.  

@"pattersaur" said:

Levis odds to go #1 overall have moved from 40/1 to 4/1 on DraftKings this morning... :o

I think it was my post that did it.  B)

But seriously, WTF?  Not sure what to believe. 

@"JR44" said: I would rank them Levis, Stroud, Hooker, Young, Richardson - I think Levis could be another Herbert and I like his attitude from everything I have seen about him, I love Hooker's work ethic and leadership, I see Young as another Tua, no way I would use a high pick on him.  

I had to do it :)

@"pattersaur" said:

Levis odds to go #1 overall have moved from 40/1 to 4/1 on DraftKings this morning... :o

Darn, I was hoping he would fall within the 13 range for us to move up!  After all the smoke is clearing he is trending back up into the Top 5 range.  Too pricey for us but not 13.  We would have to give up 23,87 and next year 2nd rounder to get to 13?  

It's all smokescreens.....probably. Apparently the potential news that Levis is going #1 was started on a reddit thread claiming that Levis has been telling family & friends that he's going first overall.

I think the only sure bet is that none of the top 4 QB's will fall out of top 10. I dont include Hooker in that top 4. 

I like the rankings, well thought out. Coincidentally I have Levis on about the other end of the spectrum after watching 4-5 games of each of the QBs. Just a few general thought to expand: 

1. Bryce Young - He isn't perfect even once you factor our the height/weight, but he has the potential to be one of the better facilitators in the NFL. Lots of Drew Brees to his game. Doesn't blow you away with any one aspect of his game but is well rounded and can function in any offense cerebrally at a high level. 

2. Anthony Richardson - I am a big Richardson fan, arguably I would put him #1 on the list even with the boom/bust potential. Although he hasn't started many games he isn't the project QB the media has made him out to be. Although inconsistent he shows the best ability to feel pressure and create outside the structure of an offense. I also don't mean that to imply he can scramble and run around. He can but actually stays in a throws more often than not. The biggest question is on his short accuracy. Impossible to know if Florida designed the offense to avoid short throws or to protect Richardson. But if he was allowed to throw more layups his accuracy % would be much higher. 

3. CJ Stroud - I can get on board with those who doubt Stroud, but he shows a lot of things you can't teach on film and has good size/mobility. On film he sees and processes well but he also was put in a situation where he had an over abundance of WRs who will be WR 1's in the NFL. Can't blame him for that, but how much did it benefit him when reading the field? If anything Stroud will be able to throw consistently to all 3 levels of the field with A+ accuracy. Funny enough his comp may be Kirk Cousins/Jared Goff if you were to add a bit of mobility. 

4. Hendon Hooker - This will end up being a tie with Levis, but its a choose your own preference exercise. Hooker has the arm talent, mechanics and athleticism to be highly successful in the NFL. The Tennessee offense is funky but he called it well and was successful in a different system at Virginia Tech. The ACL is no concern for many concerns who don't have an immediate need and the age in a vacuum is irrelevant since QBs have a long shelf-life. The one question I have is the consistency of his deep ball accuracy, it just isn't consistent and this could end up being problematic with the far hash in the NFL on outs. But overall you're talking about a high-floor prospect who at a minimum can win games in the NFL. 

5. Will Levis - He has all the physical attributes you're looking for in a QB and has the most experience in a pro-level offense. To be fair I always am harsh to QBs who take a step back in their progression. Linear progression/development is so important for quarterbacks especially. Outside of spending time in a pro offense and the reported ability to process NFL verbiage with ease there a quite a few gaps in his game. Anticipation and the pure arm talent is A+. But the ability to align lower body mechanics is problematic and leads to miss-fires on all levels of the field. His ability to feel pressure in the pocket is also the worst of the 5 although he did have by far the worst offensive line. I'd argue that Levis is more boom/bust that Richardson which is a hot take. To play that out in comps I see some combination of Ryan Tannehill, Jay Cutler and Blake Bortles. All were top 15 picks and have had varying level of success. But I don't see the top 5 QB ceiling.

Thx Geoff...

My own perspective is QB's will go for too high of rent for the Vikings to nab one of the top 4 (ok 5). 

You still forecasting a trade-down is the most likely scenario for our lads in Eagan? Maybe take a flyer on someone in that 3-5 rd area?

@"Geoff Nichols" said: I like the rankings, well thought out. Coincidentally I have Levis on about the other end of the spectrum after watching 4-5 games of each of the QBs. Just a few general thought to expand: 

1. Bryce Young - He isn't perfect even once you factor our the height/weight, but he has the potential to be one of the better facilitators in the NFL. Lots of Drew Brees to his game. Doesn't blow you away with any one aspect of his game but is well rounded and can function in any offense cerebrally at a high level. 

2. Anthony Richardson - I am a big Richardson fan, arguably I would put him #1 on the list even with the boom/bust potential. Although he hasn't started many games he isn't the project QB the media has made him out to be. Although inconsistent he shows the best ability to feel pressure and create outside the structure of an offense. I also don't mean that to imply he can scramble and run around. He can but actually stays in a throws more often than not. The biggest question is on his short accuracy. Impossible to know if Florida designed the offense to avoid short throws or to protect Richardson. But if he was allowed to throw more layups his accuracy % would be much higher. 

3. CJ Stroud - I can get on board with those who doubt Stroud, but he shows a lot of things you can't teach on film and has good size/mobility. On film he sees and processes well but he also was put in a situation where he had an over abundance of WRs who will be WR 1's in the NFL. Can't blame him for that, but how much did it benefit him when reading the field? If anything Stroud will be able to throw consistently to all 3 levels of the field with A+ accuracy. Funny enough his comp may be Kirk Cousins/Jared Goff if you were to add a bit of mobility. 

4. Hendon Hooker - This will end up being a tie with Levis, but its a choose your own preference exercise. Hooker has the arm talent, mechanics and athleticism to be highly successful in the NFL. The Tennessee offense is funky but he called it well and was successful in a different system at Virginia Tech. The ACL is no concern for many concerns who don't have an immediate need and the age in a vacuum is irrelevant since QBs have a long shelf-life. The one question I have is the consistency of his deep ball accuracy, it just isn't consistent and this could end up being problematic with the far hash in the NFL on outs. But overall you're talking about a high-floor prospect who at a minimum can win games in the NFL. 

5. Will Levis - He has all the physical attributes you're looking for in a QB and has the most experience in a pro-level offense. To be fair I always am harsh to QBs who take a step back in their progression. Linear progression/development is so important for quarterbacks especially. Outside of spending time in a pro offense and the reported ability to process NFL verbiage with ease there a quite a few gaps in his game. Anticipation and the pure arm talent is A+. But the ability to align lower body mechanics is problematic and leads to miss-fires on all levels of the field. His ability to feel pressure in the pocket is also the worst of the 5 although he did have by far the worst offensive line. I'd argue that Levis is more boom/bust that Richardson which is a hot take. To play that out in comps I see some combination of Ryan Tannehill, Jay Cutler and Blake Bortles. All were top 15 picks and have had varying level of success. But I don't see the top 5 QB ceiling.

Good assessment on Levis. Having seen multiple games of his over the last couple of years, I believe you're pretty spot on. Tough to gauge quarterbacks this year - I like Young having seen most of his games but his size scares me. Very intrigued by Richardson but he is woefully inaccurate on too many throws. Really like Hooker, wish he was a couple of years younger with another season of SEC football under his belt. Stroud may be the safest bet, would like to have seen him against tougher competition weekly.

@"purplefaithful" said: Thx Geoff...

My own perspective is QB's will go for too high of rent for the Vikings to nab one of the top 4 (ok 5). 

You still forecasting a trade-down is the most likely scenario for our lads in Eagan? Maybe take a flyer on someone in that 3-5 rd area?

Is this not the dilemma every year though? I'm not saying MIN should sell the farm to move to 2 but if this is the case, what's our solution? Kirk ain't getting any younger.

@"Geoff Nichols" said: I like the rankings, well thought out. Coincidentally I have Levis on about the other end of the spectrum after watching 4-5 games of each of the QBs. Just a few general thought to expand: 

1. Bryce Young - He isn't perfect even once you factor our the height/weight, but he has the potential to be one of the better facilitators in the NFL. Lots of Drew Brees to his game. Doesn't blow you away with any one aspect of his game but is well rounded and can function in any offense cerebrally at a high level. 

2. Anthony Richardson - I am a big Richardson fan, arguably I would put him #1 on the list even with the boom/bust potential. Although he hasn't started many games he isn't the project QB the media has made him out to be. Although inconsistent he shows the best ability to feel pressure and create outside the structure of an offense. I also don't mean that to imply he can scramble and run around. He can but actually stays in a throws more often than not. The biggest question is on his short accuracy. Impossible to know if Florida designed the offense to avoid short throws or to protect Richardson. But if he was allowed to throw more layups his accuracy % would be much higher. 

3. CJ Stroud - I can get on board with those who doubt Stroud, but he shows a lot of things you can't teach on film and has good size/mobility. On film he sees and processes well but he also was put in a situation where he had an over abundance of WRs who will be WR 1's in the NFL. Can't blame him for that, but how much did it benefit him when reading the field? If anything Stroud will be able to throw consistently to all 3 levels of the field with A+ accuracy. Funny enough his comp may be Kirk Cousins/Jared Goff if you were to add a bit of mobility. 

4. Hendon Hooker - This will end up being a tie with Levis, but its a choose your own preference exercise. Hooker has the arm talent, mechanics and athleticism to be highly successful in the NFL. The Tennessee offense is funky but he called it well and was successful in a different system at Virginia Tech. The ACL is no concern for many concerns who don't have an immediate need and the age in a vacuum is irrelevant since QBs have a long shelf-life. The one question I have is the consistency of his deep ball accuracy, it just isn't consistent and this could end up being problematic with the far hash in the NFL on outs. But overall you're talking about a high-floor prospect who at a minimum can win games in the NFL. 

5. Will Levis - He has all the physical attributes you're looking for in a QB and has the most experience in a pro-level offense. To be fair I always am harsh to QBs who take a step back in their progression. Linear progression/development is so important for quarterbacks especially. Outside of spending time in a pro offense and the reported ability to process NFL verbiage with ease there a quite a few gaps in his game. Anticipation and the pure arm talent is A+. But the ability to align lower body mechanics is problematic and leads to miss-fires on all levels of the field. His ability to feel pressure in the pocket is also the worst of the 5 although he did have by far the worst offensive line. I'd argue that Levis is more boom/bust that Richardson which is a hot take. To play that out in comps I see some combination of Ryan Tannehill, Jay Cutler and Blake Bortles. All were top 15 picks and have had varying level of success. But I don't see the top 5 QB ceiling.

It seems the top couple spots are out of our price range. Would you trade +3 #1s for any of them?

Or does the one they like need to fall into the 10s to teens to be realistic?

@"Geoff Nichols" said: I like the rankings, well thought out. Coincidentally I have Levis on about the other end of the spectrum after watching 4-5 games of each of the QBs. Just a few general thought to expand: 

1. Bryce Young - He isn't perfect even once you factor our the height/weight, but he has the potential to be one of the better facilitators in the NFL. Lots of Drew Brees to his game. Doesn't blow you away with any one aspect of his game but is well rounded and can function in any offense cerebrally at a high level. 

2. Anthony Richardson - I am a big Richardson fan, arguably I would put him #1 on the list even with the boom/bust potential. Although he hasn't started many games he isn't the project QB the media has made him out to be. Although inconsistent he shows the best ability to feel pressure and create outside the structure of an offense. I also don't mean that to imply he can scramble and run around. He can but actually stays in a throws more often than not. The biggest question is on his short accuracy. Impossible to know if Florida designed the offense to avoid short throws or to protect Richardson. But if he was allowed to throw more layups his accuracy % would be much higher. 

3. CJ Stroud - I can get on board with those who doubt Stroud, but he shows a lot of things you can't teach on film and has good size/mobility. On film he sees and processes well but he also was put in a situation where he had an over abundance of WRs who will be WR 1's in the NFL. Can't blame him for that, but how much did it benefit him when reading the field? If anything Stroud will be able to throw consistently to all 3 levels of the field with A+ accuracy. Funny enough his comp may be Kirk Cousins/Jared Goff if you were to add a bit of mobility. 

4. Hendon Hooker - This will end up being a tie with Levis, but its a choose your own preference exercise. Hooker has the arm talent, mechanics and athleticism to be highly successful in the NFL. The Tennessee offense is funky but he called it well and was successful in a different system at Virginia Tech. The ACL is no concern for many concerns who don't have an immediate need and the age in a vacuum is irrelevant since QBs have a long shelf-life. The one question I have is the consistency of his deep ball accuracy, it just isn't consistent and this could end up being problematic with the far hash in the NFL on outs. But overall you're talking about a high-floor prospect who at a minimum can win games in the NFL. 

5. Will Levis - He has all the physical attributes you're looking for in a QB and has the most experience in a pro-level offense. To be fair I always am harsh to QBs who take a step back in their progression. Linear progression/development is so important for quarterbacks especially. Outside of spending time in a pro offense and the reported ability to process NFL verbiage with ease there a quite a few gaps in his game. Anticipation and the pure arm talent is A+. But the ability to align lower body mechanics is problematic and leads to miss-fires on all levels of the field. His ability to feel pressure in the pocket is also the worst of the 5 although he did have by far the worst offensive line. I'd argue that Levis is more boom/bust that Richardson which is a hot take. To play that out in comps I see some combination of Ryan Tannehill, Jay Cutler and Blake Bortles. All were top 15 picks and have had varying level of success. But I don't see the top 5 QB ceiling.

Good takes. ALL of these QBs are crap shoots. Every single one of them. And so the only two that I'd disagree on are Stroud and Levis.

One thing I've always believed is that it doesn't matter what you did in college. I don't care how many TDs you threw or how many picks or what your record was. You're not looking for a good college QB; you're looking for a QB who projects to be a good NFL QB. And there is a HUGE difference. And that colossal shock many young QBs experience can ruin them. They're trying to learn full-field reads, trying to learn progressions, trying to learn a new offense, all the while getting the kind of pressure they've never seen before...not to mention the pressure from the fans and media. It can kill a QB's confidence and force bad habits. 

Levis is far from a sure thing, but I like that he's seen it before. The offense he ran in '21 was an NFL offense, the Rams offense, OUR offense basically. I like that he seems to have the brainpower, swagger and toughness to endure all the above. I just think that's a more important factor than whether his feet sometimes don't align with his shoulders, which is a criticism I've heard a lot. It's also correctable. Btw, this was also the biggest criticism of Patrick Mahomes coming out. Check the pass at :42 in this video. Off balance, nothing aligned, half-ass side arm. Damn near Mahomesian. 

I'll play;

1. Stroud- the cognitive score story is supposedly "inaccurate" so take that how you will. I absolutely love his arm and his ability to throw it with accuracy at all levels. He was masterful against Georgia in the playoffs and has stepped up in big games. Size, enough athleticism to move in the pocket, and I just believe his total package of what you are looking for makes him the safest if this group of potential land mines 

2. Richardson- they are all a gamble, so if you are going to gamble why not do it on the guy with his elite athletic tools and upside? If he lands in the right situation and isn't rushed into starting, he could be something special. 

3. Levis- he reminds me so much of Jay Cutler coming out of Vandy. I think at the end of the day you'd like to see more consistency but you have to take his subpar supporting cast into account. Love the arm strength. 

4. Young- at the end of the day I just don't trust his frame to hold up over an entire season and the potential is there to spend as much time on IR as he does on the field. 5'10" and 195 pounds...if he works out, good for him, but I'm not going to buck 50 years of NFL history in saying a guy this small is going to be an elite quarterback at the Pro level. He's not Kyler Murray and he is also someone who got to sit back in the pocket at Bama behind a bunch of massive 5 stars and throw to all his 5 star receivers and tight ends. 

5. Hooker- I like the kid, but the age does throw me off a little and you won't get an immediate return with the knee injury. Some concerns about him being a one read and throw it quarteback.