Forum The Longship Top 5 QBs

Top 5 QBs

MaroonBells
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1. Will Levis - Easiest route to NFL. Has some bust factor if this rumored "aloof" attitude shows up in the NFL, but unlike all of the others, he already knows how to play in an NFL offense, under NFL levels of pressure, and with receivers who don't get five yards of separation on every route (see Young and Stroud). Has some issues he needs to clean up, but he has the quickest release in this class, the best arm (will throw side arm, ala Mahomes at times to fit the ball into skinny windows) and he runs like Josh Allen. 
2. Bryce Young - If he were 6-2, 220, he'd be first on this list and it wouldn't be close. Arm, accuracy, intelligence, leadership, field vision and creativity says he hits, but the size could be a limiting factor long term. Very little bust factor though. Highest floor among QBs. Size is only reason I have him below Levis. 
3. Hendon Hooker - This is the QB I've changed my mind about most. Limited offense, but runs it well. He'll need a year or two, but I like his chances. Clean mechanically (QB guru MIke Martz called his mechanics “almost perfect.”) And in terms of character he’s top level. Compared to Teddy Bridgewater in that respect. Cris Carter called him a CEO type. And Jim Nagy compared him to Jalen Hurts. I don’t care about his age or his knee. In 3 or 4 years no one will care that he’s 28, 29. The only thing that will matter is if he's playing QB at an NFL level. 
4. Anthony Richardson - Classic boom or bust. But while his upside is through the roof, his downside is in the cellar. If he gets the 2+ years he needs, he could eventually be great. Are NFL teams that patient? Rarely. But 6-4, 244, 4.43 forty, 40-inch vert. Are you ****ing kidding me? Culpepper size. Vick speed. NFL teams will ruin him if they play him before 2025. 
5. CJ Stroud - Most accurate QB in the draft. But it’s not hard to be accurate when you’ve got one read, you have five minutes to throw and your receivers are open by 5 yards. I also don't like what's between his ears and I've been saying this since last year. The 18% cognitive score only confirms it. You can see it in interviews and in some of the decisions he makes on the field. No doubt he’s talented, and he has a chance if he can get some time to develop, but Stroud is my pick for this class’s most likely bust. 

#1 · Apr 25, 6:01 AM
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@"minny65" said:
@"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 :)
Please don't let Hooker come to MN.  That is just asking for a love boat 2.0.
#22 · Apr 25, 12:20 PM
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@"PurpleCrush" said: 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.
Yeah, I don't believe anything I read on Reddit. But if the Levis #1 odds went from +4000 to +400 in three hours, they're getting it from somewhere other than Reddit. 
#23 · Apr 25, 12:23 PM
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@"MaroonBells" said:
@"PurpleCrush" said: 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.
Yeah, I don't believe anything I read on Reddit. But if the Levis #1 odds went from +4000 to +400 in three hours, they're getting it from somewhere other than Reddit. 
I'll say this - this draft has been one of the hardest to get a grasp on in quite some time. There's a certain feel that no one has any idea what to expect.
#24 · Apr 25, 12:47 PM
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I just assumed that we didn't have a chance at Young and Stroud so I really only looked semi-deeply (as much as internet will allow :)  at AR, Levis and Hooker.  In that order I like Levis (would move up into 13 range for him), then Hooker who I might be tempted at 23 but ideally a move down and still get but a gamble.  Lastly, AR.  His one year stats are bad across the board.  Against 5 ranked teams he was 1-4 w/l, 49% completion, 6-4 TD/INT.  His combine has people falling all over and we have seen that many times before but his on field results were poor.  

#25 · Apr 25, 1:10 PM
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@"PurpleCrush" said:
@"MaroonBells" said:
@"PurpleCrush" said: 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.
Yeah, I don't believe anything I read on Reddit. But if the Levis #1 odds went from +4000 to +400 in three hours, they're getting it from somewhere other than Reddit. 
I'll say this - this draft has been one of the hardest to get a grasp on in quite some time. There's a certain feel that no one has any idea what to expect.
Yeah, the Vikings needing a QB has really thrown the whole thing into chaos. I remember in 2019 correctly predicting the Vikings #1 pick in January (Bradbury). This year, I don't have a freaking clue. 
#26 · Apr 25, 1:17 PM
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@"PurpleCrush" said:
@"MaroonBells" said:
@"PurpleCrush" said: 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.
Yeah, I don't believe anything I read on Reddit. But if the Levis #1 odds went from +4000 to +400 in three hours, they're getting it from somewhere other than Reddit. 
I'll say this - this draft has been one of the hardest to get a grasp on in quite some time. There's a certain feel that no one has any idea what to expect.
Is it the kids all having media teams and controlling the narrative?

The NFL is supposed to be the one doing that.

#27 · Apr 25, 1:31 PM
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@"MaroonBells" said:
@"PurpleCrush" said:
@"MaroonBells" said:
@"PurpleCrush" said: 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.
Yeah, I don't believe anything I read on Reddit. But if the Levis #1 odds went from +4000 to +400 in three hours, they're getting it from somewhere other than Reddit. 
I'll say this - this draft has been one of the hardest to get a grasp on in quite some time. There's a certain feel that no one has any idea what to expect.
Yeah, the Vikings needing a QB has really thrown the whole thing into chaos. I remember in 2019 correctly predicting the Vikings #1 pick in January (Bradbury). This year, I don't have a freaking clue. 
I've gotten Waynes, Bradbury, and Gladney (kind of since they had 2 shots) right. But have no idea this year. I really think they're serious about moving up for a QB but we don't know which one they would pay the price for. 
#28 · Apr 25, 1:59 PM
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@"AGRforever" said:
@"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?



I think picks 7 - 11 are probably the Vikings range for Stroud/Richardson. Could be Levis for all I know. But arguably I think any of the 5 QBs on this list are worthwhile to draft in the 1st round. So if they have a strong preference I think you'll see them move up. If not, I could see them sitting back and heavily contemplating Hooker at 23. 

#29 · Apr 25, 2:30 PM
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@"Geoff Nichols" said:
@"AGRforever" said:
@"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?



I think picks 7 - 11 are probably the Vikings range for Stroud/Richardson. Could be Levis for all I know. But arguably I think any of the 5 QBs on this list are worthwhile to draft in the 1st round. So if they have a strong preference I think you'll see them move up. If not, I could see them sitting back and heavily contemplating Hooker at 23. 


Everyone knows how we got here so there’s no point rehashing it but to me here are the facts indicating they will try desperately to move up for a QB:

1. Kirk isn’t “their guy”. Decades of NFL history indicate new regimes want to pick their own guy to captain the ship. 

2. The moves this offseason, and the ones expected yet to come, have left things very open to a down year/rebuild in 2023. 

3. This class has 4-5 QBs who could wind up being the top guy. 

4. They haven’t re-upped KC yet. 

5. It’s smoke season but every last murmur indicates an interest in the QB position.

6. The perceived and anticipated lack of blue chippers available at other positions at 23.

I know fans get skittish and that picks do have value, but short of a tank that the owners won’t greenlight or a blockbuster move for a vet that will cost just as many picks and a lot more against the cap, I guess my thing is— to quote RATM— what better place than here, what better time than now?

Sure I’d love for the Vikings to trade for a proven commodity but outside Lamar, we’d get laughed off the phone by most teams who have said QB. Seriously what would the cost of trading for Burrow be? 5 firsts? And they might still say no. The reality is we have to gamble at some point and this year, with KC in house to mentor for a year, seems a better time than most. If it doesn’t work out then odds are the Vikings will be in this same exact spot next year, but will also be having to re-sign Kirk and still no longterm plan at the most important position in sports. To me it just makes to much sense to move heck and high water to draft a guy this year. 

#30 · Apr 25, 2:58 PM
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@"Geoff Nichols" said:
@"AGRforever" said:
@"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?



I think picks 7 - 11 are probably the Vikings range for Stroud/Richardson. Could be Levis for all I know. But arguably I think any of the 5 QBs on this list are worthwhile to draft in the 1st round. So if they have a strong preference I think you'll see them move up. If not, I could see them sitting back and heavily contemplating Hooker at 23. 


How would you stack this year's crop of QB's vs prior drafts? We can probably exclude last year since that one was God awful.

#31 · Apr 25, 3:17 PM
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@"pattersaur" said:
@"Geoff Nichols" said:
@"AGRforever" said:
@"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?



I think picks 7 - 11 are probably the Vikings range for Stroud/Richardson. Could be Levis for all I know. But arguably I think any of the 5 QBs on this list are worthwhile to draft in the 1st round. So if they have a strong preference I think you'll see them move up. If not, I could see them sitting back and heavily contemplating Hooker at 23. 


Everyone knows how we got here so there’s no point rehashing it but to me here are the facts indicating they will try desperately to move up for a QB:

1. Kirk isn’t “their guy”. Decades of NFL history indicate new regimes want to pick their own guy to captain the ship. 

2. The moves this offseason, and the ones expected yet to come, have left things very open to a down year/rebuild in 2023. 

3. This class has 4-5 QBs who could wind up being the top guy. 

4. They haven’t re-upped KC yet. 

5. It’s smoke season but every last murmur indicates an interest in the QB position.

6. The perceived and anticipated lack of blue chippers available at other positions at 23.

I know fans get skittish and that picks do have value, but short of a tank that the owners won’t greenlight or a blockbuster move for a vet that will cost just as many picks and a lot more against the cap, I guess my thing is— to quote RATM— what better place than here, what better time than now?

Sure I’d love for the Vikings to trade for a proven commodity but outside Lamar, we’d get laughed off the phone by most teams who have said QB. Seriously what would the cost of trading for Burrow be? 5 firsts? And they might still say no. The reality is we have to gamble at some point and this year, with KC in house to mentor for a year, seems a better time than most. If it doesn’t work out then odds are the Vikings will be in this same exact spot next year, but will also be having to re-sign Kirk and still no longterm plan at the most important position in sports. To me it just makes to much sense to move heck and high water to draft a guy this year. 



If there's another team in NFL history that had a crappy defense (like 31st rated crappy), then went out and mortgaged multiple #1 picks for an unproven QBOF, and made that work out, please bring that team to my attention. Nothing in your list indicates to me desperation to move up for a limited quality QB class. Certainly not ruling out a QB somewhere, but probably late round sleeper.  

#32 · Apr 25, 4:14 PM
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@"mgobluevikes" said:
@"pattersaur" said:
@"Geoff Nichols" said:
@"AGRforever" said:
@"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?



I think picks 7 - 11 are probably the Vikings range for Stroud/Richardson. Could be Levis for all I know. But arguably I think any of the 5 QBs on this list are worthwhile to draft in the 1st round. So if they have a strong preference I think you'll see them move up. If not, I could see them sitting back and heavily contemplating Hooker at 23. 


Everyone knows how we got here so there’s no point rehashing it but to me here are the facts indicating they will try desperately to move up for a QB:

1. Kirk isn’t “their guy”. Decades of NFL history indicate new regimes want to pick their own guy to captain the ship. 

2. The moves this offseason, and the ones expected yet to come, have left things very open to a down year/rebuild in 2023. 

3. This class has 4-5 QBs who could wind up being the top guy. 

4. They haven’t re-upped KC yet. 

5. It’s smoke season but every last murmur indicates an interest in the QB position.

6. The perceived and anticipated lack of blue chippers available at other positions at 23.

I know fans get skittish and that picks do have value, but short of a tank that the owners won’t greenlight or a blockbuster move for a vet that will cost just as many picks and a lot more against the cap, I guess my thing is— to quote RATM— what better place than here, what better time than now?

Sure I’d love for the Vikings to trade for a proven commodity but outside Lamar, we’d get laughed off the phone by most teams who have said QB. Seriously what would the cost of trading for Burrow be? 5 firsts? And they might still say no. The reality is we have to gamble at some point and this year, with KC in house to mentor for a year, seems a better time than most. If it doesn’t work out then odds are the Vikings will be in this same exact spot next year, but will also be having to re-sign Kirk and still no longterm plan at the most important position in sports. To me it just makes to much sense to move heck and high water to draft a guy this year. 



If there's another team in NFL history that had a crappy defense (like 31st rated crappy), then went out and mortgaged multiple #1 picks for an unproven QBOF, and made that work out, please bring that team to my attention. Nothing in your list indicates to me desperation to move up for a limited quality QB class. Certainly not ruling out a QB somewhere, but probably late round sleeper.  


We’re in uncharted waters. I anxiously await for you to cite where teams traded away Herbert or Lawrence level QBs on rookie deals as well. If that’s happened then yes, the Vikings should go that route. 

#33 · Apr 25, 4:28 PM
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I'm starting to get on board with the idea of the Vikings moving up to take a shot at Richardson. I know the bust factor is high, but in a few years there is also the real possibility that he is the best player to come from this draft class, so I see the risk as a potential huge payoff. You just don't see guys built like him and possessing that kind of size and ability. I've never seen a guy with a lower body like that at quarterback. Literally tree trunks for legs and Culpepper-esque. 

#34 · Apr 25, 4:34 PM
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https://youtube.com/shorts/qiM0w3zXfvE?feature=share

Not sure if this will post or not, but it's Richardson dunking a basketball and taking off from the free-throw line. Crazy...

#35 · Apr 25, 4:36 PM
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@"pattersaur" said:
@"mgobluevikes" said:
@"pattersaur" said:
@"Geoff Nichols" said:
@"AGRforever" said:
@"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?



I think picks 7 - 11 are probably the Vikings range for Stroud/Richardson. Could be Levis for all I know. But arguably I think any of the 5 QBs on this list are worthwhile to draft in the 1st round. So if they have a strong preference I think you'll see them move up. If not, I could see them sitting back and heavily contemplating Hooker at 23. 


Everyone knows how we got here so there’s no point rehashing it but to me here are the facts indicating they will try desperately to move up for a QB:

1. Kirk isn’t “their guy”. Decades of NFL history indicate new regimes want to pick their own guy to captain the ship. 

2. The moves this offseason, and the ones expected yet to come, have left things very open to a down year/rebuild in 2023. 

3. This class has 4-5 QBs who could wind up being the top guy. 

4. They haven’t re-upped KC yet. 

5. It’s smoke season but every last murmur indicates an interest in the QB position.

6. The perceived and anticipated lack of blue chippers available at other positions at 23.

I know fans get skittish and that picks do have value, but short of a tank that the owners won’t greenlight or a blockbuster move for a vet that will cost just as many picks and a lot more against the cap, I guess my thing is— to quote RATM— what better place than here, what better time than now?

Sure I’d love for the Vikings to trade for a proven commodity but outside Lamar, we’d get laughed off the phone by most teams who have said QB. Seriously what would the cost of trading for Burrow be? 5 firsts? And they might still say no. The reality is we have to gamble at some point and this year, with KC in house to mentor for a year, seems a better time than most. If it doesn’t work out then odds are the Vikings will be in this same exact spot next year, but will also be having to re-sign Kirk and still no longterm plan at the most important position in sports. To me it just makes to much sense to move heck and high water to draft a guy this year. 



If there's another team in NFL history that had a crappy defense (like 31st rated crappy), then went out and mortgaged multiple #1 picks for an unproven QBOF, and made that work out, please bring that team to my attention. Nothing in your list indicates to me desperation to move up for a limited quality QB class. Certainly not ruling out a QB somewhere, but probably late round sleeper.  


We’re in uncharted waters. I anxiously await for you to cite where teams traded away Herbert or Lawrence level QBs on rookie deals as well. If that’s happened then yes, the Vikings should go that route. 


How is this relevant?

#36 · Apr 25, 5:05 PM
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@"mgobluevikes" said:
@"pattersaur" said:
@"mgobluevikes" said:
@"pattersaur" said:
@"Geoff Nichols" said:
@"AGRforever" said:
@"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?



I think picks 7 - 11 are probably the Vikings range for Stroud/Richardson. Could be Levis for all I know. But arguably I think any of the 5 QBs on this list are worthwhile to draft in the 1st round. So if they have a strong preference I think you'll see them move up. If not, I could see them sitting back and heavily contemplating Hooker at 23. 


Everyone knows how we got here so there’s no point rehashing it but to me here are the facts indicating they will try desperately to move up for a QB:

1. Kirk isn’t “their guy”. Decades of NFL history indicate new regimes want to pick their own guy to captain the ship. 

2. The moves this offseason, and the ones expected yet to come, have left things very open to a down year/rebuild in 2023. 

3. This class has 4-5 QBs who could wind up being the top guy. 

4. They haven’t re-upped KC yet. 

5. It’s smoke season but every last murmur indicates an interest in the QB position.

6. The perceived and anticipated lack of blue chippers available at other positions at 23.

I know fans get skittish and that picks do have value, but short of a tank that the owners won’t greenlight or a blockbuster move for a vet that will cost just as many picks and a lot more against the cap, I guess my thing is— to quote RATM— what better place than here, what better time than now?

Sure I’d love for the Vikings to trade for a proven commodity but outside Lamar, we’d get laughed off the phone by most teams who have said QB. Seriously what would the cost of trading for Burrow be? 5 firsts? And they might still say no. The reality is we have to gamble at some point and this year, with KC in house to mentor for a year, seems a better time than most. If it doesn’t work out then odds are the Vikings will be in this same exact spot next year, but will also be having to re-sign Kirk and still no longterm plan at the most important position in sports. To me it just makes to much sense to move heck and high water to draft a guy this year. 



If there's another team in NFL history that had a crappy defense (like 31st rated crappy), then went out and mortgaged multiple #1 picks for an unproven QBOF, and made that work out, please bring that team to my attention. Nothing in your list indicates to me desperation to move up for a limited quality QB class. Certainly not ruling out a QB somewhere, but probably late round sleeper.  


We’re in uncharted waters. I anxiously await for you to cite where teams traded away Herbert or Lawrence level QBs on rookie deals as well. If that’s happened then yes, the Vikings should go that route. 


How is this relevant?


Those are the 2 QBs you said you’d trade 3 first for, right? Kwesi should call them and offer that and see how far he gets.

My point is, what the Vikings have been doing hasn’t gotten us over the hump and in recent years it hasn’t even gotten us particularly close. Your plan to solve this problem is to fix the defense. That’s fine and it might work. If that’s the way they go then I hope like heck it does work.

My solution is to find a stud QB and build around him while incorporating the talent we already do have on offense. Finding that guy is obviously very difficult, but it’s impossible if you don’t even try. We both want the same thing but are just skinning the cat different ways. We’ll see what they decide to do in a couple days. 

#37 · Apr 25, 5:47 PM
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@"supafreak84" said: I'm starting to get on board with the idea of the Vikings moving up to take a shot at Richardson. I know the bust factor is high, but in a few years there is also the real possibility that he is the best player to come from this draft class, so I see the risk as a potential huge payoff. You just don't see guys built like him and possessing that kind of size and ability. I've never seen a guy with a lower body like that at quarterback. Literally tree trunks for legs and Culpepper-esque. 


Worst thing that happens is we shit the bed. He sucks.  We get a good pick after we’re done paying off the pick. 

Thing is I don’t want to lose KOC. I’m sold that he’ll win us a SB. 

#38 · Apr 25, 6:57 PM
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@"AGRforever" said:
@"supafreak84" said: I'm starting to get on board with the idea of the Vikings moving up to take a shot at Richardson. I know the bust factor is high, but in a few years there is also the real possibility that he is the best player to come from this draft class, so I see the risk as a potential huge payoff. You just don't see guys built like him and possessing that kind of size and ability. I've never seen a guy with a lower body like that at quarterback. Literally tree trunks for legs and Culpepper-esque. 


Worst thing that happens is we shit the bed. He sucks.  We get a good pick after we’re done paying off the pick. 

Thing is I don’t want to lose KOC. I’m sold that he’ll win us a SB. 



I think regardless, all these guys are risky picks for one reason or another. So if you are going to take a swing, might as well swing big on the big kid who has the potential to be a revolutionary type player if coached up right. I can see the logic in it while also acknowledging he carries the biggest risk due to a general lack of games played. 

On the Culpepper comparison, Daute was quite the stud and Denny Green took a swing and brought him up the right way. You'd have to take a similar approach with Richardson. Daunte's combine numbers;

6'4"/255 pounds
4.52/40
39" vertical 

#39 · Apr 25, 7:17 PM
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Bryce Young is the one of the top 4 everyone knows isn't dropping. Vikings have no shot at him.  On the other end, I don't buy the occasional whisper that Hooker will jump somebody to be QB4.  As long as one of Levis/Stroud/Richardson is on the board, Hooker will be waiting his turn.

What interests me are the "wild card" teams that don't need a QB right this minute, but might jump on one who slips to them.  Detroit at 6, Raiders at 7, Falcons 8th, Titans 11, Seattle 20 (I don't think they'd use #5). Hell, I just had a waking nightmare about the Packers taking Richardson 13 and terrorizing us for another 15 years.

Then there's Washington (16) and Tampa (19), who do need QB's but won't come out and say it because they're laying in the weeds for someone to fall. Even the Texans at 12 might skip the QB at 2 and cross their fingers.

If the Texans do get their QB at 2 they'd make a nice trade-up target at 12 if someone slips through the cracks.  Next year's 1 and this year's 4?

#40 · Apr 25, 11:35 PM
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Hey, NFL Draft....get here already. I seriously cannot read one more ridiculous mock by the sports online media. And mostly because I can't tell who is trying to seriously peg who will go where and those that are doing it for clicks/views.

This board has done a MUCH better job of mocking the QBs than anything I've seen online.

#41 · Apr 26, 5:23 AM
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