Five quarterbacks have been taken in the first three rounds of the 2023 NFL Draft. The only rookie quarterback starting in the conference championships last season was Brock Purdy of the 49ers, who was chosen in the seventh round. Who could be that breakout star for the upcoming season?
Here are the top rated quarterback prospects remaining on CBS Sports' big board:
144. Jake Haener, Fresno State (6-foot, 207)
2022 stats: 252 of 350 completed passes, 2,896 yards, 20 TD, 3 INT; 46 carries for -123 yards, 2 TD
"Jake Haener is a shorter quarterback with a thin build. He is a tough, competitive leader who does well going through his progressions and throwing with touch and anticipation. Haener is an intelligent player with average arm strength. He will likely be a backup most of his career, but it would not be a surprise if he hung around the league for a long time as a backup and/or spot starter."
- Selected by New Orleans Saints in Round 4, No. 127 overall
189. Clayton Tune, Houston (6-foot-2.5, 220)
2022 stats: 334 of 496 completed passes, 4,074 yards, 40 TD, 10 INT; 128 carries, 546 yards, 5 TD
"Clayton Tune is an experienced pocket passer with quality skill set across the board and quality athleticism. He doesn't quite play to the athleticism he demonstrated at the combine but has plenty of impressive, balanced, decently explosive designed runs and scrambles on film -- very useful as extra element to the offense and when ad-libbing. Arm is good for NFL standards, not great and surprisingly not much arm talent. If he's on the run or off base in the pocket, his arm strength dips below normal pro standards. His downfield touch needs work, as does his overall pocket presence, although in the latter area he has rare flashes of awesome pocket drifting. He showed ability to move defenders with his eyes but not consistent in that area. He has the propensity to rip it through tight windows at intermediate level. He has lots of high-caliber, challenging throws on film and can throw with precision with anticipation. Sleeper prospect."
- Selected by Arizona Cardinals in Round 5, No. 139 overall
191. Aidan O'Connell, Purdue (6-foot-3, 213)
2022 stats: 320 of 499 completed passes, 3,490 yards, 22 TD, 13 INT; 43 carries for -81 yards, 1 TD
"Aidan O'Connell was a prime candidate to be a Kenny Pickett-type riser with a strong season, but he fell short of those expectations. O'Connell had happy feet in the pocket and made too many poor decisions throwing into coverage. He is a pro-style quarterback who offers little in regards to mobility. In a scheme that requires little creativity, O'Connell has good arm strength and is capable of driving passes into tight windows."
- Selected by Las Vegas Raiders in Round 4, No. 135 overall
193. Dorian Thompson-Robinson, UCLA (6-foot-2, 203)
2022 stats: 266 of 382 passes completed, 3,154 yards, 27 TD, 10 INT; 117 carries, 646 yards, 12 TD
"Dorian Thompson-Robinson is a rugged, decently athletic QB prospect who plays with a high-level of intensity. Once he flips the switch, it's on all game. If he doesn't succeed in the NFL it won't be because of a lack of want-to. While not incredibly accurate, he's an impressive pocket passer who quickly gets through his progressions and can throw with anticipation. The velocity on intermediate passes can also be impressive, particularly from a clean pocket. His throw-on-run ability is there, too, but arm talent in those situations is just average by NFL standards. Despite his smaller-ish size, Thompson-Robinson's designed run game talent is there, and he's a nifty scrambler/pass-rush avoider inside the pocket. At times, he trusts his athleticism and arm a bit too much and doesn't see defenders near his throwing lane. While he's quick, he's not exactly explosive and does take a few too many unnecessary hits behind the line. Overall, he's a decently high-floor QB with some upside."
- Selected by Cleveland Browns in Round 5, No. 140 overall
208. Jaren Hall, BYU (6-foot, 207)
2022 stats: 248 of 376 passes completed, 3,171 yards, 31 TD, 6 INT; 86 carries, 346 yards, 3 TD
"Jaren Hall is a smooth athlete at the QB spot with natural arm talent and quality ball placement. However, he's an older prospect who wasn't able to build on a breakout season in 2021. His arm strength is good, not great, and he wasn't pressured often in college. He has some scrambling skill but not a designed-run type at the next level. Smaller frame, but he will check most team's height boxes. His pocket presence and coverage reading need improvement."
211. Tanner McKee, Stanford (6-foot-6, 231)
2022 stats: 264 of 426 passes completed, 2,947 yards, 13 TD, 8 INT; 74 carries for -90 yards, 2 TD
"Tanner McKee is a tall, lanky QB with a noticeably strong arm that rips the ball from a awkward release. He has a low elbow, whip-like delivery. His accuracy to all levels is very good. He's decisive and gets the ball out quickly. He has below-average athleticism by today's QB standards, but he's not completely immobile; he won't be any type of running threat in the NFL. He needs to improve his pocket management and quickness getting through his reads. He has awesome downfield touch. He can really crank up the velocity without having to step into the ball. His lower-half mechanics need work. His natural talent as a pure thrower is high end."
294. Stetson Bennett, Georgia (5-foot-11, 192)
2022 stats: 310-of-454 passes completed, 4,127 yards, 27 TD, 7 INT; 57 carries, 205 yards, 10 TD
"The moment is never too big for Stetson Bennett. He has played a lot of big-time football in the SEC and the College Football Playoffs. The former walk-on throws with touch and anticipation in the short to intermediate game, but his downfield accuracy is inconsistent. The quarterback is undersized and has a thinner frame, which leads to average arm strength. He does a good job of working through his reads and has the pocket awareness and mobility to extend plays."
- Selected by Los Angeles Rams in Round 4, No. 128 overall
The 2023 NFL Draft continues Saturday at noon ET with Rounds 4-7.
