Dane Brugler NFL Mock Draft: Stroud to Colts, Richardson to Titans, Levis to Texans

In his final mock draft earlier than the inaugurate of the 2023 NFL draft on Thursday, Dane Brugler of The Athletic projected the wide four quarterbacks to attain off the board within the top 12 picks.

Brugler caught with the consensus of Alabama quarterback Bryce Young going No. 1 overall to the Carolina Panthers earlier than having a more new take than many other draft analysts on the place the exchange high quarterbacks will land.

In deliver of a team purchasing and selling into the Arizona Cardinals’ location at No. 3 overall, Brugler has the Indianapolis Colts staying at No. 4 and touchdown the 2d-rated signal-caller in Ohio Allege’s C.J. Stroud.

Then, appropriate outside the top 10, Brugler predicted that the Tennessee Titans will earn their developmental quarterback prospect in the support of Ryan Tannehill in Florida’s Anthony Richardson at No. 11, followed by the Houston Texans taking Kentucky’s Will Levis at No. 12 overall with their 2d first-spherical pick.

The Texans are clearly a team in need of a quarterback, however there has been plenty of smoke relating to them passing on a quarterback at No. 2, and Brugler envisions them going with Alabama streak-rusher Will Anderson Jr. in that scenario.

That may maybe inaugurate the door for the Colts to earn their pick of the litter of any quarterback no longer named Young, and Brugler sees them going with Stroud.

After parting methods with oldschool Matt Ryan, the Colts salvage a gigantic need at quarterback, and it is likely Stroud would inaugurate for them out of the gates.

There are some doubts relating to the ability of Ohio Allege quarterbacks to transition to the subsequent level, however Stroud place up enormous numbers in school and done fourth or better in the Heisman Trophy voting twice, making him an ideal option for new Colts head coach Shane Steichen.

Many teams deciding on between No. 4 and No. 11 may maybe potentially be in the marketplace for a quarterback, however Brugler doesn’t salvage the subsequent one coming off the board except the 11th pick when the Titans snag Richardson.

Richardson dazzled at the NFL Scouting Mix and has finest dimension for an NFL quarterback, however he most efficient started for 3 hundred and sixty five days at Florida and had major accuracy factors, winding up appropriate fifty three.8 p.c of his passes.

The twin-risk quarterback would revenue from going somewhere that he can take a seat and be taught in the support of a oldschool, and the Titans may maybe give him that, as Ryan Tannehill may maybe inaugurate for all of 2023 earlier than transitioning to Richardson in 2024.

In Brugler’s mock, the Texans’ option to streak on a quarterback at No. 2 works out effectively for them, as they land Levis at No. 12.

Levis struggled every so regularly in school with turning the ball over and taking sacks, however he didn’t salvage a ton of talent-deliver talent around him, nor did he salvage a sizable offensive line.

He’s presumably basically the most naturally talented passer in the draft and amongst basically the most cellular quarterbacks, so he has the ceiling to be basically the most attention-grabbing QB in the 2023 class if he lands in basically the most attention-grabbing explain.

The Texans salvage pretty a complete lot of draft picks in the coming years to fabricate around Levis, plus it wouldn’t be a must for him to inaugurate appropriate away since Davis Mills may maybe protect down the castle except he is spicy.

The quarterback describe will attain into level of interest Thursday night when the first spherical of the 2023 NFL draft kicks off at 8 p.m. ET.