6 NFL Teams Desperate to Land QBs C.J. Stroud or Bryce Young in 2023 NFL Draft

While most NFL teams are jostling for playoff positions, some have already turned their eye to the 2023 draft. The silver lining to a lost '22 season is a chance at landing a franchise signal-caller such as Ohio State's C.J. Stroud or Alabama's Bryce Young.

Stroud and Young are the two best among next year's class and a clear step up from this year's crop of incoming signal-callers.

The juxtaposition between the two will also make for an interesting choice at or near the top of the draft since significant differences lie in their play and performance.

The 6'3", 218-pound Stroud works efficiently within the confines of Ohio State's explosive offense. When he's in rhythm, he's plenty capable of threading the needle or dropping the ball in the bucket on more difficult passes. But questions remain about how much he'll be able to work off platform and create outside of structure when pressure increases and he doesn't have such an outstanding supporting cast.

Young, meanwhile, is an outlier. Alabama lists him winner at 6'0" and 194 pounds, but he might be closer to 5'10" and 185 pounds. Regardless, his ability to play the position, feel for the game and creativity inside and outside the pocket are unparalleled. Plus, he's showed more this season than he did a year ago when he won the Heisman Trophy.

"He's the only player on that offense with a Round 1 grade," an NFL general manager told ESPN's Matt Miller. "When was the last time that happened at Alabama?"

Others such as Kentucky's Will Levis and Florida's Anthony Richardson will receive first-round consideration, but there's no question which two quarterbacks stack near the top of the class.

When a team doesn't have a franchise quarterback, it's always searching for one. Stroud and Young are the best options in the '23 NFL draft to potentially reach elite status and lead their respective organizations for a decade or more.

After the 2019 season, the Carolina Panthers moved on from former league MVP Cam Newton, their all-time leading passer. Over the ensuing two-and-a-half seasons, the following quarterbacks have started at least one game for them:

• Teddy Bridgewater (15 starts)
• P.J. Walker (one start)
  
• Sam Darnold (11 starts)
• P.J. Walker again (one start)
• Cam Newton (five starts)
• Baker Mayfield (five starts)
• P.J. Walker for a third time (four starts)

The Panthers activated Darnold from injured reserve this week after he suffered a high ankle sprain in the preseason. Maybe he'll get another shot behind center this season. At this point, what does it even matter?

The Panthers' long-term answer at quarterback isn't on the current roster. It hasn't been on the roster for years, even though owner David Tepper has continually stressed the importance of the position.

However, the Panthers haven't brought in a viable solution since Newton left. Every quarterback who has started for them in recent years was nothing more than a half-measure.

Organizational incompetence at the game's most important position could ironically turn into something positive.

The Panthers are currently in line for the second overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft. While the Houston Texans sit ahead of them, the Texans at least have Davis Mills as a fallback (more on that in a bit). The Panthers are screaming into the void, hoping someone answers the call.

Stroud or Young could change the Panthers' downward trajectory and finally get them back on track, as long as they hire the right head coach this offseason following the dismissal of Matt Rhule.

The Houston Texans are in the driver's seat as the current owners of the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft. If they keep that spot, they'll have a decision to make.

Second-year quarterback Davis Mills hasn't been terrible, and he could greatly benefit from a better supporting cast. The Texans could take a non-traditional path by selecting Alabama edge-rusher Will Anderson Jr., the consensus top talent in this year's draft class.

But the pull of landing a top-tier quarterback may be far too strong, especially since Houston owns another first-round selection thanks to the Deshaun Watson trade.

To Mills' credit, he hasn't gone down in flames even though the Texans placed him in a near-impossible situation. In 21 games (19 starts), he's posted a 65.2 completion percentage and a 26-to-18 touchdown-to-interception ratio despite playing with one of the NFL's worst receiving corps.

Meanwhile, the Texans have been in flux. General manager Nick Caserio began a complete rebuild that continues to this day. The organization fired head coach David Culley after only one season. New head coach Lovie Smith isn't faring much better with a 1-6-1 record.

Since taking David Carr No. 1 overall in 2002, the Texans have selected only one other quarterback (Watson) in the first round. It's time for them to take another, especially if they get a top-two pick in this year's draft.

Derek Carr has had a nice run as the Las Vegas Raiders' starting quarterback over the past eight-and-a-half seasons. The three-time Pro Bowler has had four straight 4,000-yard seasons and has guided the Raiders to the playoffs twice since 2016.

But his long-term standing in Las Vegas should be tenuous based on the Raiders' direction.

Carr is a fringe top-10 quarterback at best, but his average annual salary currently ranks seventh at $40.5 million per season. However, the Raiders can release or trade him this offseason and save $29.3 million, according to Over the Cap.

The 2-6 Raiders are currently in line for the No. 3 overall pick. They'd have to strongly consider drafting Stroud or Young if either fell to them. Carr should hold enough trade value to bring back a solid return from another quarterback-desperate team.

Without a major second-half turnaround, the Raiders are in need of major change. They aren't likely to replace head coach Josh McDaniels after only one season.

"Josh is safe," a league source told CBS Sports' Josina Anderson. "Don't believe crowd noise. Everyone is disappointed, but no one is panicking. We all feel we have a good team, we just have to finish games better."

Part of finishing games is having a quarterback who's capable of stringing together enough good throws to slam the door shut. If the Raiders continue to scuffle, they'll have to weigh the possibility of moving on from Carr and taking a top-tier quarterback prospect next spring.

The Pittsburgh Steelers placed themselves in a predicament heading into the 2022 NFL draft. They neglected for years to develop an heir apparent to longtime quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, which led them to sign bridge signal-caller Mitchell Trubisky in free agency.

The Steelers wound up spending the No. 20 overall pick on Kenny Pickett, who supplanted Trubisky after only four games. The selection of Pickett shouldn't necessarily preclude them from taking another highly ranked quarterback prospect in the 2023 draft, though.

The 2-6 Steelers are currently in line for the No. 4 overall pick. The last time they had a top-five pick, they took future Hall of Fame quarterback Terry Bradshaw first overall in 1970.

Stroud and Young are superior options compared to Pickett. Not only are they both more talented than him, but they're also much younger.

Pickett will turn 25 in June. Stroud and Young are both 21. The Steelers can't fall victim to sunk-cost fallacy and pass on either of them just because they already have Pickett on their roster.

The NFL's most stable franchise might have a chance to acquire an elite prospect at the game's most important position.

The Indianapolis Colts' seemingly promising offseason acquisition of Matt Ryan has spiraled into an organizational descent into despair.

In the last three weeks alone, the Colts benched Ryan for 2021 sixth-round draft pick Sam Ehlinger, fired offensive coordinator Marcus Brady and dismissed head coach Frank Reich. Owner Jim Irsay then hired former Colts center Jeff Saturday to serve as interim head coach even though he has no previous coaching experience at the collegiate or professional levels.

The Colts' current level of dysfunction is staggering. It can all be traced back to Andrew Luck's abrupt retirement shortly before the 2019 campaign began.

Since then, the Colts have cycled through a new quarterback (or two) each and every season. Jacoby Brissett, Philip Rivers and Carson Wentz kept the boat somewhat afloat, but things have gotten far worse now that the rest of the roster has eroded.

The Colts' overpaid and underperforming offensive line made Ryan's acquisition dead on arrival. Their inability to properly protect an aging pocket passer resulted in a sack-and-turnover party for opposing defenses. Ehlinger is more mobile, but he's still under barrage.

Irsay finally reached his breaking point, and his fingers are all over what happened in Indianapolis this year, starting with the Wentz and Ryan trades to what's occurred as of late. That frustration will fuel the franchise's offseason moves, which figure to revolve around the quarterback position.

The Colts currently aren't within striking distance of the top two quarterback prospects. As of now, they hold the 14th overall pick. But they seem primed to go into the tank, even if Irsay won't admit it.

A continued downward spiral could put the Colts firmly in the top 10, perhaps making them a viable trade partner for whichever teams land the top picks.

With an NFL-high $60.2 million in dead salary-cap space, the Atlanta Falcons looked like they had the league's worst on paper. Head coach Arthur Smith has them playing feisty, though. They even held sole possession of the NFC South lead with a 4-4 record before faltering this past weekend.

As impressive as the Falcons are at times, their deficiencies are obvious, starting at quarterback. Marcus Mariota has steadied the ship at times, but he ranks 22nd and 24th leaguewide in passing yardage and passing attempts, respectively.

The low number of passing attempts is particularly disappointing because the Falcons have two young, dynamic receiving threats in second-year tight end Kyle Pitts and rookie wideout Drake London. Atlanta's primary goal from this point forward should be to find a quarterback who's capable of taking full advantage of those unicorns in the passing game.

The Falcons are currently in line for the No. 15 overall pick. Like the Indianapolis Colts, they'd have to move into the top 10 before becoming serious suitors for Stroud or Young.

Atlanta has a few building blocks in place with Pitts, London, cornerback A.J. Terrell and defensive tackle Grady Jarrett, but it could use upgrades or reinforcements at every other position. It's great when a coach gets the most out of his team, but it might be a detriment in this particular case.

Until the Falcons acquire a quarterback who can expand their offense rather than limit it, they'll never be able to compete with the NFC's heavyweights. Trading up might be their most logical solution, with Mariota serving as a bridge next year until their prospect of choice is ready to start.