NFL Draft

While the 2022 NFL draft saw only one quarterback taken in the first round, next year is shaping up to be a bonanza.

Matt Miller of ESPN reported there are as many as five quarterbacks receiving first-round attention, and the league is buzzing about the deep crop of signal-callers.

"This might be the deepest QB class in a long, long time. Maybe ever," one general manager said. "Especially in terms of volume. We're evaluating so many guys. It's a great year to need a quarterback."

Alabama's Bryce Young, Ohio State's C.J. Stroud, Kentucky's Will Levis, Florida's Anthony Richardson and Miami's Tyler Van Dyke are among the names drawing serious first-round consideration.

Young and Stroud are virtual locks to be top-10 picks and could be the first two players off the board next April. While neither has been as sensational early in 2022 as they were a year ago, both possess near-ideal modern skill sets at the quarterback position.

Levis, Richardson and Van Dyke are more high-variance prospects, with their potential draft position being highly dependent on their performance this season. Levis is a big, athletic quarterback with a rocket arm, but he's turnover prone and couldn't beat out Sean Clifford at Penn State.

Richardson has superstar potential with every physical trait you'd want in a quarterback; he's just nowhere close to tapping his skills. He looked overwhelmed in last week's 26-16 loss to Kentucky and hasn't thrown a touchdown in 59 pass attempts this season.

Van Dyke is more of an old-school pocket passer, but he's light years ahead of Levis and Richardson with his poise in the pocket. The Miami product drew comparisons to Kirk Cousins coming out of high school, and it's not hard to envision him having a similar career.

Miller's report indicated there are more than 20 quarterbacks scouts see as having NFL potential this year, and it's likely we'll see at least one or two make a name for themselves with their play this season.

At this time a year ago, no one would have predicted Kenny Pickett as the top quarterback in the 2022 class. While it's unlikely anyone will knock Young and Stroud off their perch as the top prospects, don't be surprised if another name sneaks into the first-round conversation once conference play gets underway.

ESPN NFL draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. believes USC's Jordan Addison will make an immediate impact when he makes the jump to the next level.

Kiper said Monday that Addison could "absolutely" be the No. 1 wide receiver on the 2023 NFL draft board.

He wrote that Addison "already is an elite route runner," adding, "He's NFL-ready right now."

The Trojans star is coming off a breakout sophomore season. He caught 100 passes for 1,593 yards and 17 touchdowns with Pittsburgh en route to winning the Fred Biletnikoff Award.

His starting quarterback at Pitt, Kenny Pickett, left for the NFL, while his offensive coordinator, Mark Whipple, took the same job at Nebraska, so Addison sought greener pastures at USC. Playing for head coach Lincoln Riley and having Caleb Williams throw him passes will allow him to fully showcase his skills for NFL talent evaluators.

"Just me already knowing Lincoln's history and what he did with some great receivers, that's No. 1," Addison said in August of what made USC alluring. "And just to see how the change was going here and the rebuilding process. I'm just glad to be out here."

The gambit is paying off. Through the Trojans' first two games, the 6'0" pass-catcher has 12 receptions for 226 yards and four touchdowns.

Addison will have stiff competition to be the first wideout selected in the 2023 draft.

LSU's Kayshon Boutte was the No. 1 WR and No. 4 overall pick in Bleacher Report's most recent mock draft. Ohio State's Jaxon Smith-Njigba was next and projected to land with the Houston Texans at No. 12. Addison followed one pick later to the New England Patriots.

Like Kiper, B/R NFL draft scout Derrik Klassen praised Addison's route-running and added he's "a significantly better ball-winner than his size would suggest and an absolute terror with the ball in his hands."

While the ceiling of Addison's draft stock is in flux, he appears to be a lock for a Day 1 selection.