C.J. Stroud

Alabama star Bryce Young and Ohio State star C.J. Stroud have emerged as the early frontrunners for top quarterback in the 2023 NFL draft class, according to NBC Sports' Peter King.

King reported Young was projected as the consensus No. 1 overall pick, with Stroud following closely behind at No. 2. Miami's Tyler Van Dyke was also viewed as a possible top-10 pick, while Boston College's Phil Jurkovec was considered a mid-first-round pick.

Stroud (+200) is the slight betting favorite at DraftKings Sportsbook to be the No. 1 pick, with Young (+225) only marginally behind.

Stroud threw for 4,435 yards and 44 touchdowns while completing 71.9 percent of his passes in 2021. Young was even more prolific, finishing with 4,872 yards and 47 touchdowns. As long as they both remain healthy, it's difficult to see how their draft stock takes a significant hit between now and next spring.

The 2022 NFL draft might go down as one of the worst in recent memory in terms of the quarterback position. Kenny Pickett (No. 20) was the only QB selected in the first round, and the trio of Desmond Ridder, Malik Willis and Matt Corral were the next off the board in the third round.

Franchises that are rebuilding might be content to wait around until next year before they target somebody who could be their franchise quarterback.

The Houston Texans, for example, didn't do anything too radical following the Deshaun Watson trade, with Davis Mills likely to be their starting QB. Should Mills struggle in 2023, Houston might be able to have its pick of the best passers in the draft.

Using a third-rounder on Corral may not preclude the Carolina Panthers from taking a quarterback in 2023, either, while the same goes for the Washington Commanders after they snagged Sam Howell in the fifth round.

Quarterbacks were one of the largest sources of intrigue in the buildup to the 2022 draft, largely because of the dearth of top-end talent. That won't be the case next spring.

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The 2022 NFL draft might have only concluded Saturday, but oddsmakers are already looking ahead to next year.

Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud is the betting favorite (+200; bet $100 to win $200) at DraftKings Sportsbook to be the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL draft. Stroud is followed by a pair of Alabama stars: quarterback Bryce Young (+225) and edge-rusher Will Anderson Jr. (+330).

Stroud threw for 4,435 yards and 44 touchdowns in his first season as the Buckeyes' starting quarterback. Young likewise lived up to the hype after replacing 2020 first-round pick Mac Jones. He threw for 4,872 yards and 47 touchdowns.

Anderson, meanwhile, had one of the most dominant seasons in recent memory for a defensive player.

If the 2023 draft were right now, one of those three would likely be taken first overall.

This year offered a barren landscape at quarterback. Kenny Pickett was the only QB selected in the first two rounds. Malik Willis, who some thought could go second overall to the Detroit Lions, was a third-rounder.

The 2023 draft might be much more fertile ground for teams looking to target a signal-caller. In addition to Stroud and Young, Boston College's Phil Jurkovec (+1500), Miami's Tyler Van Dyke (+1800) and South Carolina's Spencer Rattler (+2000) are all fringe No. 1 pick contenders.

Rattler will be one of the most interesting players to watch from the 2023 class.

When the 2021 NFL season was getting ready to kick off, the then-Oklahoma star was the projected No. 1 pick in Bleacher Report's mock draft. As the year unfolded, Rattler's stock dropped precipitously.

Now in fresh scenery, the Gamecocks star might be able to climb to the top of draft boards again with a big 2022 season.

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Bryce Young took his sweet time. But in his absolute final chance to sway voters, the Alabama quarterback very likely secured the 2021 Heisman Trophy.

While leading the Crimson Tide to a 41-24 upset of top-ranked Georgia, he torched the best defense in the country. Young completed 26-of-44 passes for 421 yards and three touchdowns with zero interceptions, adding 40 rushing yards and a score.

The victory sealed Alabama's seventh SEC title of the last decade and seventh trip to the College Football Playoff. And it should be the crowning moment of his Heisman resume.

One thing is certain: Young would have my vote.

Entering the SEC Championship Game, Young held a tenuous grip on his status as the award's favorite. Had the Crimson Tide lost to Georgia, the most deserving candidates were teammate Will Anderson Jr. or Michigan edge-rusher Aidan Hutchinson. Young might've won anyway, but he would've joined the ranks of historical outliers.

In my estimation, neither Anderson nor Hutchinson left much margin for error last weekend.

Anderson padded his resume with a couple of tackles for loss and another sack. He leads the FBS in both categories. Hutchinson, meanwhile, added a sack and won Big Ten Championship Game MVP as Michigan locked up a spot in the CFP, too.

Now, reality didn't match my perception. It's a downright traveshamockery that Anderson, who has a preposterous 32.5 tackles for loss, didn't join Young and Hutchinson as a Heisman finalist. The others are Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud and Pitt signal-caller Kenny Pickett.

The proper choice, nevertheless, is Young.

Heading into bowl season, he holds top-six rankings nationally in passing yards per game (332.5), yards per attempt (9.4) and touchdowns (43). Young is also tied for the fewest interceptions (four) among players with at least 350 pass attempts.

Against four opponents currently in the Top 25—the most accurate reflection of key games—Young averaged 10.1 yards per attempt with 14 total touchdowns and two turnovers.

Most notably, he shredded Georgia in the SEC Championship Game. But just two weeks earlier, Young also obliterated Arkansas with a program-record 559 yards and tossed five touchdowns. Alabama's last three contests featured his two best outings of 2021.

As the positive stats and performances headline his case, even Young's worst showings are hardly problematic.

Alabama lost to Texas A&M, yet Young finished with 369 yards, three touchdowns—including a go-ahead score late in the fourth quarter—and one interception. He struggled for three quarters at Auburn, but Young still led a game-tying 97-yard drive in the final minute of regulation before Bama won in overtime.

No other quarterback can match Young's combination of high-end production, consistency and team success.

Stroud came close, but Ohio State's defeat against Michigan stung his candidacy. Though he admirably moved past a slow September, that second loss effectively ended his hopes of winning.

Pickett is deservedly a finalist with 4,560 offensive yards, 47 total touchdowns and an ACC championship. However, it's hard to ignore losses to Western Michigan and Miami—even though he played well—strictly in comparison to Young.

While I fully believe defenders merit more consideration for this honor, an elite QB with elite production on an elite team is always the most valuable player on the field. That leaves Young ahead of Anderson and Hutchinson, who would receive my second- and third-place votes, respectively.

Young, who can become Alabama's second straight Heisman winner, stood atop the race throughout the last two months. His final performance put an exclamation point on an excellent resume.

"Look, guys, I've seen a lot of good ones in this league," Georgia coach Kirby Smart told reporters after his team's loss to the Crimson Tide. "He's special."

Saturday night, that special quarterback deserves to be announced as the 2021 Heisman Trophy winner.

Stats from NCAA.com, cfbstats.com or B/R research. Follow Bleacher Report CFB writer David Kenyon on Twitter @Kenyon19_BR.

Alabama quarterback Bryce Young believes his teammate, Crimson Tide linebacker Will Anderson Jr., deserved to be named a finalist for this year's Heisman Trophy, which is awarded annually to college football's most outstanding player.

"I definitely think he was deserving," Young told reporters Tuesday. "If you look at numbers, you look at production, I definitely think he deserves to be there. It's unfortunate that he's not going to be there."

Young, Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, Pittsburgh quarterback Kenny Pickett and Ohio State signal-caller C.J. Stroud were announced Monday as this year's finalist for college football's most coveted award. 

Anderson has 92 tackles this season and also leads the country with 32.5 tackles for a loss and 15.5 sacks, per ESPN. He won the Nagurski Award on Monday as college football's best defensive player.

His 2021 performance has matched up to some of the most dominant defenders over the last 10 years.

Anderson's best performance of the season came against Mississippi State on Oct. 16, when he finished with four sacks, six tackles and four tackles for a loss.

Hutchinson, meanwhile, has 55 tackles, 15 tackles for loss and 13.5 sacks this year. He didn't record a four-sack game, but did have a three-sack performance against Penn State on Nov. 13.

Anderson seems unbothered by the snub.

"I have nothing to prove to anybody," Anderson said. "It's all what I do. Nobody's expectations are higher for me. ... I'm just gonna keep doing what I've been doing this whole season."

A defensive player has not won the Heisman since 1997 when former Michigan cornerback Charles Woodson won it.

Young is viewed as the favorite to win this year's award. The sophomore has thrown for 4,322 yards, 43 touchdowns and four interceptions this season. He has also rushed for 31 yards and three scores.

One of his best games of the year came in the 41-24 victory over Georgia in the SEC championship game when he threw for 421 yards and three touchdowns, in addition to rushing for 40 yards and a score.

Pickett, meanwhile, threw for 4,319 yards and 42 touchdowns against seven interceptions this season. The redshirt Pittsburgh senior also rushed for 233 yards and five touchdowns.

The Heisman winner is set to be announced Saturday at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.