Each NFL draft season brings its own set of variables. Scrutiny over a given year's quarterback class is not one of them.
Quarterbacks are always a fascinating storyline, whether it's considered a weak class -- as in 2022, when Kenny Pickett (No. 20) was the only signal-caller selected among the first 73 picks -- or a strong one such as this season's, with ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. projecting the first four selections in the 2023 NFL draft beginning April 27 (8 p.m. ET on ESPN, ABC, ESPN App) to be quarterbacks. The premium nature of the position and the long-standing mythology around it ensures fans and draft observers will be watching closely to see where the quarterbacks land.
The NFL personnel tasked with evaluating those players will be watching too, after spending weeks and months determining how they believe each will fare at the next level. We turned to those NFL executives, scouts and coaches to give us a window into the construction of quarterback draft boards, offering their own player comps and a sense of where they believe each of the draft-worthy QBs could be selected. We then placed those quarterbacks in order and into tiers, reflecting the consensus of experts within the league on the abilities of each player: