Personally, I am not terribly in the QB camp, neither this year nor last, though I will adamantly suggest the Lions are in an excellent position to target and develop a successor if they want to. However, I still scouted the three guys it’d be likely Detroit would probably be looking at if they *did* want to add one. I believe that Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud will be picks 1 and 2 in some order, or worst case Stroud is 3rd maybe? But either way, I don’t think they’re terribly plausible options for Detroit yet. That means reports done on **Anthony Richardson, Will Levis**, and **Hendon Hooker**.
And it is great timing too, as the Lions have [Hendon Hooker coming in for a visit tomorrow.](https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/1645412386784903170?s=20) So feel free to read up.
Each section covers a player’s strengths, weaknesses, how they fit within the Lions current framework, and then some overall thoughts in conclusion.
# Florida QB Anthony Richardson
https://preview.redd.it/bhhoaeeap2ta1.png?width=1000&format=png&auto=webp&v=enabled&s=a379ff44520410d972efeb229830a17bdd4c54e7
The [full-breakdown is found here.](https://motorcityfootball.substack.com/p/scouting-report-anthony-richardson) Richardson is a high ceiling quarterback who flashes elite arm strength and athleticism, along with some surprising touch on the ball. He is, however, the biggest project due to his severe lack of experience, and thus consistency as well.
Ultimately, I found Richardson to be a far more enticing prospect than expected. The short summary of it is this:
>Ultimately, **I am a genuine believer in Anthony Richardson’s ability to become an effective NFL quarterback**, and with the potential to be a genuine upgrade from Jared Goff. That is largely due to his surprising touch and deep ball, added to a very impressive athletic component to his game. The accuracy is a bit of a concern, but more and more we are seeing coaches create game plans to overcome this and create easy opportunities for their QB’s to grow in that aspect, such as Brian Daboll and Josh Allen. Additionally, as I mentioned above, the Lions offer a unique opportunity that not a lot of top-ten selected quarterbacks get, which is a very solid cast of supporting talent, patience to develop, and a strong developmental coaching staff to work with.
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>I would argue many of his issues are very solvable with more time in a pro-style system, and with experience. Richardson is less raw than he really is lacking in experience. There’s a lot more polish to his game than you would expect, and I think his floor is going to be a good deal higher than some like to act like it will be, given his elite athleticism giving a clear ability to make plays in one regard at least.
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>The Lions grabbing Richardson, allowing him to develop this season while using him situationally in some wildcat packages is a very enticing proposition. Ultimately, I am not sure Richardson is available to the Lions at sixth overall, though I would be fine moving up for him. I think he’s an ideal fit for what the Lions would need in terms of upside.
Again, do note though, there is a difference between “fine moving up for him” and *wanting* the Lions to do so. I genuinely think Richardson will become a good NFL quarterback in the right situation, and the Lions are probably the best bet out of anyone in the top-10 to help him actually reach that ceiling, so thus a lot of appeal and merit.
# Kentucky QB Will Levis
https://preview.redd.it/cip3f3wdp2ta1.png?width=795&format=png&auto=webp&v=enabled&s=5b68d4deccb0f644e3d09d69b6f11e21b9f02416
The [full-breakdown is found here.](https://motorcityfootball.substack.com/p/scouting-report-will-levis) Levis is another high upside quarterback who looked like a genuine stud in 2021 under former Rams assistant Liam Coen, but then took a bit of a step back towards inconsistent in 2022. He’s got an excellent arm, his mechanics are sound, and he’s very got that big-time gene of escaping the pocket and creating either with his legs or downfield. However, he locks onto his first read and lacks follow through on some of his throws, creating inconsistent ball placement. He’s a bit of an all-or-nothing type player, though admittedly:
>I do like Will Levis, at least more than a lot of my fellow wannabe NFL scouts out there on Twitter and other sites. I think he’s something in between probably a more mobile Matthew Stafford at his peak, and probably something more like Ryan Tannehill on average, with his lower end being a pre-Brian Daboll Daniel Jones variant. The upside to be better than Goff in the Lions system does exist, as Goff’s deep ball accuracy and comfort is still less-than-desirable, but Levis is hardly a sure bet. And that is where a lot of fans’ concern will come from. Why spend a top-ten pick on someone who *might not even be an upgrade* than the guy you have? It is a totally valid concern.
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>He would not be my choice at sixth overall, but I can see how the Lions would feel comfortable developing him behind Goff for a season, and then using his superior arm strength, athleticism, and easy rhythm throwing to really take it to the next level as Levis grows as a passer. Levis, despite his inconsistencies, has all the tools to be a genuine top-5 quarterback in the NFL if you can iron out his rougher spots, speed up his decision-making, and build up his confidence as a distributor from the pocket. At the same time, there is some concern that he might not even become a serviceable NFL quarterback, as his inaccuracy and poor decision-making do create clear barriers to his game.
As I have said before, we live in an age of excessive criticism. No is happy unless they’re tearing someone else down, and that always rears its ugly head in NFL Draft SZN, where the anti-Levis train has a religious zeal to it. He certainly has flaws, but at the end of the day, Levis took a basketball school to a 17-7 record over two seasons, with 65% accuracy, almost 6,000 yards passing, and 54 touchdowns (passing and rushing) to 23 interceptions, and possesses the desired raw attributes. People want Joe Burrow from the jump these days, and Levis isn’t that, but there’s a lot more to like than anticipated.
# Tennessee QB Hendon Hooker
https://preview.redd.it/nz0gg7zfp2ta1.png?width=1823&format=png&auto=webp&v=enabled&s=c2e8e58c7a3ff315d904bdc83423b2a8dd087056
The [full-breakdown is here.](https://motorcityfootball.substack.com/p/scouting-report-hendon-hooker) Hooker has some intangibles concern in terms of his age and ACL injury, but is a very polished passer who wins with good ball placement to all levels of the field, accuracy, zip, and high end athleticism as well. He’ll have arguably the biggest hurdle from a scheme standpoint, as Josh Heupel’s Air Raid RPO offense is highly simplistic compared to the offenses both Levis (Coen/Scangarello) and Richardson (Mullen/Napier) have run. However, if the Lions can develop his comfort throwing with anticipation over the middle, and bring along his processing for full-field reads, Hooker is a very polished quarterback with excellent accuracy and efficiency who has shown how dynamic he can be stretching the field. Lot of upside there.
>There is plenty to like about Hendon Hooker as a potential NFL QB. He has the arm, he’s accurate, his mechanics are sound, he has some athleticism and dual-threat ability to his game, he’s got the size, and he was more productive than a significant number of quarterbacks at the college this past season. The film really flashes overall from a traits perspective, as overall Hooker is a poised and accurate QB who checks a lot of boxes. However, teams will need to ensure they have a gameplan to develop him mentally out there. Sitting in the 2023 season would be the best case scenario for him.
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>And as I said earlier, I do not find much to be concerned with in his ACL tear or age, at least not relative to how it would affect his time in Detroit. What does give me some concern is the transition he would have to make from the Josh Heupel offense to an NFL one. The “age concern” is less how old he actually is, and more that he has played for six seasons in the college ranks and really only took off when given a very simple offense surrounded by NFL caliber weapons around him like Darnell Wright, Jalin Hyatt, and Cedric Tillman, and the offense certainly is more built around *their* talents than Hooker’s from what I saw on film.
Ultimately, Hooker was probably my least favorite of the three, as he was arguably the toughest to translate to the NFL, but probably has the second-highest floor of the three, and is going to be able to replicate what the Lions currently run with enough ease. I am not terribly concerned with the age overall, but relative to Goff, and the needed development and schematic transition, there’s enough to shy me away from Hooker.
# Bo77 Final Quarterback Rankings
https://preview.redd.it/3n6uxv8hp2ta1.png?width=1812&format=png&auto=webp&v=enabled&s=4b2f101875c1b28d92c9ce5b412d473523f03fd6
|1|Bryce Young|Alabama|Dynamic playmaker with escapability, great eyes, and advanced understanding of the X’s and O’s in front of him.|First-Round Talent (High-End Upside)|
|:-|:-|:-|:-|:-|
|2|Anthony Richardson|Florida|Immense developmental upside with arm strength, touch, and athleticism, but experience and consistent needed.|First-Round Talent (High-End Upside)|
|3|C.J. Stroud|Ohio State|Polished and precise passer with historically good accuracy and ball placement. Rattles under pressure and hasn’t maximized his athleticism. |First-Round Talent (High-End Upside)|
|4|Will Levis|Kentucky|Tough, high upside quarterback who’ll need to learn to be content with single’s and double’s more frequently, rather than aiming for the home run every snap. |First-Round Talent (High-End Upside)|
|5|Hendon Hooker|Tennessee|Similar to Stroud, polished and accurate passer who excels outside the hashes and stretching the field. Needs to challenge over the middle better to become an NFL starter. |Second-Round Talent (Moderate NFL QB)|
|6|Dorian Thompson-Robinson|UCLA|Rising prospect who lacks size, but brings athleticism, a good arm, and plenty of explosiveness and creativity inside and out of the pocket. |Third-Round Talent (Starting Upside)|
|7|Aidan O’Connell|Purdue|Polished, rhythmic passer who struggles downfield, but is very sharp in the quick game and intermediate routes, giving him a steady floor as a career backup who can find success managing games. |Fourth-Round Talent (Career Backup)|
|8|Clayton Tune|Houston|Experienced and determined quarterback who thrives in his timing and command of the offense. Underrated athlete who could surprise at the next level. ||
|9|Tanner McKee|Stanford|Big, tall pocket passer with excellent arm strength, but lacking in mobility and decision-making. Shows good timing on his outside routes, and underused ability to stretch the field (due to lack of quality offensive play-calling at Stanford). ||
|10|Jaren Hall|BYU|Average size and arm, but wins with great command of the offense and confidence from the pocket plus some athleticism, though very mediocre when throwing on the run diminishes his playmaking ability. ||
I think Stetson Bennett, Jake Haener and Tyson Bagent are also draftable, but a very weak QB class outside of the top five or so options. Would probably prefer the Lions simply grab Teddy Bridgewater as a higher-end backup to Sudfeld, maybe trade for Trey Lance if they wanted more ceiling, or then punt on it until Goff’s play regresses or they can’t find common agreement on an extension. I.E., Goff is playing well. No need to replace him right now, but the top-4 in this class have very high upside, which is one of two arguments to make in terms of a QB successor.
My outright preference for sixth-overall is for the top defensive piece. Right now, I have Jalen Carter at the top of the board outright, though the Lions evaluation of his intangibles and work ethic need to be factored into there. After that, I love Will Anderson and Christian Gonzalez, and am quite in favor of Tyree Wilson and Devon Witherspoon if Brad Holmes so chooses, though I would throw Anthony Richardson ahead of those two outright at that point. If Levis slides, I’d be willing to move up from 18 if needed, as I think 18 is an odd spot for the Lions that could shake out poorly.
**PLEASE KEEP THIS THREAD FOCUSED ON DISCUSSING THE ACTUAL MERIT AND FIT OF THE QUARTERBACKS. There are 900 other “Should we replace Goff” or “We don’t NEED a QB” threads. This is aimed at actually discussing the prospects themselves, not whether the Lions need to be taking one.**
14 comments
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Anthony Richardson over stroud is definitely a choice
Disagree with your actual rankings (although we both have Richardson as QB2), but as always appreciate your work
Weren’t you one of the guys that wanted Malik at 2 last year?
My breakdown of the prospects are as follows:
CJ Stroud: Fantastic prospect, big arm, cool, tall, last name looks good on jersey
Bryce Young: Fantastic prospect if he wore heels, big arm, also cool, short king, last name looks like a franchise QB name on jersey
Anthony richardson: insane monster of an athletic freak except when it comes to actually playing the position of QB, he’s a “try and skip a stone but miss the lake” kinda guy, boring last name that’s too long
Levis: sucks, name weird
No comment, just wanted to say thanks for adding a post with substance. I enjoy reading these as they come out. Looking forward to draft day to see how it shakes out
I like DTR a lot. One thing a back up can provide is energy and juice on the field. I think he got better every year at ucla and he can become a quality back up behind Jared.
Nice to have Bo77 back and posting. Good stuff, brother
AR over Stroud seems to be an opinion to intentionally go against the grain. That, or you value ceiling to an extreme extent.
Im a levis truther and really think he’ll be great in the nfl, but based on my track record expect him to be a historically bad qb
Will Levis just seems like a worse version of Zach Wilson. Same strengths and weaknesses, but his weaknesses are more pronounced, and the strengths are less developed.
I’m really confused on why so many people hate Richardson, even those who are Florida fans who watched him a lot.
I’m not saying there aren’t legitimate concerns, but you can say that about any NFL prospect.
There are a lot of things that Richardson does well that shows up on tape and not the stat sheet because his receivers around him were absolutely awful. He picks up blitzes well and is able to extend plays, he has a really nice deep ball and was used more than it should have with no legit deep threat on the team.
Also I like that he makes good anticipation throws before WRs made their breaks. Not always on target mind you, but having that ability is nice.
The fact he can make some absolutely elite throws shows the ability is there, but the consistency needs work, and he needs experience and coaching to tap into it. And through his interviews it also seems like he wants to be more than just another running QB which should play in his favor.
I firmly believe Will Levis is going to have a Matt Stafford career and will be almost the exact same QB as Stafford making him a huge bargain as he will likely be the 4th QB taken.
That being said I also believe the Lions are going to superbowl this year with Goff and we have a 2 year window to win a superbowl.
I want Lions to spend every available pick on someone who can help us win superbowl now or 2024/2025 with Goff and not squander those picks on a future QB.
I only follow the Pac-12 but I feel like Tanner McKee has the best shot at surprising some people. I thought Davis Mills declared too early for the NFL and I was surprised he somehow squeezed a few years out as a starting QB for the Texans, and I like McKee more than Mills. He’s got a hell of an arm and he’s a smart guy (I’ve met him), but he’s flying way further under the radar due to that awful supporting cast. He’s been throwing into NFL windows his whole career at Stanford just due to how bad his receivers were at gaining separation. The whole slow-mesh offense last year was a mistake, a desperate attempt to scheme receivers open when nothing else worked. I think with some players who can actually catch the ball and a bit of coaching, he can cut it in the NFL.
Conversely, not at all a fan of DTR. Had he declared last year, I doubt he would have been drafted at all. He mainly improved in his super senior year just by reducing the amount of boneheaded mistakes he made all the time through his first four years. I’d also have some durability concerns with the amount he’s been banged up. I don’t think he’s a good decision maker, and he benefited a lot from the improv “scramble around, throw it up and hope someone catches it” style of play that doesn’t work in the NFL (a la Manziel), except with receivers who could catch it (in contrast to McKee).