NFC GM: 2023 NFL QB Class Featuring Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud Best Group 'Maybe Ever'

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.