(Henry Russell/Yahoo Sports illustration)
Congratulations! You’re now an NFL general manager and your sole job is to secure a franchise quarterback for your team. You have the power to select any quarterback who joined the league in the past five years. Exciting, right? Let’s dive into our draft order, based on both performance and potential. You’re on the clock!
1. Joe Burrow (Originally selected Round 1, Pick 1, 2020): The best quarterback of the past five years … for now. Already taken his team to the Super Bowl. Injuries are a concern, but when he’s on the field, he’s as good as it gets.
2. Brock Purdy (Round 7, Pick 262, 2022): Mr. Irrelevant has blossomed into Mr. Franchise for the 49ers. An MVP candidate and an inspiration to journeyman QBs everywhere, he goes from the back of the draft to the very front.
3. Jalen Hurts (Round 2, Pick 53, 2020): Regressed a bit from his MVP-level play of 2022, but remains one of the league’s key dual-threat quarterbacks.
4. Tua Tagovailoa (Round 1, Pick 5, 2020): The most up-and-down QB of this top tier; Mike McDaniel seems to have unlocked something in Tagovailoa, but could anyone else?
5. Trevor Lawrence (Round 1, Pick 1, 2021): His toughness isn’t a question, nor is his ability to rally a team. But is his inconsistency against better teams a knock on him, or the Jaguars franchise as a whole?
6. Justin Herbert (Round 1, Pick 6, 2020): Could move well up this list with a new coaching staff starting in 2024. Flashes of excellence dragged down by the pervasive Chargering all around him.
7. C.J. Stroud (Round 1, Pick 2, 2023): Shows every indication that he’ll be an elite-level talent for years to come, but it’s still early.
8. Kyler Murray (Round 1, Pick 1, 2019): Concerns about his size and durability have proven correct, but he still possesses the ability to perplex and torment a defense. May not be the solution, but he’s the kind of QB who will do until the solution comes along.
9. Anthony Richardson (Round 1, Pick 4, 2023): Still in the “potential” phase of his NFL career. If he develops on the trajectory of earlier this season — and if he stays healthy, no certain thing — he could move up this list with a quickness.
10. Justin Fields (Round 1, Pick 11, 2021): Worlds of talent, especially speed, in a system that doesn’t capitalize on his strengths but magnifies his weaknesses. Question is whether he’s already hit his ceiling, or whether there’s room to grow ahead.
11. Bryce Young (Round 1, Pick 1, 2023): It’s clear now that Stroud was a better fit for the NFL game from the jump than Young was,