NFL Draft News & Analysis

2023 NFL Draft: Highest-graded draft-eligible quarterbacks by season

Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Hendon Hooker (5) during the game against the Missouri Tigers at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud led the way in 2021: The Alabama and Ohio State quarterbacks tied with Kenny Pickett for the highest-graded quarterbacks in the 2021 season.

Hendon Hooker excelled at two schools: Hooker was among the highest-graded quarterbacks in the 2023 NFL Draft both at Tennessee and Virginia Tech.

Clayton Tune was the best in two separate seasons: The Houston quarterback paced all 2023 NFL Draft quarterbacks in both 2022 and 2020.

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The 2023 NFL Draft is nearly a month away, making it almost time for teams to start finalizing their grades on prospects.

Here’s a look back at the highest-graded college football quarterbacks by season who are eligible to be picked in this year’s draft.


2022

Tune tied with Ohio’s Kurtis Rourke for the highest-graded quarterback in college football this past season. The fifth-year senior’s 30 big-time throws were the fifth most in the country, and he finished with the fourth-highest adjusted completion rate (79.5%). Overall, his 91.3 passing grade was tied for the best in the country. Tune is currently the 10th-best quarterback on PFF’s big board and projects to be a sixth-round prospect.


2021

Both Young and Stroud were tied with Kenny Pickett for the highest-graded quarterback in the 2021 season.

Young won the Heisman Trophy that year and led the Power Five with 36 big-time throws. He’s currently the No. 1 overall prospect on PFF’s big board. Meanwhile, Stroud won by being deadly accurate. His 46.5% rate of perfectly placed passes 10-plus yards downfield was second among FBS quarterbacks. He’s PFF's third-best quarterback in the 2023 NFL Draft — and a top-five overall prospect.


2020

Tune was the highest-graded quarterback from this draft class in both 2022 and 2020. As a junior, he ranked 10th among Group of Five quarterbacks in big-time throws (18). His 6% big-time throw rate also led all quarterbacks in the American Athletic Conference.


2019

As a redshirt sophomore, Morgan posted an 89.1 passing grade that ranked sixth among Power Five quarterbacks. He also placed sixth in the Power Five in rate of perfectly placed passes (16.4%). Morgan was recently selected eighth overall by the Michigan Panthers in the 2023 USFL Draft.


2018

Before transferring to Kansas State, Martinez spent four years as Nebraska’s quarterback. As a true freshman in 2018, he ranked sixth among Power Five quarterbacks in rushing yards after contact (452). He was recently taken with the No. 15 overall pick in the 2023 USFL Draft by the New Jersey Generals.

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