With Alabama's Bryce Young and Ohio State's C.J. Stroud expected to be selected No. 1 and 2 overall in this year's NFL draft, the next significant step is deciphering who will be the third quarterback to come off the board.
After getting input from NFL evaluators, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler placed Florida's Anthony Richardson and Kentucky's Will Levis in Tier 2 of the 2023 draft-eligible QBs.
The decision between the two could be difficult, though it shouldn't be.
"[The Indianapolis Colts] need a Day 1 starter from this rookie class, too, and Levis is currently ahead of Anthony Richardson for Indianapolis, according to sources close to the team, because he's more likely to be able to play right away," ESPN's Matt Miller reported.
Such a move would be a mistake. Richardson presents elite traits to place him among the league's best if utilized correctly and properly developed.
Before diving a little deeper into both prospects, keep the following is mind: Richardson has yet to turn 21. At the same age, Levis was still the backup for Penn State and a season away from transferring to Kentucky.
An understanding of where a prospect sits on the developmental curve is important context when weighing different options.
Let's start with Levis, because he's the more accomplished signal-caller with the reported edge to come off the board with the fourth overall pick.
