Hooker/Stroud/Levis/Young - Who will be the best pro?

[NighthawkVol]

Despite how we feel about it, Levis is the correct answer. He's got all the tools that scouts look for and the size. If Levis played in a better system, or his OL wasn't garbage, he could put up monster numbers. Listen to the way the analysts talk about him, even the way Peyton talks about him.

Or if he didn't make incorrect reads or throw the ball to the other team or fold in crunch time. Then he'd be gooder.

 

[NighthawkVol]

Young/Stroud
Hooker
Levis

 

[ButchPlz]

Part of being a great ballplayer is elevating your team past their shortcomings.

Where has Levis ever done anything but contribute directly to his team's shortcomings? I don't care about the guy's physical tools, he is a very poor decisionmaker and frankly, just plain not a good quarterback. It isn't going to be easier in the NFL, and whatever rube GM burns an early pick on him deserves their eventual firing.

 

[BigOrangeTrain]

Way to hard to predict. A lot depends on what team each of them spends their career with. I honestly have no idea really.

 

[Godfatha]

What’s between the ears matters just as much as physical tools. There have been untold amount of guys who had all the physical tools but didn’t make it long in the NFL. Just UT guys I can think of… Shuler, Martin, Ainge, Bray. Those guys had the physical tools.

I would take Young and Stroud any day all day over Levis. They’re gamers

 

[Jackcrevol]

Essentially every site and pundit seems to have these four as the top QB’s to be taken in the 2023 Draft, with Jefferson from Arky and Jaren Hall from BYU getting some love as well.

Love the arm on Stroud. Not sold on Young in the league because of size. Hooker seems to play perfect football at times. And Levis is entirely inconsistent, albeit playing behind a bad O line.

There’s no obvious pick to me. Hooker and Stroud play in offenses at this level that leave so many questions for scouts. The conscientious from the Kiper, McShay types seem to be that Levis is the guy because of the scheme he plays in, size, arm, toughness and constant comparisons to Josh Allen. He could seriously be the #1 pick when it is all said and done, which will make no sense to many of us.

There’s plenty of football left to be played this season. But for my money, I’d never bet against Hooker considering his history, maturity, the clutch gene, and his intestinal fortitude. Not to mention the fact that he is just simply a winner. I am certainly no GM, owner, or scout, but if I’m drafting a QB, he is my guy.

GBO!

Is this a real thread? Why even waste your breath?

We know the answer, we've seen it play out on field. Hooker is just too talented, too good of a human, and too intelligent to not be successful.

 

[utchs81]

Is this a real thread? Why even waste your breath?

We know the answer, we've seen it play out on field. Hooker is just too talented, too good of a human, and too intelligent to not be successful.

We all hope he gets a fair shot at the NFL, but even if he doesn't he will still be successful.

 

[HooahVol]

Stetson... I just have a gut feeling about him.

I saw where they are predicting Bennett to be a 3rd rounder. I was a little surprised. Yes, he is 5 foot nothing and an a-hole but a proven winner. He doesn't choke. I am not arguing he should be a first round guy but he would be someone I might go after if he gets low enough and just see what happens.

 

[DaddyChad]

Stetson... I just have a gut feeling about him.

That’s food poisoning, seek medical attention

 

[DaddyChad]

I saw where they are predicting Bennett to be a 3rd rounder. I was a little surprised. Yes, he is 5 foot nothing and an a-hole but a proven winner. He doesn't choke. I am not arguing he should be a first round guy but he would be someone I might go after if he gets low enough and just see what happens.

Bennett isn’t getting drafted, if he does it will be in the last couple of rounds.

 

[volmanjr]

Levis is the only one in that bunch that plays "real" football so....

 

[sjt18]

Despite how we feel about it, Levis is the correct answer. He's got all the tools that scouts look for and the size. If Levis played in a better system, or his OL wasn't garbage, he could put up monster numbers. Listen to the way the analysts talk about him, even the way Peyton talks about him.

He had decision making issues even when he had a great OL, better WR's, a better OC, and a great running game.

You might be right but I think some have created a Josh Allen "rule" that may not apply to most guys who are physically talented but can't seem to put it together mentally. I don't personally have anything against Levis. He lost the last two times out to UT so that makes it pretty easy not to "hate" him. I just see a guy who made too many questionable decisions during his time at UK.

 

[sjt18]

I love HH, he's a great college FB and person, but honestly, I think if you remove the bias, the answer likely will be the following (and I think people in NFL circles would also agree due to their projected draft order):

1. Young
2. Levis
3. Stroud
4. Hooker

Love Hooker. Not sure about the draft. My doubts about him as a pro hinge on him being somewhat of a "system" QB. Heupel effectively designed an O that gave him simple reads and avoided things he didn't do well.

He has plenty of talent but will have a lot to prove in a purely pro-style O.

 

[sami]

This exact question was a topic on First Take today. Kiper says Levis will be the best pro out of this year’s QB class. Stephen A and Mad Dog seemed as baffled as we are, but Kiper and his connections continue to double down on Levis. Either Kiper will look like a genius or a GM is going to lose his job.

How anyone can sit through a show with the likes of Smith and Russo hosting is way beyond me, but I digress ......

Kiper is going off what pro scouts look at, which almost always values measurables and 'potential' far more than on the field college results. In this case, Levis checks all the boxes as far as physical stature, and couple that with the NFL's copycat trend that has everyone looking for the 'next Josh Allen' at the moment, so Levis is the guy.

I don't see it, as I'm yet to see a game where Levis was impressive enough to justify the praise, measurables or not. But you can see NFL coaches salivating at the 'potential' there, the same way they did with JaMarcus Russell and Ryan Leaf, who at least did some impressive things in college.

All I'm going to say is that anyone who passes on Bryce Young is going to spend the rest of their career trying to live it down.

 

[fossilfiction]

Will Levis is essentially Stetson Bennett without talent around him.

 

[sami]

Could be Bennett. He beat every one of them. Before you say "it's because he had a great defense", and that may be true, he might get drafted to a team with a great defense. Who knows. On the flip side, there have been great college QB's similar to the ones listed that never evolved into anything and flopped in the NFL - Ryan Leaf for one. There have been lots of afterthoughts that have surprised and been capable than expected - Brady, for one... All depends on where they land for the most part.

If Bennett is even drafted it will be a wasted pick. Mentioning Tom Brady in the same post as Bennett is beyond comical. Bennett is small and doesn't have a big arm - he is Johnny Manzeil without that level of talent, and Manzeil couldn't make it. You must never watch anything but Georgia football (like most UGa fans) to remotely believe that Bennett might be anything more than possibly a practice squad player or third string body on a team with QB injuries.

Succeeding in college while throwing into huge windows and with a supporting cast that was far superior to anyone they played is a far cry from the level playing field talent wise, pro secondaries, and tiny windows he'll need to fit throws into in the NFL.

 

[scottvols69]

My guess is Bennett in a few short years will become his nickname "the Mailman" for some rural town in GA.

 

[HooahVol]

Will Levis is essentially Stetson Bennett without talent around him.

I just don't know. To be completely honest I only watched Kentucky play against UGA and us. Levis did not impress in either of those games. Lets be honest, our Secondary was not exactly NFL caliber and he went 16/27 for only 98 yards and 3 INTs. I just feel like he is the Ryan Leaf of this year's draft.

 

[Majors]

I don't see any of them being starters. None are talented enough to lead a franchise taking a QB early in the draft. Hooker will be held back by age, Levis although has the physical gifts couldnt do it in college and will get further exposed with bigger and faster athletes, Young is a college winner but feels more like Akaili Smith in the making for the pro game. All will make money but not sure they'll have the same outlook at Mahomes and Burrow.

 

[kptvol1]

Part of being a great ballplayer is elevating your team past their shortcomings.

Where has Levis ever done anything but contribute directly to his team's shortcomings? I don't care about the guy's physical tools, he is a very poor decisionmaker and frankly, just plain not a good quarterback. It isn't going to be easier in the NFL, and whatever rube GM burns an early pick on him deserves their eventual firing.

I can’t disagree at all. I know the translation from college to NFL isn’t exactly clean, but I think of a QB like Stroud who makes things happen when nothing is there and think he’s just got the tools that will translate anywhere. I just haven’t personally seen what Levis does to elevate his team beyond

 

[DeepSpringsVol]

Bryce Young. Best I have seen at no matter what happens behind line of scrimmage keeping his eyes down field. CJ Stroud actually may be ok but I wouldnt take that gamble. A GM that draft Levis in top 10 is one who wants to get that severance package. If you are willing to draft Levis that high i sincerely think he sucks so bad why not wait till 2nd round and take Anthony Richardson. Another big qb with all the tools and can make plays with feet and you get a qb who loves to throw to the other team just like Levis but much cheaper and can use that 1st round pick on a difference maker on the roster that you feel has little shot to be a bust.

 

[sjt18]

In his time at UK, Levis threw for 300 yds against and FBS opponent 5 times. UT was the only P-5 victim... and the only team that he reached that mark against with a winning record. The combined records of the FBS opponents he had that level of success against in his two years was 22-40.

 

[tncolt55]

What in the world makes some of you guys think Levis will be a good or possibly great pro qb? I mean the guy in 4 years threw 46 td vs 25 int vs some of the worst defenses the sec has seen in a very long time. There is not a clutch bone in his body, in just 2 years at UT Hooker threw 58 td vs 5 int against most of the same comp minus Kentucky ever playing Bama. Levis sucks, does he look like a NFL QB sure but he will cost some poor GM their job lol! Its not like its just gonna magically click for him, i mean it hasn't happened yet so there is nothing to make think otherwise. Young is the best in the class but I am not sure his style will translate too well to the NFL but there again I thought Jalen Hurts would be a bust too lol. Hooker completely depends on the scheme, one thing that bugged me with him is he never took over a 2-3 step drop on any pass play. I think that increases your chances of taking a sack when you do that. It may be what CJH coached him to do for a reason but it sure got frustrating watching Georgia only have to take 3 steps to get to him. I think in the right system he can be very effective in the NFL, i sure heck think he has as much of a chance as Richardson or Levis in the NFL.

 

[DickeyD]

If Bennett is even drafted it will be a wasted pick. Mentioning Tom Brady in the same post as Bennett is beyond comical. Bennett is small and doesn't have a big arm - he is Johnny Manzeil without that level of talent, and Manzeil couldn't make it. You must never watch anything but Georgia football (like most UGa fans) to remotely believe that Bennett might be anything more than possibly a practice squad player or third string body on a team with QB injuries.

Succeeding in college while throwing into huge windows and with a supporting cast that was far superior to anyone they played is a far cry from the level playing field talent wise, pro secondaries, and tiny windows he'll need to fit throws into in the NFL.

He will get drafted and we will have to see how it all plays out. I guess he might get to hang around as much as Dobbs does. Maybe even get an opportunity to play in a real game. We'll see.

 

[PlanetVolunteer]

Levis can't process the field.

I think Stroud might have the best chance because of his arm.

Young may be another Tua, just slightly better maybe.

I think Hooker has maybe a Ryan Tannehill ceiling, when Ryan was balling.

Hooker makes the right decision almost every time and that's what really separates him from the rest. He just doesn't have the ability most of the guys in the NFL playoffs have. But could he go in and do some stuff that Brock Purdy is doing? Heck yes.