Mel Kiper Jr calls CJ Stroud, Bryce Young, Will Levis decision similar to controversial draft class

ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr shared a unique take on the 2023 NFL Draft class of quarterbacks, indicating CJ Stroud may not be the number two overall pick. In Todd McShay’s latest mock draft predictions he named CJ Stroud as the next quarterback for the Houston Texans. While explaining his decision, he mentioned that Bryce Young was the best quarterback available with Stroud at number two — and indicated the only way Stroud doesn’t go to Houston is if Young is available instead.

Fellow draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. then responded that he doesn’t believe Stroud is the clear-cut second-overall guy, instead listing Will Levis of Kentucky as a better option on the table. Kiper then explained that the decision teams were facing at the top of the draft board was reminiscent of the 2004 NFL Draft — where teams had to choose between Eli Manning, Philip Rivers and Ben Roethlisberger.

Mel Kiper Jr and Todd McShay on CJ Stroud’s draft position

“I’m going with CJ Stroud. Second-best quarterback in this class coming out of Ohio State,” revealed McShay on his draft board. “If you put together a highlight reel of passes, he’s going to have the best ones. He can throw all three levels, such a pure passer.

“Another question is, are they just not gonna let anyone jump ahead of them? If it’s not Stroud and they want Bryce Young, are they gonna try to make a deal with Chicago to move up to that number one spot?”

As McShay finished explaining how the top two quarterbacks for Houston were Bryce Young and Stroud, Kiper was asked if he felt Stroud was locked in as the second-best quarterback available this year the same way Young appears to be locked as first.

“Right now Will Levis of Kentucky is my QB2, but Stroud’s right there, but I’m gonna wait it out,” answered Kiper. “I think it’s gonna be like Eli, Rivers and Roethlisberger when they went one-two-three in the draft. Not in that order, but they were the first three quarterbacks off the board and it was all by the slimmest of margins between those three.”

In the 2004 NFL Draft that Kiper referred to, Eli Manning ended up as the number one overall pick, with Philip Rivers going fourth. Manning was actually drafted by the Chargers, but a draft-day trade sent him to the Giants while the Chargers received Rivers instead. Roethlisberger was selected 11th-overall, and all three quarterbacks went on to have very successful NFL careers.