NFL draft lore is filled with quarterback debates of No. 1 vs. No. 2.
Last year, the comparisons between Alabama's Bryce Young and Ohio State's C.J. Stroud echoed through the season. When they became the first two picks, it marked the ninth time in NFL history that quarterbacks have been taken with the top two choices.
The trend began back in 1971 with Jim Plunkett and Archie Manning, and it spanned generations to Peyton Manning and Ryan Leaf in 1998. It popped up, memorably, when Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III were picked in 2012.
Entering the 2023 college football season, scouts overwhelmingly predicted to ESPN this week that it's a safe bet that USC junior Caleb Williams and UNC redshirt sophomore Drake Maye will go No. 1 and No. 2 in the NFL draft. In that order.
ESPN spoke to a half-dozen scouts and a former NFL head coach, Marc Trestman, to get an early read on the 2023 quarterback class. There will be showcase games early, as Williams debuts in 2023 this Saturday against San Jose State. Maye's Tar Heels open in Week 1 against South Carolina and former top NFL prospect Spencer Rattler.
A few takeaways from the scouts before we dive into the details of the tandem that projects to be atop of what promises to be a rich quarterback class.
Calling it a debate right now between Williams and Maye would be a stretch, as it was unanimous among the scouts that they liked Williams better.
The best indicator of the talent of Williams and Maye is that multiple scouts said they'd have picked both of them No. 1 this year, ahead of the class that included Young, Stroud and Anthony Richardson.
The debate over which quarterback will emerge as the third quarterback off the board is going to be one of the most fun and open-ended of the season. It's a deep class, and Trestman, who has been evaluating quarterbacks for The 33rd Team, summed it up this way: "If you love quarterback play, I think it's going to be a special year. From Florida State to Washington and Oregon to Texas, all hours on a Saturday afternoon, you're going to see some really good quarterback play and fun guys to watch."
Could a flurry of them rise to threaten the record six quarterbacks taken in the first round of the 1983 draft? It's way too early for that. For now, though, we'll focus on the top two. And after games kick off this weekend, we'll see if anyone can catch them.