Every year there are teams in the NFL that don’t draft a quarterback during the NFL draft when they should. Who won’t take one this year?
Usually, the teams that are picking with the first few picks are in need of a quarterback, but that’s not always the case. Other times, a team probably should take a quarterback but does not for whatever reason they decide.
Which teams may surprise and actually not take a quarterback in the 2023 NFL Draft?
Teams that could balk at taking QB in 2023 NFL Draft
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers might be an obvious candidate to take a QB in the upcoming draft. They currently hold the third overall pick and could be in line to land a CJ Stroud or Bryce Young.
However, they have a very talented defense and nice pieces on offense. By the time they figure out who they want to take, draft him, and take a chance on his development, the young pieces they have might not be on the team.
Could the Panthers go out and make yet another QB trade? Would the Raiders move off of Derek Carr after 2022? He could be a fit.
Las Vegas Raiders
The 2-7 Raiders pick second overall, so that’s why they appear on this list. If nothing else, Derek Carr has been a consistent and solid player for them. He might not ever be more than a slightly above league average quarterback, but he’s put up some nice numbers as a Raider and has a better than 2:1 TD:INT ratio.
For years it seems that there’s always been rumors circulating that the team could move off of Carr due to their lack of success with him under center.
This year looks like yet another wasted year for the Raiders, and they are currently in position to try and upgrade their QB room if they wanted. Carr isn’t special as a player, but if the Raiders enter into another transitional period, they might want to keep him around instead of taking one in the NFL draft.
Seattle Seahawks
I’m not sure anyone predicted the Seahawks to be 6-4 after 10 games and right in the middle of a heated playoff race. Not only that, Geno Smith looks reborn as a player. I think there are valid questions about how long he can keep this up, and maybe Seattle would want to hedge Smith with a rookie QB.
There is just so much unknown with Smith. Can they win playoff games with him? Can he win a division title? Can he go toe to toe with the elite QBs in the NFL when it matters most? What happens if he turns into another Kirk Cousins or Derek Carr who puts up nice numbers but can’t really get it done?
Unless some sort of major collapse happens, the Seahawks will bring Geno Smith back for the 2023 season on a beefier contract. They may as well see if they can continue to get this type of quarterbacking out of him and not opt for the NFL draft.