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Football

Which NFL rookie quarterbacks have the best weapons around them in 2023

Philip Marsh
Which NFL rookie quarterbacks have the best weapons around them in 2023(C)Getty Images

The offseason excitement surrounding the latest batch of quarterbacks continues with franchises releasing daily hype videos from their minicamps.

Three of the quarterbacks selected in the 2023 NFL Draft are expected to start in week one of the upcoming season, while the likes of Will Levis, Hendon Hooker and Stetson Bennett may see some playing time with injuries to starting quarterbacks.

The three Week 1 starters were all, unsurprisingly, picked within the first four picks of the 2023 NFL Draft and as a result land at franchises needing an upturn in fortune.

None have a truly elite selection of players to target, but DAZN looks at which has the best weapons to work with in the upcoming season.

Anthony Richardson

The Indianapolis Colts used the fourth pick in the 2023 NFL Draft to select Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson.

As the 2022 season came to a close, Richardson's name was rarely mentioned when debating the best quarterback prospect in the 2023 NFL Draft, due to starting just 13 games in college with a pass completion of under 54%.

However, things all changed at the NFL Combine. Richardson recorded the highest vertical jump since 2011, the longest broad jump by a quarterback in combine history and the fourth quickest 40-yard dash time for the position ever.

Now Richardson will look to repay the trust shown in him by the Colts, and he will not be able to do that alone. Thankfully, he has talented players in all skill positions around him to utilise.

Running back Jonathan Taylor is among the league's best and is a proven pass catcher, while wide receiver Michael Pittman will lead the team in targets and is a proven talent at the position.

Fellow wide receiver Alex Pierce will be hoping to improve on a decent rookie season, while third-round pick Josh Downs will hope to prove he is an NFL calibre receiver.

Overall, Richardson has the best players in skill positions on paper of any of the rookie quarterbacks starting in week one, whether he can utilise them remains to be seen.

Bryce Young

This year's number one overall pick has high expectations on his shoulders, as the Carolina Panthers begin a new chapter with Bryce Young at quarterback.

The Panthers were abysmal through the air in 2022. DJ Moore - now of the Chicago Bears - paced the team with 63 receptions for 888 yards. Terrace Marshall Jr. has the next most receptions for a wide receiver with 28.

Alabama product Young can be thankful that the Panthers have spent the offseason picking up wide receivers for him to target in 2023, though the list is a little underwhelming.

Chief among them is former Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen, who scored 14 touchdowns in a season as recently as 2020 but has seen his numbers decline each season and is now 32 years old.

The wide receiver room is further bolstered by former Jacksonville Jaguar DJ Chark, and perhaps most excitingly by second round rookie Jonathan Mingo who had one of the best athletic profiles in the draft.

Running back Miles Sanders is another offseason pick-up, but his receiving numbers at Philadelphia Eagles dwindled each season after a rookie campaign with 50 receptions.

Young's other option will be tight end Hayden Hurst, yet another offseason recruit, who put up over 400 yards for the Cincinnati Bengals in 2022.

Carolina's mixed bag of players looking to reignite their careers is not the ideal circumstances for Young, but there is enough talent to help him find his feet in 2023.

C.J. Stroud

Young or Stroud? Young or Stroud? The question of who is the most talented quarterback from this draft class has been fiercely debated all offseason.

The Panthers believed it was Young, but the Houston Texans say they have always preferred C.J. Stroud, who just so happen to fall to them with the second overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.

The Texans are hoping Stroud can lead them to more than four wins for the first time since 2019, after what has been a difficult few seasons for Houston fans.

There is some veteran talent surrounding Stroud for the 2023, but the wide receiver group in particular leaves a lot to be desired.

Top of the depth chart is 31-year-old Robert Woods, who managed just 527 yards off 53 catches with the Tennessee Titans in 2022.

John Metchie III joins Woods, after recovering from a form of leukemia which caused him to miss his rookie season, and Nico Collins will be looking to eclipse 500 yards for the first time.

Rookies Tank Dell and Xavier Hutchinson are the Texans' other options at wide receiver, but things look brighter for Stroud in other positions.

Former Dallas Cowboy Dalton Schultz joined Houston this offseason and is an elite pass catching tight end, while a combination of veteran Devin Singletary and sophomore Damien Pierce will keep things ticking on the ground.

It is far from an ideal circumstance for Stroud going into his first year as a professional, but if he can lift this group and keep the Texans competitive in 2023 that will be proof of his talent.

DAZN will deliver the NFL Game Pass International service from the 2023 season across the world (except the U.S. and China), find out more here.