NFL mock draft 2023: Projecting where Senior Bowl QBs will be selected

The Senior Bowl is a nice showcase event for some of the top upperclassmen in college football to display their skills for NFL scouts ahead of the NFL draft, but it's especially important for the quarterbacks who may not have gotten a ton of shine during the season. There are four quarterbacks in particular who headlined the Senior Bowl class and will be targeted by teams in the later rounds of the draft. We'll take a look at where each player is projected to go, his strengths and weaknesses and which teams will offer the best fit for him in the NFL.

Let's start with the Senior Bowl MVP from the Mountain West. Haener entered this season as a darkhorse Heisman contender but suffered an injury which cost him about half the year. He did come back for the conference title game and the bowl game, leading the Bulldogs to wins in both contests. His accuracy and decision-making skills make him an intriguing prospect at the next level, but his physical stature and arm strength are question marks.

Haener projects to be a Day 3 prospect right now, likely to be taken in the fourth round or later. He would work best in an offense which is predicated on quick decisions and relies on skill players to turn short plays into big ones. Teams like the Dolphins, Chargers and Bengals could take a chance on Haener as a developmental quarterback.

Duggan is not like your typical late-round prospects. The quarterback had a season for the ages, leading TCU to the national title game. Even though the Horned Frogs got blasted by Georgia and Duggan struggled, that shouldn't take away from his amazing year overall. He also has some abilities as a runner, and he could eventually add some muscle to become a more formidable threat in that area.

Duggan's strengths are his intangibles and ability to make plays on the fly, but he struggles as a dropback passer if things break down in the interior and his arm strength is not the best. He's a Day 3 player after the championship game debacle but some team will take a chance on his potential. Teams like the Colts, Buccaneers and Rams could be interested in him.

Cunningham had one of the most interesting seasons of any quarterback. He put up mind-boggling numbers in his junior season but regressed heavily as the Cardinals became the ACC's biggest dumpster fire. He was especially poor running the ball, seeing his rushing yard totals dip in half and his touchdown numbers go down. Cunningham also appeared to suffer an injury in the Senior Bowl after throwing a pick-six, so that could hurt his stock.

Given the success of dual-threat quarterbacks in the NFL, teams will be willing to overlook Cunningham's struggles to develop him. Teams with mobile quarterbacks already, like the Cardinals, Ravens and Eagles, might be willing to take a shot on Cunningham given how they operate offensively.

As hard as it might be to believe, Hooker was a Heisman frontrunner at one point in the season. He suffered a torn ACL in Tennessee's loss to South Carolina, which was ultimately the final nail in the team's playoff hopes. The numbers are impressive and Hooker's growth throughout his college career is encouraging.

However, Hooker's age is going to be a knock on him. He's 25 and will miss most of this upcoming NFL season, which means he'd be at least 26 when he'd take any meaningful NFL snaps. That's not a great development arc for teams. There's also a question of how much he can elevate the players around him, as he had excellent skill position help at Tennessee.

Hooker is a Day 3 player largely due to his injury. If he was completely healthy, he'd likely go in the third or fourth round. At the moment, teams will go for him a bit later. Look for the Lions, Seahawks and Broncos to potentially look at Hooker from the fifth round on.

  
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