2023 NFL draft sleeper alert: Stanford QB Tanner McKee
Stanford quarterback Tanner McKee is not dissimilar from the current Houston Texans starter who came out of that same alma matter two years ago, Davis Mills. Both didn’t necessarily overwhelm on the stat sheet in their equal two years as starters within under head coach David Shaw, but both showed enough of a physical skill set to prove they’re capable of playing at a starter level in the NFL.
McKee managed to throw for 2,947 yards, 13 touchdowns and 8 interceptions with a completion percentage of 62.0 this year. The year prior, he completed 65.0 percent of his passes for 2,327 yards, 15 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. Neither stat line is eye-popping by any means, but he was a part of a not-so-great team, and often appeared as the best player on a rough Cardinal squad.
With a next-level arm, prototypical size (6-6, 230 pounds), and an opportunity to put that all together going into draft season between the combine and pro days, McKee could certainly launch himself as high as the end of the first round, given how thirsty NFL teams are for the next great quarterback.
Given how his predecessor has faired in Houston, it could send off a warning signal to the other 31 teams to avoid a similar pitfall in McKee, though it is worth nothing they are quite a bit different as physical prospects.
Look out for McKee to start making headlines around the combine, where he will show off his arm strength and size, and begin the process of vaulting himself into the minds of mock drafters and team big boards alike. He could land anywhere from the first round to the fourth, depending on if teams can convince themselves to look past his middling college career.
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2023 NFL mock draft: Updated 2-round projections for the new year
