Day Three 2023 NFL Draft Sleepers: Quarterback

Max Duggan, TCU

Big game experience is something you just can’t replicate. Max Duggan’s 2022 season was filled with that with mixed results.

Duggan’s improvement over his four-year TCU career was exactly what you look for. He raised his completion percentage by over ten percent from his freshman to senior season, threw double the touchdown passes in his senior season as compared to any other year, and gained more confidence which allowed him to make throws he would have never even thought of which allowed for a great Senior year.

How great? 3698 yards passing, 32 touchdowns, a College Football Playoff victory, a Heisman runner up and a National Champions appearance that admittedly you’d rather forget. But the thing is, Duggan wasn’t awful against Georgia but it was far from his best game. He completed almost 64% of his passes but was intercepted twice and sacked five times.

At 6/1 and a half, Duggan doesn’t have the size NFL GMs look for, but what he lacks in size he makes up for in heart and work ethic. His arm strength isn’t great either, but it’s serviceable. He’s being looked at as a 6th round pick which is about right. I could see Duggan having the career of Ryan Fitzpatrick, which is a pretty good career.

Clayton Tune, Houston

A 6’2 and a half, 220lb prospect, Tune is being looked at as a 5th-round pick. Tune was a four-year starter over his five seasons for the Cougars and was a team captain in three of those years.

Like Duggan, Tune’s best season was his senior year which included over 4000 yards and 40 touchdowns. I worry that Tune will be looked at as a reason Houston didn’t reach expectations in 2022. A team that was projected to be a potential New Year’s Six contender fell to 8-5 which included a wild loss to 77-63 loss to SMU. Tune threw seven touchdown passes but three interceptions in that game. Even with three picks, I absolutely cannot fault a quarterback in a loss when he’s responsible for putting up 63 points.

Tune’s played in his fair share of big games as well. The AAC is a league with no weeks off and always schedules strong in non-conference. Unfortunately, Tune struggled in some of those games, including a four-interception performance against Texas Tech in 2021. That 2021 season concluded with a Birmingham Bowl win over (an admittedly average) Auburn team in which Tune threw two touchdowns, one interception, and 281 yards.

If Tune’s ability to throw on the run can improve, he can be a decent quarterback at the pro level.