Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud, Will Levis, Anthony Richardson QB quartet top Combine storylines

INDIANAPOLIS — The signature event on the NFL calendar between the Super Bowl and the draft gets underway this week as the entire league descends upon Indianapolis for the NFL Scouting Combine.

In between shrimp cocktails at St. Elmo's and fancy cocktails at the J.W. Marriott hotel bar, the 32 teams will poke and prod 319 potential draft prospects. They'll put them through not just physical, but also mental, tests to judge where those players fit on their boards, if at all.

The event begins in earnest on Monday and runs through next Monday, with various position groups staggered throughout that time. By the time the last groups — the offensive linemen and running backs — leave Indianapolis, the storylines for the late-April draft will be established.

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"There's going to be some fascinating storylines to follow as we go towards the draft," NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah said on a conference call Friday. "In terms of overall strength of the draft, I think it's a really good corner group. I think it's a good edge rusher group. I think the tight end group is the best I've seen in the last 10 years. … You know, the quarterbacks, as I mentioned, are going to be a big storyline."

That storyline has already been well established. It's certainly going to be one of the five biggest storylines of the Combine.

So let's just dive right in to those storylines.

High-profile quarterback prospects return to the draft process

The complaint about the 2022 NFL Draft was the lack of a number of high-profile, first-round quarterback prospects. That was later backed up when only the University of Pittsburgh's Kenny Pickett was a first-round selection, going to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

That's not the case this year. Alabama's Bryce Young, Ohio State's C.J. Stroud, Kentucky's Will Levis and Florida's Anthony Richardson have all been talked about since literally last year's draft ended, and all have been talked about being top-10 picks.

"I have it Bryce Young, CJ Stroud, Levis, Richardson," Jeremiah said. "But, again, if you know who you have developing these guys and you have a plan in place, I think it's very close when you look at how those guys stack up. For me it's Bryce, a gap, and then those other three guys. I think it's however they fit you, what plan you have in place, and how you want to use them."

This week provides the first in-depth opportunity for the teams to really dive into those four quarterbacks. While Young will continue a recent trend of top quarterback prospects not to throw in Indianapolis, Stroud, Levis and Richardson have all said they plan on throwing this week.

Regardless, it may not fully answer the questions about where the four ultimately go on April 27, but it'll be a major data point. At least, that is, until they go through their various Pro Days in March.

Anthony Richardson may be the physical 'freak show' of this Combine

There's always one prospect whose athletic traits become the talk of the Combine. Meet Richardson, maybe the most talked-about prospect at least going into the week.

Richardson only played in 22 games over three seasons for the Gators. However, the 6-foot-4, 231-pound quarterback arrived in college garnering comparisons to former Auburn Heisman winner and Carolina Panthers MVP Cam Newton.

Now, those comparisons will follow Richardson to Indianapolis. When he's able to go through the various strength, speed and agility tests, those will only been strengthened.

The film Richardson put out during his time at Florida was the definition of inconsistent. But the freak-show athleticism and arm strength he displayed at times was also there, and it should showcase itself well in a Combine setting.

"I know it's a little bit of a roller coaster," Jeremiah said of Richardson. "I know he hasn't played a ton, but teams are starting to look at some of these quarterbacks as lottery tickets, and this one has the biggest payout."

Tight end class one of the deepest in recent memory

The Browns seem happy with their top two tight ends, David Njoku and Harrison Bryant. If they wanted to dip into the pool on the third day of the draft to add a third, this would seem to be the year to do so.

Jeremiah said there are "11 tight ends that I have top-three round grades on, which is ridiculous number." There is no consensus tight end No. 1, with Utah's Dalton Kincaid, Notre Dame's Michael Mayer, Oregon State's Luke Musgrave and Georgia's Darnell Washington al among those in the mix for that title.

Why is that fact important going into the Combine? Because for Jeremiah — who previously worked in the college scouting departments for the Baltimore Ravens, Browns, and Philadelphia Eagles — where tight ends can truly separate themselves is through the kind of traits that will be on display during the Combine or Pro Days more than even games.

"We've done studies on it and looked at it over the years, and it's just been a traits over production position," Jeremiah said. "It goes back to the basketball players with (former Kent State basketball star and San Diego Chargers tight end) Antonio Gates and (former University of Miami basketball player and NFL tight end) Jimmy Graham. It goes to (San Francisco 49ers All-Pro) George Kittle not having a ton of numbers there at Iowa.

"It's just, can you separate? Do you have that short area quickness, and then do you have kind of that awareness, that spatial awareness? All that stuff is really, really important versus you being on a college team and you're playing quarters coverage and they're throwing you bubble screens and tunnel screens so you catch 85 balls."

SEC star defenders Jalen Carter, Will Anderson at the top

Mock drafts that come out prior to the Combine are often the most unreliable of the group. There's so much that this week provides that will make huge impacts on the final decisions that those mocks are, save for the fun and clicks factor, pointless.

However, those early mocks have two things that are trending to be true. One is the number of top-10 quarterbacks likely to go, and the other is the number of SEC front-seven players who are going to figure into the mix.

The two biggest names there are Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter and Alabama edge rusher Will Anderson. Both would've figured to test very well in Indianapolis with the athletic numbers, although it's reported that Carter won't go through any of the workouts this week.

"Look, to me the way I have them stacked, like, I think Jalen Carter is the best player in the draft from Georgia, and I think that Will Anderson is the second-best player," Jeremiah said. "But I know in talking to people around the league and when I do mock drafts, you're trying to get just a feel and the potential outcomes there and not just doing the same exact thing every single time. … But if you are asking me, I wouldn't be trading off of either of those two guys."

The bigger question is the interview process, which both players are going through. It's going to be during that portion of the Combine where those two really sell themselves to potentially even be the No. 1 overall pick should the Chicago Bears — who do seem to have a quarterback in Justin Fields — elect to keep the pick and don't draft a quarterback.

What massive deals, be it in free agency or in a trade, are born?

The various Combine events being held inside Lucas Oil Stadium this week are obviously the reason why the event exists. The conversations that are going to take place in bars, restaurants and hotel suites around Indianapolis, though, are very likely to dictate the direction the NFL offseason goes over the next two-plus months.

Forget about who's going to move up or down a draft board. Team executives and agents are likely to come out of this week with at least an idea of what current players are going to be on the move around the league.

The seeds for some big trade or big free-agent deal are going to be planted while front-office types knock back an adult beverage or four. We'll see next month just what sprouts from those nightly conversations.

Contact Chris at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com.

On Twitter: @ceasterlingABJ

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Quarterback quartet at the top among NFL Scouting Combine storylines