Mississippi State QB Will Rogers Pinned As Potential First-Rounder in 2023 NFL Draft

High expectations surround Mississippi State quarterback Will Rogers ahead of the 2022 season.

This year's NFL draft just recently came to a close, but it's never too early to start looking ahead to the 2023 NFL Draft. Several way-too-early mocks have been released ahead of April, and Mississippi State junior quarterback Will Rogers is among the prospects who have caught attention.

While the quarterback conversation regarding the upcoming class has largely revolved around names like Bryce Young of Alabama, CJ Stroud of Ohio State and Will Levis of Kentucky, Rogers is another one who has come up occasionally.

Christian D'Andrea of For The Win recently pinned Rogers to the Carolina Panthers with the No. 8 overall pick. That made him the sixth quarterback off the board, with Stroud (Ohio State), Young (Alabama), Tyler Van Dyke (Miami), Levis (Kentucky) and Phil Jurkovec (Boston College) all selected before him in that order.

"Consider Rogers a placeholder for whichever quarterback rises through the ranks to become a draft darling thanks to a great 2022 and some impressive combine interviews," D'Andrea wrote. "The Mississippi State quarterback is built a little like the Ole Miss quarterback Carolina just drafted in the third round (Matt Corral, who is also 6-foot-2ish and 205 pounds) but is way more prolific in college thanks to his place in Mike Leach’s pass-happy offense. A guy who can sling the ball 50-plus times per game and complete more than 72 percent of his passes has value in the NFL."

Rogers took a notable step between the 2020 and 2021 seasons, showcasing improved decision-making and ball placement, but it's going to take him building upon that in a huge way ahead to be considered within the top-10 in 2023's draft.

"Real-life Rogers probably won’t get drafted this highly. But theoretical Rogers — the guy who also represents players like Rattler, Brennan Armstrong, DJ Uiagalelei and more — lands in the top 10 because the Panthers really, really need a QB," D'Andrea added.

It will be interesting to watch how things unfold for Rogers in comparison to the rest of the quarterback crop as Mississippi State faces one of the toughest schedules in the nation in 2022.