While the College Football Playoff steals most of the attention, the real sickos have already turned their sights to the 2025 NFL Draft. Several quarterbacks will have a chance to raise their stock throughout the CFP, but the QB rankings have begun to take shape.
2025 Draft QB Rankings | 10-1
NFL Draft rankings remain fluid as we gather more information through the all-star circuit, pro days, and NFL Combine, but the top and bottom of the class have begun to separate.
The 2025 NFL Draft QB class doesn’t have many talents worthy of a Round 1 selection, but that won’t stop QB-needy teams from reaching come April. The Alex Smith and Aaron Rodgers days of “redshirting” signal-callers for a year or more have largely been thrown out the window, putting an even bigger premium on “NFL readiness.”
So, which 2025 NFL Draft QBs deserve to hear their names called on Day 1 in Green Bay?
QBs Just Outside the Top 10
- Tyler Shough, Louisville
- Max Brosmer, Minnesota
- Tommy Mellott, Montana State
- Brady Cook, Missouri
- Cam Miller, North Dakota State
10) Kyle McCord, Syracuse Orange
Kyle McCord is coming off of a season in which he threw for an FBS-leading and ACC single-season record-breaking 4,779 passing yards along with 34 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
He has clean mechanics, ties his lower body to his eyes, and can play within the structure of the offense. Yet, he isn’t a creative athlete, can stare down first reads (see the Pitt game), and comes with a low ceiling. That profile screams NFL backup, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
9) Kurtis Rourke, Indiana Hoosiers
Kurtis Rourke checks all the boxes from a size, demeanor, and football IQ perspective. The issue? His throwing motion lacks the snap to generate NFL-caliber velocity. The ball floats through the air like it’s caught in a headwind, and his arm moves with a pace that raises eyebrows.
Rourke’s arm strength might be serviceable for spot starts or backup duties, but for a QB of his build, it’s puzzling to see such a lack of zip on his throws. That said, he gets the ball out on time, processes well, and proved he could not only survive but thrive in his move from the Ohio Bobcats to the Indiana Hoosiers.
8) Quinn Ewers, Texas Longhorns
Quinn Ewers is another prospect who entered the season with QB1 aspirations but has seen his stock fall throughout the year. There is no denying his raw arm talent, which is among the best in the class. However, his heavy reliance on his upper body results in mechanical inconsistency that affects accuracy.
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Additionally, he’s coming from an offense that featured play-action at one of the highest rates in the nation and boasted arguably the top offensive line — there are few outside excuses for his down-to-down fluctuations. Then there is the injury issue, as Ewers has missed time in three straight years with various ailments.
7) Riley Leonard, Notre Dame Fighting Irish
The Daniel Jones comparison is tempting for Riley Leonard. They played in the same Duke Blue Devils uniform and have strikingly similar skill sets.
Leonard thrives in a quick-passing attack and combines that with legitimate mobility (track and basketball background) as both an improviser and a designed runner. Like Jones, Leonard struggles with downfield aggression and execution, partially due to an adequate-at-best arm — a flaw that has haunted Jones at the NFL level.
Yet, Leonard is intriguing as a draft-and-develop candidate, thanks to his rushing floor and size/athleticism profile. He could be deployed in creative offensive packages early on while a coaching staff works to inject some aggressiveness into his naturally cautious approach.
6) Will Howard, Ohio State Buckeyes
Has Will Howard been perfect this year? No, but no one in this class has. Yes, his tape vs. Michigan can’t be overlooked, but neither should his sheer stockpile of NFL-level throws. Whether hole shots vs. Cover 2, posts vs. two-high looks, or downfield sideline dots against single-high, Howard has made the throws that translate to the pros.
Like Rourke, Howard’s arm strength is a tad lackluster for his size (6’4″, 235), but it gets the job done more often than not. Paired with clean fundamentals, he profiles as a high-floor, reliable backup QB.
5) Dillon Gabriel, Oregon Ducks
Throwing a ball 50 yards downfield isn’t evidence of arm talent — it’s the baseline. Nearly every college and NFL quarterback can do it, and so can most high school QBs in Texas, Florida, and California.
True “arm talent” is about generating velocity, like hitting far-hash throws with precision. That’s where Dillon Gabriel’s limitations show. His undersized frame (6’0″, 200) lacks the torque to create NFL-level velocity, likely keeping him from earning a starting role early — but that doesn’t mean he never will.
Gabriel is one of the cleanest prospects in the class. He takes care of the ball, rarely turns pressures into sacks, and routinely exhibits impressive accuracy and anticipation. He also has a ton of tape at different levels (UCF, Oklahoma, and Oregon) to parse, allowing teams to generate a detailed profile on him.
4) Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss Rebels
Jaxson Dart won’t be every franchise’s cup of tea. First, the pros. The Ole Miss passer has the moxy and toughness you want from a leader, as he’s unafraid to take hits in the pocket or on the move. He’s light on his feet, is a solid athlete, and has the arm talent to vary his arm angles, drive throws over the middle, and maintain accuracy off-platform.
Now for the cons. Dart barely sniffed under center looks or had to complete full-field reads in Lane Kiffin’s offense. While it’s not his fault, it is a giant question mark on his scouting report. He can also get stuck on his first read, keying defenders into his decision before he lets the ball rip. Perhaps more concerning is Dart’s lack of situational awareness, often resulting in sacks that could’ve been avoided.
3) Jalen Milroe, Alabama Crimson Tide
Jalen Milroe has received the Jalen Hurts comp from several analysts, and it’s a good one. But what if I said Milroe could be even better? Too far?
Milroe has legitimate home-run speed, a dense frame built to absorb contact, and exceptional vision on designed runs, making him far more dangerous with the ball in his hands than Hurts.
Yet, you don’t need to watch him run to know he’s a twitched-up athlete — just look at his throwing motion. Milroe launches rockets in the blink of an eye, owning one of the fastest releases I’ve seen. But that speed often leads to high variance in his accuracy.
Working with QB guru Kalen DeBoer — and Jordan Palmer over the offseason — certainly improved Milroe’s mechanics, but he still has plenty of room to grow. Ball security, sack rate, and seeing non-primary defenders were an issue in 2024 and severely handicapped the ceiling of the most physically gifted QB in the class.
Milroe has Round 1 traits but is not a Round 1 prospect due to being consistently inconsistent as a thrower.
2) Shedeur Sanders, Colorado Buffaloes
The era of statuesque quarterbacks is long gone, and Shedeur Sanders represents the evolution of the pocket passer. While athletic enough to extend plays and pick up first downs with his legs, he’s not nearly the athlete his father, Deion Sanders, was. Instead, Sanders fits more into the mold of a Geno Smith, Teddy Bridgewater, or C.J. Stroud.
His compact release compensates for a slightly above-average-to-average arm, allowing him to complete passes to all levels of the field. Coupled with his elite accuracy, Sanders projects as a potential NFL starter.
There are concerns, though. His pressure-to-sack rate and tendency to hold onto the ball too long are notable red flags. Many will point to the offensive line’s struggles, but Sanders has a tendency to retreat too far into the pocket and write checks his legs can’t cash.
Regardless, in a class full of high-variance passers, Sanders is a breath of fresh air. His throwing motion and footwork are repeatable and fundamentally sound. He may not have the highest ceiling, but he does come equipped with one of the highest floors in the class.
Although the offense’s heavy reliance on screens and RPOs will come under scrutiny during the pre-draft process, Sanders’ throw-to-throw accuracy and ability to thrive in a tight pocket will win NFL offensive coordinators over.
1) Cam Ward, Miami Hurricanes
If there is one QB I’m hanging my hat on as a general manager, it’s Cam Ward.
A Heisman finalist, he was the most electrifying QB in college football. With seemingly every arm angle at his disposal and unmatched, low-effort velocity, he’s a playmaker in the purest sense. Add in his impressive athleticism, dense frame that can shrug off weaker sack attempts, and unwavering confidence, and you’ve got the makings of a future face of the franchise.
Still, Ward’s desire to create magic often works against him. He has a penchant for cross-body and cross-field throws into traffic, and his decision-making inside the pocket can be suspect when plays break down.
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His biggest challenge, however, is staying on schedule — both within the confines of the offense and with his mechanics. Not only is his footwork rather erratic, but he often drifts in the pocket. Ward also lives and dies by the big play, and while he’s a better athlete with a bigger arm, his overall game mirrors that of Zach Wilson.
With time to sit behind a veteran signal-caller and refine his approach, Ward’s ceiling towers over the rest of the 2025 class. The key will be patience, but the potential reward is that of a longtime QB1 willing to make the throws that win big games.
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