2025 NFL Draft QB Class Primer
It's never too early to be thinking about next years draft. With the season around the corner lets take a look at some of the top signal caller's in the country and their pro outlooks.
High Floor Day 1 Starters
Carson Beck - Georgia - 5th Year
If you polled most draft analysts at this point in the year, Carson Beck would likely comeback as the overwhelming candidate for QB1. At 6’ 4”, 220 lbs with plus athleticism and arm talent, he looks the part of an NFL quarterback. He is at his best as a rhythm thrower, particularly in the quick game where he is decisive and accurate. Beck did a fantastic job in 2023 of commanding the Bulldog offense and keeping them on track. Beck lacks the elite traits to be a bonified Top-10 pick but his well rounded game should translate smoothly to the next level. Scouts will look for Beck to take control of his offense in 2024 without the help of star playmakers Ladd McConkey and Brock Bowers, something he showed in spurts last year when both missed time with injuries, but will have to display for a full slate of games this year.
Shedeur Sanders - Colorado - Senior
Sanders is similar to Beck in many aspects is a prospect, he a high floor prospect who is at his best when throwing in rhythm. A quick game savant, Sanders has the a quick release and plus accuracy to to all three levels of the field. Add in solid athleticism in a well built, albeit smaller than Beck’s, frame and he checks most of the boxes for an NFL quarterback. Sanders is a highly experienced player with over 35 career starts and should have no trouble playing competent ball at the next level, but he does have one major flaw, sack avoidance. It’s no secret the Colorado offense struggled with pass protection last year, Sanders’ 49 sacks were the 2nd most in college football and he was pressured on 37% of his dropbacks. However, a large portion of the blame falls on his shoulders, with his 25.1% Pressure to Sack Ratio being the 23rd worst mark among qualified QBs. Pressure and sack avoidance are a key part to succeeding in the NFL and it is currently a major weakness for Sanders, one that will have to be cleaned up to take the top spot in this class.
NFL Tools But Lack Polish
Riley Leonard - Duke - 5th Year
The Riley Leonard story is a tale of two seasons. In 2022 for Duke, his first full season as a starter, he was exceptional throwing for almost 3,000 yards and rushing for another 700. At 6’ 4”, 215 lbs with high level athleticism and arm talent he has all the physical tools to be an NFL QB, tools that were on full display in 2022. 2023 was a different story, two separate ankle injuries, the second of which resulted in surgery, limited him to only 7 games and his production suffered as a result. When he was on the field a below average Duke support cast hamstrung his ability to show case his talent. There are concerns that span both years as well, his accuracy can be spotty, particularly under pressure, and he makes head scratching decisions with the ball at times, but for a talented player now with a new home, a recapturing of his 2022 form could vault him into the Tier 1 of this wide open class.
Quinn Ewers - Texas - Senior
Quinn Ewers has been billed a future top prospect since his high school days. The former top recruit in the country out of Texas got off to a great start to his career, winning the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year in 2022. Ewers looks the part of an NFL QB with good athleticism and a powerful arm which allowed him to succeed as a freshman starter but it hasn’t been all sunshine and rainbows since that first year. Injuries have been a major concern, limiting him in both 2022 and 2023, and he has yet to take the next jump many expected. The overall numbers look good but in a QB friendly offense (over 50% of Texas’ pass attempts involved play action) and an offensive friendly Big 12, they must be taken with a grain of salt. Ewers despite his plus physical tools continues to struggle with accuracy down the field and decision making under pressure. With a high profile backup behind him, Ewers has a shorter leash than most in this tier. A failure to stay healthy or an inability to grow as a quarterback might cost him more than just his standing as a prospect but his college starting job.
Drew Allar - Penn State - Junior
There are very few, if any, quarterbacks with the physical tools of Drew Allar. The former 5-Star recruit has a howitzer of an arm and is a solid athlete given his 6’ 5”, 240 pound frame. Allar is the quintessential traits based project at this point in time. He has major issues with accuracy to all levels of the field and shows remedial processing skills which forced the Penn State offense to keep it simple around him. The offense around him did him no favors with poor WR play - PSU’s 28 Drops were 4th most in all of college football - and questionable play calling. While 2023 was not a good season on film, Allar is still just 20 years old with only a year of starting experience under his belt. Given his tools and pedigree he is absolutely a player to watch in 2024, because if he can take that leap mentally, he has a shot to sky rocket in this class given his physical gifts.
Jalen Milroe - Alabama - Senior
Jalen Milroe holds the unique distinction of the Alabama quarterback in charge of the transition from the Nick Saban era. Milroe had an up and down first season as a starter, briefly being benched early in the year before leading the Crimson Tide to the College Football Playoffs. Milroe returns as one of the best dual threat QBs in the country after ranking Top-3 in scrambles and rushing with over 800 yards in 2023. A high level athlete with a massive arm, he has all the tools to succeed at the next level. Scouts will look to see if can improve his pocket awareness and decision making in his second year of starting. New HC Kalen Deboer has a history of molding college quarterbacks into NFL prospects - see Michael Penix and Jake Haener - and will look to do the same with Milroe at his new spot.
Exciting But Likely An NFL Backup
Cam Ward - Miami (FL) - 5th Year
Few returning quarterbacks in college football have the combination of production and talent that Cam Ward has. Ward is onto his third stop of his career after starring at Incarnate Ward and Washington State for two years a piece in prior seasons. His game play is an exciting blend of back yard football built off of his athleticism and arm talent. Ward has a unique gift for creating plays out of thin air as a passer with a multitude of highlights evading rushers and finding chunk plays down the field. The question for Ward will be if his game can translate to the next level. A smaller player with athleticism that is closer to average at the NFL level, his playmaking style will not be as effective in the pros. His bad habits of holding the ball too long and forcing tight window throws will also be punished at a much higher rate at the next level. If Ward wants to become as serious prospect in the 2025 class he will need to show improved accuracy and decision making as a pure drop back passer in structure, to pair with his electric highlights.
Jaxson Dart - Ole Miss - Senior
Jaxon Dart will likely be one of the more well known names during the 2024 college football season as a productive starter for SEC program. Dart is the perfect QB for Lane Kiffin’s RPO system, with a quick compact release and the athleticism to create with his legs. His NFL projection is less optimistic due to his physical tools being average at best for the next level which limits his ability to lean on his legs. Dart has also struggled on reps that force him to operate outside the friendly confines of Ole Miss's system and will need to show he is more than a product of Kiffin’s offense to raise his stock. His accuracy and movement skills create a potential ceiling for a low-end starter at the NFL but unless he can show more polish as pure drop back passer this year he will likely fall as a late Day-2, early Day-3 pick as a backup with upside.
College Starter / Fringe NFL Backup
Dillon Gabriel - Oregon - 6th Year
Dillon Gabriel is the quintessential NFL backup who can make some plays in preseason at the next level because he is an experienced player with mobility. Gabriel will be the most experienced QB in this class with almost 60 starts across three separate programs and good all-around numbers. However, he has a below average arm and falls in the bottom percentiles for height and weight for the position. He lacks the processing skills or accuracy to make up for these deficiencies and while he does show the ability to keep an offense filled with play makers on track, he is more likely destined to hold a clipboard on the sideline than wear the QB1 helmet.
Wildcards
Conner Weigman - Texas A&M - Junior
Conner Weigman is one of the most intriguing prospects in the 2025 draft class heading into the season. He looks the part of an NFL QB at 6’ 3”, 220 lbs with a plus arm and solid athleticism. His 2023 season film, which was unfortunately cut short after 3.5 games due to a broken foot is tantalizing. In just a few games of work Weigman showed better pocket movement, anticipation and processing speed than most quarterbacks in this class. He was excellent at limiting negative plays with a 7.3% Pressure to Sack Rate (5th Best in NCAA) and a 2.1% Turnover Worthy Play Rate (14th Lowest in NCAA) as well. Weigman does need to improve his overall accuracy, especially in the quick game, and his lack of experience leads to some missed reads, but his tools and 2023 tape indicate QB1 upside in a class with a wide open top spot.
Garrett Nussmeier - LSU - Senior
Nussmeier, similar to Weigman, is a player with the tools (6’ 2” - 200 lbs) and pedigree (4-Star Recruit in 2021 Class) that indicate future NFL quarterback, but lacks the tape. Heading into his 4th year Nussmeier has only 219 pass attempts has yet to eclipse 85 dropbacks in a single season. His one career start came this past winter in LSU’s bowl game, where he was the game MVP after throwing for 395 yards, 3 TDs to 1 INT, with a 69% completion percentage. Making proclamations off of single game sample sizes is a dangerous game but the physical traits that once made him a top recruit were plain to see. Heading into a 2024 season with an LSU offense that should be have of the better supporting casts in football, Nussmeier has a chance to sky rocket up ranks if he keeps stacking performances like his one against Wisconsin.