2025 NFL Draft: QB Rankings

Ranking my top 8 quarterbacks in this years draft.

First of all, I am in no way a football scout, self proclaimed or otherwise. But I have been following the draft, learning about team building and tracking prospects for over ten years. It’s only been in the last few years I’ve started watching game film (whatever I can find on youtube) and trying to form my own opinions from scratch. I still read what actual scouts think about prospects and take that into account. It’s very easy to copy and paste what others think but I’ve tried my best to stay true to what I see and feel about each player.

First for my rankings will be the quarterback class. There are a lot of fun players but none of them are a sure thing. Plenty of talent and potential but this year's class pales in comparison to last year’s. These rankings and grades reflect my opinion of the prospects' talent, potential and how I predict their NFL career will shake out.

Grade System

10 - Perfect Prospect

9 - All Pro Potential

8 - High Level Starter

7 - Immediate Starter

6 - Eventual Starter

5 - High Level Backup/Situational Player

4 - Backup

3 - Depth Player

Credit: Foxsports.com

Quarterback Rankings & Grades

1. Shedeur Sanders, Colorado, 6-2 215

Grade: 7.0

2. Cam Ward, Miami, 6-2 223

Grade: 6.8

3. Jalen Milroe, Alabama, 6-2 220

Grade: 6.2

4. Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss, 6-2 225

Grade: 6.0

5. Will Howard, Ohio State, 6-4 235

Grade: 5.8

6. Quinn Ewers, Texas, 6-2 210

Grade: 4.8

7. Dillon Gabriel, Oregon, 5-11 204

Grade: 4.3

8. Kyle McCord, Syracuse, 6-3 220

Grade: 4.0

Shedeur Sanders Over Cam Ward

At this point most people have Cam Ward ranked above Shedeur Sanders and I understand why. Ward’s potential is through the roof. He’s drawn the comparison of Patrick Mahomes as far as their potential coming out of college. I can definitely see that but we have to keep something in mind. When Mahomes was leaving Texas Tech the thought was “if he goes to the right team he can be something special.” That happened as Andy Reid was the perfect coach and ran the perfect offense for Mahomes to thrive in. That kind of opportunity isn’t there for Cam Ward. It’s most likely he’ll go to either the Titans or the Giants and I just don’t trust Brian Callahan or Brian Daboll to develop him into the QB he could be. It could be a Sam Darnold situation where he ends up playing at a high level when he gets to a different team.

Sheduer Sanders has the confidence and talent to make him, at worst, an average starting quarterback. He has great accuracy and ball placement but what makes me believe he’ll succeed no matter the team is his toughness. He’s never played behind a good offensive line and has taken some huge shots. But he always gets back up without being rattled or losing confidence. That will translate well in the NFL especially as teams picking in the top five usually don’t have great offensive lines. I think the Giants are the perfect landing spot for him. They have plenty of weapons on offense after trying and failing to make the Daniel Jones experiment work, and Sheduer has the confidence and moxie to deal with the New York fan base.

This is a classic example of a high floor vs high ceiling scenario. If Ward realizes his full potential he’ll be an absolute monster but I worry by the time he gets to the right team/coach it’ll be too late. Sheduer may never become more than an average starting quarterback but with the right weapons around him that could be enough to have a long career. Ward has more talent and natural gifts than Sanders but if the right coach doesn’t get a hold of him I worry he won’t become everything he can be.

Dark Horses For Starting Positions: Will Howard and Jaxson Dart

Jaxson Dart has been the darling of the draft process. At the end of the college football season not many people had the Ole Miss QB going in the first round. Suddenly that’s a very real possibility. He’s a fun player to watch with top notch rushing ability and throws a pretty ball. He needs to improve passing against the blitz and there are a lot of questions on how he will transition from Ole Miss to the NFL game. Dart would ideally end up behind a veteran willing to mentor him for a few years before taking over. The Rams are the first team to come to mind. He could sit behind Matthew Stafford and then take over in Sean McVay’s system, which could be a perfect fit.

I really like Will Howard. The biggest knock on him is that his play was vastly elevated with A+ weapons on an A+ team when he transferred from Kansas State to Ohio State last year. While that is a valid concern, I really liked the way he played last year. He was accurate, tough as nails and played his best football when it mattered most. If I had to give one word to describe Howard it would be competitor. He’s a fiery player who fans and players alike will love. The real question is whether or not he can develop into a quality starting quarterback. Like Jaxson Dart, he’ll need time and more importantly, the right coach to mentor him. I’m rooting for Howard to succeed more than any other player in this class for the sole reason that it’s fun to watch him win. He has the competitive edge, toughness, and leadership to be a starting QB. But does he have the talent?

Jalen Milroe: The Next Jalen Hurts?

I’m having a really hard time not making this comparison, as lofty as it is. He’s a fantastic runner and was one of the best deep passers in college football last year. He’s built like a tank and handles pressure well. Even if he never ends up as a full time starter, whatever team drafts him can use him in a variety of ways. I can see him in a Taysom Hill type role but with better passing ability coming from a player built like a running back. Jalen Hurts and Lamar Jackson leaned heavily on their running ability at the start of their careers as they developed into NFL passers. If Milroe has that kind of development he’ll be a high level starter. No matter what, Jalen Milroe’s physical gifts will keep him in the league for a very long time. As a project, backup or gadget player, I fully expect the Alabama product to be in the NFL for at least 10 years.

Thank you for reading my 2025 NFL Draft QB rankings. Everyone sees these QBs differently and I would love to hear your thoughts about them.