Top Quarterback Prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft

Heading into every draft class, the universal question that persists is how many franchise quarterbacks are entering the draft? 

The Chicago Bears and Washington Commanders are happy with how their two new franchise quarterbacks have started the 2024 season. Both Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels have hit the ground running and Daniels is the odds on favorite to earn NFL Rookie of the Year through October. 

But, as expected, more than a handful of teams will be looking for quarterbacks in 2025 draft class (check out Cole Muzio article on that very subject last week here). 

This is an early look at Draft Nation's 2025 Top Ten list of draft eligible quarterbacks, subject to change as the season plays out:

1- Georgia, Carson Beck  6-foot-4  220 lbs (1st round)

2024 Stats:

Games- 6 Completion-67.9% Yards- 1,818  Touchdowns-15 Interceptions- 5

Carson Beck is hands down the best pocket passer in this years class and possibly in the past decade. He is calm and collected and sees the whole field. He will stand in the pocket and take a hit to make a play and his size is what NFL teams want from their signal callers. 

Beck's ball placement is exceptional and he has the ability to throw the ball before a wide receiver makes his move, keeping defenders a step behind. He has a high football IQ and does a good job of calling an audible when needed. If fans watch Beck closely, they will see he routinely calls out the pass rush schemes and is an overall student of the game.

However, Beck can throw some questionable balls when under pressure and there are times when he forces a throw when he could take off and gain yardage on the ground . He will hang in there and take hits to make plays, but is susceptible to getting stripped and fumbling the ball. He can be careless when the protection breaks down and needs to get more comfortable throwing some passes away. Beck has exceptional accuracy in the short and medium game, but he can struggle with his accuracy on the deep ball, underthrowing some open targets or overshooting them by 20 yards.

2- Colorado, Shedeur Sanders  6-foot-2 215 lbs (1st round)

2024 Stats:

Games- 6 Completion- 72.6% Yards- 2,018 Touchdowns- 17 Interceptions- 4

Sanders is athletic and knows how to progress through his reads while in the pocket even when he feels pressure. He is excellent at the quick, short passing game and has a lightning release. He has advanced passing mechanics with a straight over the top motion that he repeats on each throw. And of course as his last name dictates, Sanders has the “it” factor and the poise and confidence of a veteran when leading in a game. He's shown a talent for calling out blitzes and knowing where his hot routes were at all times. He's comfortable running when needed and has the ability to pick up big yards with his legs. 

Sanders will be under a microscope and will need prove that he can throw in an NFL style offense. Much of his success has come from short, quick passes and Sanders' deep ball can hang up too long. He holds the ball awkwardly when leaving the pocket and has already fumbled an alarming 19 times in his career. He has good mechanics in his upper body throwing the ball, but his footwork can be suspect. He tends to throw using all upper body and not using his legs to drive the ball through. 

3- Miami, Fla, Cam Ward     6-foot-2 223 lbs  (1st round)

2024 Stats:

Games- 6 Completion- 69.2% Yards- 2,219 Touchdowns- 20 Interceptions- 5

What is obvious from film study is how live Ward’s arm is when he wants it to be. He has above average arm strength while possessing enough touch and accuracy to make impressive throws. When he needs to, he can speed up his throws to fit into extremely tight windows, and generally can place the ball where it needs to be for his receiver to have a chance to get it. Ward is fearless in the pocket and is more than willing to stand in and absorb a hit when necessary. But he can also create outside of the pocket as well. While not necessarily a rushing QB, Ward is athletic enough to be a threat in the run game and can extend plays by getting outside the pocket and keeping his eyes downfield. Ward thrives in the red zone and during his 2022 season, he had a 19-0 TD to INT ratio, and has already started 4-0 in that department this season.

Where Ward needs to improve under pressure. While he rarely scrambles out of clean pockets in a panic, his fearlessness can work to his disadvantage, often leading to him taking way too many hits and sacks. Not only did Ward take an astounding 46 sacks last season (2nd in FBS), but his passing stats also suffered as well. In 213 drop-backs where he faced pressure, Ward had an abysmal 4.1 yards per attempt and a 43.7% completion percentage per Pro Football Focus (PFF).

Ward switches back and forth between overly targeting the deep areas of the field, where he struggled immensely in 2022, to passing up deep shots to force checkdowns. Ward is great at moving through his progressions, so it is odd to see him make these mistakes. One potential reason for a lot of these issues may be his inconsistent footwork. He wastes movement in his drops and loves to hitch and hop around the pocket at times. This makes him late on his reads, thus missing open targets on occasion.

4- Penn State, Drew Allar 6-foot-5  243 lbs (1st round)

2024 Stats:

Games- 6 Completion- 70.5%  Yards-1,492 Touchdowns- 11

Interceptions-4

Drew Allar has a strong football IQ and reads defenses well. He acknowledges blitzes and audibles well out of plays. He is a pure passer with the build that NFL teams love. His throwing mechanics are pure and he looks the part. The arm strength is there to make all throws in all situations and he has enough athleticism to tuck the ball away and take off. Although he isn't the fleetest of feet, he tends to always gain positive yards once he decides to leave the pocket.

Drew Allar needs to improve his footwork, especially when he is under pressure. At times he throws using nothing but his arm strength and will need to learn to transfer power better from his lower half to his throwing motion. His pocket presence can be slow at times and he will take unnecessary sacks due to his slow clock. Allar will throw short passes with too much velocity and intermediate throws without enough speed. He has missed on deep throws where the receiver's were open as a result of poor mechanics. 

5- Texas, Quinn Ewers  6-foot-2 195 lbs   (1st round)

2024 Stats:

Games-4  Completion- 72.2% Yards- 890 Touchdowns- 9 Interceptions-3

Ewers has the arm strength to make all passes in any situation, anywhere on the field. He possesses NFL accuracy on all three levels and the mobility to get outside the pocket and throw on the run. He always has his eyes set down the field even while he is on the move, locating open receivers. He does a good job of anticipating the receivers out of their breaks and can make throws before the receivers are even looking. He has a knack for changing the speed of his throws when needed, and, as all accurate passers do, leads his receivers well.

He does have a bad habit of holding the football loosely when he is outside the pocket, making him prone to fumbles. And at the pro level, he will need to be faster going through his reads and not second guessing himself which leads to sacks and unnecessary pressures. His throwing mechanics need some work as he throws from a sidearm angle at times when it is not necessary. His footwork, too, can be an issue, as he tends to throw off his backfoot, which also leads to accuracy issues. When dropping back, Ewers needs to have a better understanding of when to step up in the pocket instead of rolling out unnecessarily. 

6- Ole Miss, Jaxson Dart  6-foot-2  220 lbs   (Round 2 or 3)

2024 Stats:

Games-7 Completion- 70.2% Yards- 2,384 Touchdowns-14 Interceptions-3

Jaxson Dart is able to throw the ball with excellent velocity and does a solid job of changing his arm angles to get the ball out. He can make all the throws, but scouts don't consider his arm elite. He keeps his eyes downfield once he moves from the pocket and is able to anticipate when a receiver will break open. Dart is explosive when he runs and is able to pick up big chunks of yards once he puts the ball away and takes off. 

Dart's accuracy on deep balls can be very inconsistent from time to time. He appears to be more comfortable on shorter and intermediate passes where he can put steam behind the ball. At times he lacks patience and will not go through all of his reads. When under pressure, Dart's decision making can be questionable. He will try to force passes into the tightest of windows, putting a lot of trust in his arm strength, but it does not always work out. When in the pocket, Dart dances too much and needs to concentrate on his footwork which leads to accuracy issues.

7- LSU, Garrett Nussmeier   6-foot-2 200 lbs (Round 3)

2024 Stats:

Games-6 Completion- 64.3% Yards- 1,989 Touchdowns- 18 Interceptions- 6

Garrett Nussmeier has an elite arm and can make all the NFL throws and then some. What makes his arm strength even more impressive is the fact that he can repeat the same throwing motion each time. In the pocket, he is comfortable and has exceptional footwork and mechanics that he uses to be able to step up and make plays consistently. Nussmeier does an effective job of giving his receivers the best chance to make a play. He has a strong enough arm to make a throw when they are just coming out of their breaks, and his passes usually give the receivers a chance to pick up extra yards by leading them while they are still in motion. He is a hard worker who studies film nonstop, which may be a product of having an ex-NFL quarterback as a father.

On the downside, Nussmeier is less experienced than most other prospects that are entering the draft in 2025. The 2024 season will be his first full season as a starting quarterback, and he will need to have a stellar year to show the NFL what he can do. At times, Nussmeier has a habit of locking in on his first option and loses his progression tempo, leading to sacks or throwing the ball away. Like other quarterbacks who have had elite arms, he will overestimate what windows he can fit the football in, leading to deflections or worse yet, interceptions. His decision making will be one of the top items that scouts watch for in 2024. Lastly, Nussmeier has a small frame and is very lean compared to other NFL quarterbacks. Teams will want him to add 10-15 pounds and still perform at the same level.

8- Alabama, Jalen Milroe 6-foot-2 220 lbs   (3rd round)

2024 Stats:

Games- 6 Completion- 72.7%  Yards-1,483  Touchdowns- 12 Interceptions- 4

Jalen Milroe is an explosive athlete who is a threat when he scrambles. His arm strength allows him to make all the requisite NFL throws and he gets defensive backs to bite with his ability to pump fake opening up the field for receivers. Milroe has had success in an NFL style offense which will help his stock and has the big-play ability that the NFL loves in today's signal callers. He can beat you with his arm or his legs helping to keep the defenses second guessing there blitz packages.

However, he doesn't have the arm mechanics that NFL teams like to see. His feet and lower half do not work in proper unison with his arm, leading to accuracy issues. Milroe's decision making can be questioned at times as he will try to force the balls into impossible windows and he can be forced into bad throws when pressured. He has problems making it through all his progressions and will tuck the ball away and take off too soon. When leaving the pocket he will need to do a better job of keeping his eyes down the field.

9- Texas A&M, Conner Weigman    6-foot-3 220 lbs (4th or 5th round)

2024 Stats: Games- 3 Completion- 62.1% Yards- 501 Touchdowns- 2 Interceptions- 2

Conner Weigman has the build of an NFL quarterback and the arm strength to make all the throws. He has a high football IQ and reads blitzes and zones as well as any other prospect in the class. His footwork in the pocket allows him to step up and throw in one motion and he's smooth in his drop backs, doing a good job of using his eyes to freeze defenders. Weigman is mobile enough to leave the pocket and take off, and also is very accurate when throwing on the run. He does not take many chances and his decision making has been excellent in his young career.

However, Weigman has not played as many games as the other top prospects in this draft class, making only four games last season before a foot injury ended his campaign. He plays stiff in the hips from time to time leading to velocity issues on his passes. His footwork is good enough to bail him out, but he will need to improve his hip mechanics when changing throwing lanes. When he goes through each progression, he sometimes goes through his reads too fast, losing a receiver who is about to break open. If he can slow his game down a bit, it will benefit both him and the team. Although he has the arm to make all throws, he needs to do a better job of knowing when to put some touch on the ball. He will put velocity on passes where it is not needed, leading to drops and incompletions.

10- Syracuse, Kyle McCord  6-foot-3 215 lbs (4th or 5th round)

2024 Stats:

Games- 6 Completion- 65.6% Yards- 2,160 Touchdowns- 19 Interceptions- 6

Kyle McCord has an NFL arm and can make all the throws NFL scouts want to see. He puts a nice arc on his deep ball when needed and has a quick release. His accuracy on short and medium passes are on point and he goes through his progressions well, using his eyes and feet to keep safeties on their heels. He checks the NFL boxes with size and arm strength, though he could stand to add some weight to his 6’3” frame. He calls out pre snap blitzes and coverages and calls audibles capably when needed. 

Kyle McCord is not a fluid athlete however and has trouble outside the pocket. He struggles throwing on the run and his accuracy takes a nosedive when he is forced to. He has a tendency to hold the ball longer than should and will take unnecessary sacks and hits. He does not put any added pressure on defenses with his legs and will have to play in a pocket style offense. He needs to show more to the NFL scouts and coming back to school for another year will considerably help his NFL Draft stock.