The position that gets the most buzz come draft time, the field generals of the offense. Unfortunately, for many a QB-needy team in the league, this is a particularly thin group coming out, with a pretty substantial drop off from the top two-three guys.
As with any draft though, don't be shocked if somebody reaches a little high for a project, with desperation occasionally boiling over for GMs on the hot seat. Despite the low floors, there's some potential for a few diamonds in the rough to be found here. Let's see if we can uncover them.
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| Photo: Sports Seriously |
Shedeur Sanders:
Colorado 6' 2" 215 lbs. 4.68 40-Time
The Buffaloes' QB1 has a rocket quick release and enough zip to squeeze the ball into tight windows. He maneuvers the pocket effectively to evade pressure-- and is mobile enough to make an impact with his legs-- but usually uses his athleticism to find space, set his feet and attack through the air. Adequately sized, throws the ball with precision and gives his receivers a chance. The quality of said receivers may have bailed him out on more than one occasion. Above average mechanics and a desire, at least vocally, to be great.
Sanders really struggled against quality competition, going 1-7 in his two years Colorado against ranked teams with a -88 point differential. Some of that can be attributed to the lack of an an elite roster across the board, but the numbers are tough to defend. Also seemingly a risk toward 'Non-Deion-Approved' teams to draft him-- and nobody wants an Eli Manning/John Elway situation. His attempts to improvise lead to too many sacks or negative plays; a little too much bust relative to the booms.
Summary: Shedeur boasts a ton of traits you want in your franchise quarterback: a live arm, good footwork, the ability to make something out of nothing and just a general swag. If he can learn to progress through his reads more quickly, his decisiveness should improve, raising his ceiling sky high. If not, this could be another Caleb Williams-esque rookie season.
Cam Ward:
Miami 6' 2" 223 lbs. 4.87 40-Time
Rocks a big frame and is faster than his 40 time suggests. Ward uses his mobility to effectively move through the pocket well, keeping his eyes down field to punish defenses that give him any space to place the ball. Absolutely elite level of zip on the ball with the ability to fit it into the tightest of windows. Composed in clutch situations, as seen during big time comebacks versus Duke and California. Showed improved decision making compared to his time at Washington State and Incarnate Word, but still a little loose with the ball. More accurate on short and intermediate passes than on deep balls.
His inconsistent arm slot raises some concerns, with the former Hurricane tending to throw with more of a 3/4 or sidearm release, which doesn't always translate to the pros. Release could be sped up a little, and he throws off his back foot with too much regularity, which can lead to trouble on the next level. Didn't love his refusal to reenter the Pop Tarts Bowl for the final possession, with a chance to lead Miami to victory over Iowa State. A safe business decision, but surely raises questions about his competitive drive.
Summary: Cam's got some pretty good tape to crunch for those picking atop this draft. His throwing angles, leadership, the way he can really sling the ball-- plenty to catch the eye. His playing style really resembles that of Philip Rivers, though he's much more athletic and probably uses swear words. Few franchises would be upset with a quarterback like Rivers for the long term, providing a fairly safe floor for Ward.
Jaxson Dart:
Ole Miss 6' 2" 225 lbs. 4.85 40-Time
Down to the second tier of quarterbacks we go, starting with a guy whose known as much for his leadership as he is for his production. Deceptively good runner who takes advantage of undisciplined pass rushes, is savvy in tighter spaces, but not one to break away in the open field. Definitely mobile enough to boost his play action capabilities, as well as the RPO. Nice touch on his deep ball, though his release leaves room to speed up.
Dart never faded against stiffer competition, but also never personally elevated the team with any major performances against the big dogs. Showed inconsistent mechanics under pressure and when passing on the move, resulting in some sketchier throws. Good but not great arm strength, which pro secondaries will take advantage of early on. Will struggle to fit the ball into tighter windows. Needs to work on his slide because he'll only be able to lower the shoulder so many times against NFL defenders.
Summary: The kid from Ole Miss should start off as the backup wherever he ends up being drafted. He projects as a Josh Allen lite in just about every capacity-- speed, arm strength, size, mojo in the big moment. A decent project if you have a bridge QB or older vet, but if he's your week one starter, it's probably not going to be a good year.
Quinn Ewers:
Texas 6' 2" 210 lbs. 4.74 40-Time
Despite limited athleticism, Ewers has shown he's able to make plays out of the pocket with his arm and legs. Doesn't always reset his feet to throw after evading pressure, too-often resorting to passing off his back foot. Above average anticipation on deep/intermediate with nice touch. Consistently able to connect on short or intermediate passes, particularly quick hitting slants and crosses, but ball gets outside the numbers slowly.
Not a special arm talent-- too much loft and not enough zip. Likely to struggle fitting balls into tight windows on the next level. Rarely worked the middle of the field at Texas to alleviate this concern. Noticeable struggles against higher quality defenses, most notably this last October versus Georgia, where he was after starting 6-12 for 17 yards and a pick. Showed improvements once he was reinserted into the game, for what it's worth. Really doesn't handle pressure well.
Summary: Similar playing style to Chad Pennington, relying on anticipation and placement to find his wideouts rather than pure arm strength. Never really developed into the collegiate quarterback many anticipated he could be, even with Steve Sarkisian calling the shots and some elite weapons to throw to. Projects as a career backup that could insert himself into a team's quarterback competition if gifted an abbreviated starting stint in the right style of offense.
Kyle McCord:
Syracuse 6' 3" 220 lbs. 4.95 40-Time
Big frame, imposing figure in the pocket. Has a fast release and can crank up the heat to fit closing windows. Able to get the ball deep and onto the perimeter with pace that other quarterbacks in this class can't match. Had some of his biggest games last season against some of the tougher teams the ACC has to offer, which can be taken with a grain of salt. Racked up 10 touchdowns compared to just 1 pick against ranked Miami, UNLV and Georgia Tech-- though he laid an egg versus Pittsburgh with a 5 interception performance.
Throwing motion could be more mechanically sound. Stiff in the pocket and not great under pressure due to limited athleticism. Trusts his arm a little too much in some situations, which NFL defenses could exploit. Needs to learn to sometimes take the easy play over the flashy one. Didn't face the toughest competition at Syracuse and never truly shined against the big boys at Ohio State in 2023.
Summary: Really looks the part of an NFL quarterback but will need to balance his aggression with practicality on the next level. Could really thrive in an organization that gives him a quality offensive line to play behind. A bit raw to start out of the gate, but could find himself earning meaningful snaps as a rookie in the right situation. High ceiling.
Jalen Milroe:
Alabama 6' 2" 225 lbs. 4.60 40-Time
Extremely athletic. Dual-threat capability will provide a multi-faceted attack wherever he ends up. Capable of damaging defenses with his arm and legs for lacking discipline, but too often came up short against premier units. Showed competitive drive when working his way back to starter after being benched in 2023.
Unimpressive arm strength and too quick to tuck and run when his first read is taken away. Really unpolished passer despite working in a pro style offense and having some elite weapons around him. Struggles mightily with identifying blitzes with a concerning lack of ball security-- not a good combination. Short passing game leaves room for improvement.
Summary: Possesses the size and speed to play at the next level, with nearly every raw tool in the shed at his disposal. But when you watch the film, Milroe doesn't look remotely ready to compete in the league. Realistically will need at least two years of quality coaching before fans should feel comfortable with him under center, for anything but an occasional gadget/wildcat play. Really high ceiling but a true zero floor here.
Will Howard:
Ohio State 6' 4" 235 lbs. 4.85 40-Time
Big frame, sneaky mobility and proficient with the RPO. Not afraid to make plays outside the pocket with his legs while still able to provide some pace on the ball while off platform. Puts nice touch on perimeter passes, very capable of squeezing some smaller windows over the middle of the field. A winner, through and through.
Will be 24 when drafted, making Howard a little older than most rookies. Leads some to believe his collegiate success can be attributed to his development being closer to peaking than other quarterbacks in this class. Can be little too quick to look for the run some times, abandoning the play if his first read isn't available. Like Milroe, could argue much of his success at Ohio State was due to a star-studded cast of receivers and backs.
Summary: A polarizing prospect here. When Will Howard shines, there's few in college football who shine brighter, but having watched plenty of OSU games this year, the productivity is a bit inconsistent. Things really clicked late in the season on their dominant title run, which'll surely give a bump to his stock. If he can improve his on-field processing and blitz recognition, Howard could end up being a real steal.
Dillon Gabriel:
Oregon 6' 0" 200 lbs. 4.83 40-Time
The Golden Knight turned Sooner turned Duck is one of the smartest decision makers in college football, only throwing for six interceptions in each of the last three years with a 72.9% completion percentage this last go round. Solid mechanics, able to evade pressure while keeping his eyes downfield and make plays with his legs when nothing is there. Has experience and success in multiple offensive systems against ascending competition.
Gabriel is smaller than the other top quarterbacks in this class, at 6 foot and 200 pounds. He's not a natural arm talent either, needing time and space in order to really drive the ball outside the numbers. A rare lefty, which some NFL teams are weary of. Also boasts small hands and pretty bad measurables overall.
Summary: Given the quality tape Dillon's put out over the years, a larger frame would probably boost his draft stock by at least a round. He's calculated and aggressive in the pass and run game but really lacks the physical tools to be considered a shoo-in on the next level. His ceiling projects as a game manager, assuming he can be drafted into the right situation, but doesn't seem to be the guy to put any team over the top. Getting smoked by Ohio State in his final collegiate performance was a bad note to end on, likely foreshadowing how professional defenses could smother him.
Riley Leonard:
Notre Dame 6' 4" 216 lbs. 4.52 40-Time
Big, fast and surprisingly evasive. Puts some decent zip on the ball, though his release could be quicker. Accurate in the short and intermediate pass game and unafraid to attack the middle of the field. Questions about a weak strength of schedule hushed through some huge performances in the college playoff.
Inconsistent throwing motion, with feet that get a little happy as pressure bears down. Room to improve his anticipation passes, doesn't always excel at leading receivers. His game plans at Notre Dame often seemed to heavily incorporate designed runs, which isn't a recipe for long-term success in the league-- especially for a man with injury issues like Leonard.
Summary: The big frame and overall athleticism will catch many scouts eyes, but Leonard is a pretty hefty project to take on. He's a gamer who'll leave it all on the field, which is an intangible you can't teach, but there's a ton of mechanical issues and refinement that he'll need to overcome to be any more than a change of pace guy on the next level. Big Taysom Hill vibes.
Kurtis Rourke:
Indiana 6' 5" 231 lbs. 4.74 40-Time
Pure pocket passer with the size to get it done. Mechanically sharp, good arm slot and pocket awareness. Eyes are always downfield looking for the big play. Not scared of attacking opposing defenses on all levels, though the short and intermediate throws are his strong suit. Coming off an incredible stint at Indiana, tossing 29 touchdowns to just 5 picks while improbably leading the Hoosiers to the CFB playoff.
Lacks overall athleticism that others in this class have, which, when paired with the fact that he's 24 years old, could limit his ceiling. Doesn't quite have the juice to pump it 50+ yards downfield, resulting in some underthrows which pro safeties will undercut. Underwent ACL surgery in January which could limit his availability for minicamp.
Summary: Few quarterbacks boosted their draft stocks as much as Rourke did over the last year, going from a late round dart throw to a potential sleeper late in the first. He's more likely to fall to day two, especially due to his recent surgery, which could end up being a blessing in disguise as he'll have more time to adjust to the speed of the pro game. Could evolve into a productive starter in the right system.
Honorable Mention:
Donovan Smith, Tyler Shough, Brady Cook, Kevin Jennings, KJ Jefferson
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@Choppinglines
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