Early 2025 NFL Draft Rankings – Top 10 Quarterback Prospects

Andy Smith does an early look and ranks the top 10 quarterback prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft. Which of these players could have a chance of being selected in the first round?

Several high-end quarterbacks, such as Jayden Daniels from LSU and Bo Nix from Oregon, were selected in the 2024 NFL Draft class. These quarterbacks have already established themselves as franchise players.

However, this class does not have as many high-end options as last season, but it does have some intriguing Day 2 and Day 3 options that could be worth a look in the later rounds of the draft.

Let's dive into the top 10 quarterback back prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft.

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10) Kurtis Rourke, Indiana

After playing with Ohio during the first three seasons of his collegiate career, Kurtis Rourke transferred to Indiana and led them to their first playoff appearance. Across 12 games, Rourke went 220-for-320 for 3,042 yards and an impressive 29:5 TD:INT ratio. This was a significant improvement over the 2,207 yards he tallied in 2023.

He also posted a strong 9.5 yards-per-attempt.

In their playoff loss to Notre Dame, Rourke struggled against a top defense, tallying just 215 yards, two scores, and an interception.

Rourke is a pure pocket passer and rarely made throws on the move and out of the pocket. Given his lack of rushing ability and slower development, Rourke is the last entry on our list.

9) Tyler Shough, Louisville

Tyler Shough has had a long college career. He began with the Oregon Ducks in 2018, then transferred to Texas Tech, and finally joined Louisville for his final season.

In 2024, Shough threw for a career-best 3,195 yards with 23 TDs and six interceptions. He tallied one score on the ground.

However, the 26-year-old has struggled to release the ball quickly. His 2.9 seconds to throw is the 114th-highest mark among quarterbacks in FBS. Given his longer collegiate career, Shough must show NFL teams that he can read defenses quicker and more efficiently to earn an opportunity.

8) Kyle McCord, Syracuse

After spending the first three seasons of his career at Ohio State, Kyle McCord found a new home in Syracuse for his senior season. McCord enjoyed the best season of his career as he threw for an impressive 4,779 yards with 34 scores and 12 interceptions. He added three scores on the ground.

While his passing yards were the most in the FBS, his interceptions led the ACC.

Kyle was making it rain in Syracuse 😤

Kyle McCord threw for 354 yards and 4 touchdowns tonight in his debut with the Orange‼️@CuseFootball | @Cuse | @drpepper pic.twitter.com/NFuCRyyNxf

— ACC Digital Network (@theACCDN) August 31, 2024

His signature victory came on November 30, when he defeated quarterback prospect Cam Ward and the Miami Hurricanes in a thrilling 42-38 victory. In this game, McCord tallied 380 yards and three scores.

7) Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss

After playing his rookie season with USC, Jaxon Dart transferred to Ole Miss, where he called home for the final three seasons of his collegiate career. Dart showed steady improvement each season and threw for a career-best 4,279 yards and 29 scores last season. Dart also added 495 and three scores on the ground.

Dart's passing yards and impressive 10.8 YPA led the SEC.

However, several scouts have questioned his ability to lead an offense. The Ole Miss offensive scheme is centered around simple reads that are not easily translated to the professional level. While he carries just as much upside as several names on this list, his skill set may not translate to the NFL.

6) Will Howard, Ohio State

Will Howard led the Ohio State Buckeyes to a National Championship, throwing for 4,010 passing yards with 35 touchdowns. His passing yards and scores were the most in the Big Ten. The 24-year-old added 226 yards and a score with his legs. However, he threw 10 interceptions for the second straight season and the third time in his career.

Howard was the conductor of one of the top offensive units in the country and has been credited with his ability to make plays out of pocket. However, given his poor decision-making throughout his collegiate career, NFL teams may be afraid to call his name on draft day, as he has yet to improve in that area.

5) Quinn Ewers, Texas

Quinn Ewers has led Texas to two-straight playoff appearances in each of the past two years but will opt to enter the draft and not play his senior campaign with the Longhorns. Last season, Ewers threw 31 scores, which was the most in the SEC with 3,472 yards, good for fourth-most in the conference.

However, like Howard, Ewers threw 12 interceptions, the most he has thrown in a single season and the most in the SEC this season. Ewers tended to make these poor decisions when opposing defenses applied pressure on him, which was not a promising sign.

SO NICE THEY HAD TO DO IT TWICE 🤘

Quinn Ewers finds Jaydon Blue for six on the exact same route as their first touchdown 🤝 pic.twitter.com/AhIaxYZyBD

— ESPN (@espn) January 11, 2025

Although, given his ability to lead the Texas offense to two successful seasons and to be near the top of his conferences (Big 12 in 2023 and SEC in 2024) in passing statistics, Ewers carries solid upside heading into the 2025 NFL Draft.

4) Dillon Gabriel, Oregon

The 2024 Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year comes in at the No. 4 spot on our list. Gabriel enjoyed a career season in 2024, leading the Oregon Ducks to the top seed in the playoffs and a perfect record during the regular season. His only loss came at the hands of Ohio State during the playoffs.

Gabriel posted a career-high 72.9% completion rate with 3,857 passing yards and 30 TDs. This was his second straight season, tallying at least 30 passing scores. Gabriel shinned in the Big Ten Championship as he went 22-for-32 with 283 yards and four passing touchdowns over Penn State.

However, the Oregon offense centered around short passes and screens, raising some concerns about Gabriels' arm strength and how it may translate to the professional level.

3) Jalen Milroe, Alabama

The nation's top dual-threat QB tallied over 3,500 all-purpose yards in his final season with the Crimson Tide. Jalen Milroe threw for a career-best 2,844 yards through the air with a 16:11 TD:INT ratio. Milroe added an impressive 726 yards and an eye-catching 20 TDs on the ground.

His 20 rushing scores were the second-most in the SEC and only behind Tennessee running back Dylan Sampson.

While Milroe carries elite play-making ability, his decision-making still needs some work. Milore posted a completion percentage of less than 65% in five of his 13 games and threw two or more interceptions in three.

2) Shedeur Sanders, Colorado

Shedeur Sanders led the Big 12 in passing in a demanding fashion as he tallied a career-best 4,134 yards with a stellar 74% completion rate. He tallied 37 scores (led the Big 12) en route to being named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year. However, Sanders struggled at times as threw a hefty 10 interceptions.

However, the one blemish in his skill set is his inability to avoid sacks. Sanders was sacked 42 times this season, which was the most in FBS. In addition, his 7.2% sack-per-dropback placed him fourth-most in the nation. If Sanders can continue to get the ball to his receivers quicker, he should see this sack rate drop significantly in the NFL.

1) Cameron Ward, Miami

Cameron Ward of Miami is the top quarterback prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft Class. During his senior campaign, Ward threw for 4,313 yards and 39 passing scores in 2024, the most in the ACC. His yardage total was just 400 fewer than Syrcause's Kyle McCord's, but Ward attempted 98 fewer passes, suggesting he would have significantly surpassed McCord if given the opportunity.

He added 204 yards and four touchdowns with his legs.

WHAT A THROW AND CATCH 💥

3 TDs on the day for Cam Ward 🙌 pic.twitter.com/wYBbedbo69

— ESPN (@espn) August 31, 2024

However, Ward has struggled with reckless play, like many names on this list. He has thrown at least seven interceptions in each of his three seasons. While Ward's upside is higher than anyone on this list, it remains to be seen if his 'hero' play style can be fixed to succeed at the NFL level.

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