Value equations and position priority can vary by NFL franchise, general manager and coaching staff with one glaring exception tested by history and proven out in hardware.
Quarterbacks are the ultimate NFL wildcard, a top necessity with very noteworthy exceptions.
Of the 14 starting quarterbacks in the 2025 playoffs, 12 entered the league as first-round picks. The Lombardi Trophy winner — Jalen Hurts of the Eagles — was an exception, as was 2024 NFC Super Bowl quarterback Brock Purdy. Hurts was a second-rounder (53rd overall in 2020) and the lowest drafted playoff starter other than Steelers veteran Russell Wilson (a third-round pick, 75th overall, in 2012). Ten of the quarterbacks starting 2025 playoff games were drafted in the top 12 overall.
The roundabout point on the table goes well past the history of teams drafting quarterbacks in the top five.
Most years, a franchise finds its way to the No. 1 pick because of a QB need. Six of the top 12 picks in 2024 were spent on quarterbacks.
It’s largely true again this year of the three teams in the top three: Titans, Browns and Giants. All had high-profile fires breakout around the planned development of touted saviors and prized picks and with three wins last season are under major heat to get the position fixed.
Can the supply available in the 2025 NFL Draft meet the demand of teams with no proven answer at the position?
1. Cameron Ward, Miami
With 158 career TD passes and a three-program track record of winning with peak production in five years at the college level, Ward stands as the lone quarterback with the first-round grade in FLM rankings. Fit has become critical at QB — while that was always the case, synergy and an established developmental platform are now pass-fail metrics falling on the organization, not the player. Ward might’ve been No. 3-5 in the historic class of 2024 between J.J. McCarthy and Michael Penix.
There is risk, of course, but Ward’s tools are enticing: pocket mobility, decent short-area speed, power to rip in a crowded pocket and touch downfield.
He is not fully programmed. The penchant to freelance and trust his instincts led to rich success at Miami and Washington State. The same off-script escapades and live arm can lead to him overtrusting his ability to make something out of nothing. The combination of all of these factors invite loose comparisons to Patrick Mahomes, and GMs taking deep-dive looks at Ward are blown away by his impactful leadership and follow-me style expected from a franchise quarterback.
2. Shedeur Sanders, Colorado
Developed by his dad, Deion Sanders, at Jackson State and Colorado, the spotlight has never been overly engulfing for Shedeur Sanders. An easy target as the coach’s kid under the tutelage of flashy and famous Hall of Fame cornerback, Shedeur Sanders was 13-11 in two seasons at the FBS level and completed 73 percent of his passes as a junior before declaring for the draft.
Deion Sanders made his fortune with rare speed, explosiveness and playmaking instincts. Shedeur Sanders’ ticket to pro success resides in his competitive toughness and ability to deliver the ball on time while staring down the barrel of the pass rush. He’s not suited for every NFL offense and some coordinators fear he can’t be pulled out of an overly cautious in-game approach. Shedeur Sanders might only succeed in a scheme focused on a strong running game with a full-trust, tough-love situation similar to Bo Nix with the Broncos.
3. Jalen Milroe, Alabama
All sorts of variations of the pecking order of this QB class are out there among the NFL’s 32 opinions that matter. For any franchise preparing for a rainy day, Milroe is highlighted as a player who could take the Jordan Love (26th overall) or Jalen Hurts route to an NFL starting job.
A quarterback in a running back’s body, Milroe’s pro progress has almost no chance of being a straight-line to success. He’s admittedly raw, new to reading beyond his second option and accustomed to getting by with natural gifts — rare as they might be — to win. This can often mean retreating to the point of highest training as a run-first mindset when plays go off-script.
He made a leap training under first-year coach Kellen DeBoer and brings a game-changing ability as a runner — 20 rushing touchdowns last season — to add value while using his workmanlike and professional approach to evolve as an NFL passer. Parallels to current Packers backup Malik Willis are wide of the mark and those making comps to run-happy Syracuse product Donovan McNabb (No. 2 overall, 1999) and Mississippi State project Dak Prescott (fourth round, 2016) are only marginally closer.
If he’s drafted into ideal circumstances with pro redshirt possibilities, Milroe’s home-run speed and upside are being undersold.
4. Jaxson Dart, Mississippi
Not to suggest a daily driver can’t compete in a car show, but a value ceiling appears to be inevitable for Dart in the 2025 draft. He passed for more than 10,000 yards and embodied the chip-on-shoulder approach to the position coach Lane Kiffin loves. As an NFL prospect, there are elements of Dart’s game that easily transfer to a timing-based offense. He’s 28-10 as a starter and throws the ball with accuracy, timing and can escape or use his legs to create openings.
He’s not going to cut the ball through gusty winds but would willingly die trying with a gunslinger mentality some coaches are certain to embrace.
There are winning traits in common with Brock Purdy (49ers) and Kirk Cousins (Falcons) but his greatest production and performance has come in helter skelter pacing or comeback situations and a season or two might be necessary to build him into a more complete starter.
5. Quinn Ewers, Texas
One of the more high-profile recruits in recent memory and a foundation stone of the start of the NIL era, Ewers brings the profile of a backup quarterback to the table despite success and playoff experience at Texas and in the SEC.
A touch passer with enough mobility to manipulate the pocket, Ewers has undeniable similarity to former Pitt first-round pick Kenny Pickett. Pickett is on his third NFL team in three seasons after being acquired from the Eagles by the Cleveland Browns. He’s good enough to win a game, but perhaps not the player coaches want in the driver’s seat long-term.
6. Tyler Shough, Louisville
A seven-year college journey paved the path for Shough to hit the NFL draft at nearly 26 years old holding an incomplete resume. He only played in more than eight games once in his career and that came last season at Louisville, where his pocket prowess made him a perfect fit in a downfield passing game. Given durability concerns and advanced age, the upside to selecting Shough ahead of younger, developmental options is limited. Shough turns 26 in September, and if a team isn’t going to start him as a rookie, what in the name of Brandon Weeden are we doing here?
7. Kyle McCord, Syracuse
Turnovers, risk tolerance and a rigid release are the issues scouts can’t get past in the final grade for McCord. His mental makeup, experience, reps and controlled aggressiveness as a decision-maker push him into top backup and fringe starter territory.
8. Will Howard, Ohio State
Went from Kansas State to the Buckeyes and a season directing a Cadillac offense skyrocketed his efficiency and he won over some scouts with his toughness. Questions about arm strength and inconsistent accuracy aren’t going away.
9. Dillon Gabriel, Oregon
As a second- or third-day draft pick, Gabriel’s size (5-11, 200) and limited exposure to a pro-style scheme cast him in the same light as former career backup Chase Daniel.
10. Kurtis Rourke, Indiana
Six seasons in college and playing through a second torn ACL (August 2024, surgery January 2025) reduce Rourke to a backup-level ceiling.
