This 2025 quarterback draft class reminds me of the Wild West. Each week, a different outlaw stakes their claim as the top-dog. If you ask five people who the biggest outlaw is in the Wild West, you will get five different answers. Similarly, if you ask five people who the top QB is in their 2025 NFL Draft Rankings, you’ll probably get five different names.
This class offers NFL teams (and dynasty managers) a wide variety of quarterback prospects from which to choose. Do you prefer a more traditional pocket passer? This class has that. Do you prefer a playmaker? This class also has that. A dynamic runner? Got that too. Gunslinger? Yep. What about a former 5-star, no.1 overall recruit? Or a 0-star recruit that worked his way up from the FCS to the top of the FBS? Yep, this class has both of those, too.
Perhaps the variety of the 2025 quarterback prospects is why it’s hard to get a consensus top QB or even which, or how many, QBs could be drafted on the first night of the NFL Draft. My rankings undoubtedly differ from some others’ you’ll find. But, the important takeaway is that there are a lot of good quarterbacks in this class.
TIER 1 2025 NFL Draft Rankings
QB1 | Shedeur Sanders | Colorado | 6’2” | 215 lbs.
Shedeur Sanders entered the 2024 season as my top-ranked quarterback, and nothing has changed. In fact, he has answered more questions that I had prior to the season than any of the other top quarterbacks. It’s worth noting that Sanders is the most polarizing quarterback in this class. His detractors often point to how long he holds onto the ball and, therefore, the high number of sacks he takes. However, I don’t always view this as a bad thing. Sanders has an innate ability to extend and make big plays for his team, like this one:
If that means taking a few extra sacks, I don’t mind. He certainly can work on getting rid of the ball in some situations, but I want a QB that is always looking to make a play for his team, a la the early years of Ben Roethlisberger and Russell Wilson.
Sanders has a strong arm—capable of making any throw. His accuracy is top-class, both with ball placement on tight-window throws and on deep passes. His athleticism isn’t elite, but he’s mobile enough to use his legs when needed and extend plays as he looks down field. I have Shedeur Sanders as my QB1 and wouldn’t be shocked if he ends up being a top-5 selection in the draft.
TIER 2 2025 NFL Draft Rankings
QB2 | Cameron Ward | Miami | 6’2” | 223 lbs.
Undoubtedly, the quarterback prospect in this class that has risen the most since entering college is Miami’s Cam Ward. His collegiate journey did not start at Miami, nor did it start at Washington State (where he played in 2022 and 2023). Cam Ward was an unranked recruit coming out of high school. He had two offers to play football. One from Texas Southern and one from Incarnate Word.
After an exceptional season at Incarnate Word in 2021, Ward followed his coach to Washington State where he showed flashes of brilliance. However, he struggled to consistently display high-level skill. After conference realignment left Wazzu out of a major conference, he entered the transfer portal and took his talents to South Beach. Ward has flourished in the national spotlight and is currently one of the favorites to win the Heisman.
Like Sanders, Cam Ward has a strong arm and can throw from a variety of arm angles and platforms. While he has improved, his biggest knock is still a lack of consistency. I expect Cam Ward to be drafted no later than the middle of the 1st round of the NFL Draft but potentially as high as the 1st overall selection.
QB3 | Quinn Ewers | Texas | 6’2” | 210 lbs.
Now we move from the most polarizing quarterback to the one with the biggest question mark, Quinn Ewers. Not only was Ewers the top overall recruit in his class, but he is the highest-ranked recruit (at any position) to ever commit to Ohio State. His talent isn’t the question:
His durability is my chief concern. After hardly seeing the field during his freshman season at Ohio State, Ewers transferred to Texas where he has flourished when healthy. Unfortunately, he’s missed extended time in each of his seasons with the Longhorns. He has a side-arm delivery that generates good velocity on throws, but is capable of putting touch on passes when needed. He did struggle a bit against a tough Georgia defense, which caused the slight drop in my rankings. However, if I knew that Quinn Ewers was going to stay healthy, he’d be flirting with QB1, but the uncertainty keeps him in Tier 2.
QB4 | Carson Beck | Georgia | 6’4” | 220 lbs.
The last quarterback in my second tier, and biggest faller since the start of the season, is Georgia’s Carson Beck. It was a bit of a surprise when Beck decided to return to Georgia for the 2024 season instead of entering the draft. The best reasoning was that he could potentially be the first quarterback taken in 2025, rather than hoping to be a first-round pick. Early on this year, that looked like a great decision. Beck was the odds-on favorite to be the first QB taken, and Georgia was rolling.
Then, over a two-game span against Kentucky and Alabama, Carson Beck struggled. He completed only 56.8% of his passes and looked bad doing it. Beck (nor any player) should have a two-game span dramatically hurt their draft stock, but what we saw highlighted my ongoing concerns for him.
Carson Beck is the most prototypical pocket passing quarterback in this class. He struggles at times when forced to move out of the pocket to make throws outside of structure. His arm strength is sufficient for the NFL but I would not say he has a particularly strong arm. This was on display throughout the loss to Alabama, including on this game-clinching interception:
This is not to say that Carson Beck won’t be drafted in the first round, nor can he be a successful NFL quarterback. My concern with Beck is that he doesn’t have any elite tools, and he has a lower ceiling than the rest of the players around him in my rankings.
TIER 3 2025 NFL Draft Rankings
QB5 | Jalen Milroe | Alabama | 6’2” | 225 lbs.
The next player (possibly my most controversial ranking) is Alabama‘s Jalen Milroe. After the upset win over Georgia, Jalen Milroe’s draft stock was at an all-time high. There was even some discussion of him potentially vying for the top spot in this QB class. However, my evaluation of Milroe was less lofty.
There is no doubting Jalen Milroe’s dynamic ability as a rusher of the football. Week after week, he makes defenses look slow and silly trying to tackle him. However, my concern with Milroe is (and has always been) if he possesses enough talent as a thrower of the football.
We have seen more and more quarterback prospects enter the NFL who are dynamic runners but leave something to be desired when they drop back to pass. The question for me is if Jalen Milroe is a good enough runner to outweigh the growing pains that he will face throwing the ball in the NFL. To date, when he has been forced to beat teams with his arm rather than his legs, he has struggled. For that reason, I have him at the top of Tier 3 of QBs in the 2025 NFL Draft rankings and expect him to be drafted late in the 1st Round or early in the 2nd Round of the NFL Draft.
QB6 | Jaxson Dart | Ole Miss | 6’2” | 225 lbs.
The next quarterback in my rankings, Jaxson Dart, has seen a resurgence in his draft stock this year. Dart entered the 2023 season with hopes of inserting his name into the discussion of the top quarterback in his class, but instead, he underwhelmed. After wisely deciding to return for the 2024 season, he has impressed. Even in the disappointing loss against Kentucky, Dart played a solid game.
As a prospect, Dart has solid arm strength, is capable of making off-platform throws, shows good accuracy and anticipation, and possesses above-average athleticism. I think Jaxson Dart could wind up hearing his name called on the second night of the 2025 NFL Draft. In the right system, he could be a solid starter.
QB7 | Garrett Nussmeier | LSU | 6’2” | 200 lbs.
After the departure of reigning Heisman winner Jaylen Daniels, Garrett Nussmeier took the reins for the LSU offense and hasn’t looked back. Despite being on the smaller side, Nussmeier possesses one of the stronger arms in this class. With throws like this one, it’s easy to see why he’s rising up draft boards and even getting some first-round buzz:
The two biggest concerns I have with Nussmeier are his size and inexperience. We have not seen many quarterbacks come into the NFL below the 200-pound threshold, so I will be eager to see what he weighs in at—should he declare. As to his inexperience, it leads me to believe that there’s a real chance that Nussmeier returns to Baton Rouge for the 2025 season. However, if he continues to play well, his inexperience may not be a factor for his draft stock.
TIER 4 2025 NFL Draft Rankings
QB8 | Drew Allar | Penn State | 6’5” | 238 lbs.
Drew Allar is another player that has seen his draft stock rebound after a disappointing 2023 season. He didn’t play particularly terribly last year, but he didn’t have the breakout that many people were expecting, and he struggled with his accuracy. So far in 2024, Allar has looked like the player that many expected him to be in 2023.
At 6’6”, he has prototypical NFL size. He has a very strong arm that allows him to attack defenses anywhere on the field. Allar is also more athletic than you’d expect, possessing the ability to extend plays with his legs, when needed. This year, he is finally making throws with good anticipation and accuracy. If he declares, I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets drafted on Day 2 of the 2025 NFL Draft.
QB9 | Conner Weigman | Texas A&M | 6’3” | 220 lbs.
The biggest faller in most quarterback rankings is Texas A&M’s Conner Weigman. He entered the season with some people thinking that he could jump into the QB1 discussion. However, after a rough start and then an injury, those chances are gone.
Weigman has the traits you look for in a starting quarterback but hasn’t consistently put them on the field. He can show good arm strength, accuracy, decision-making, and athleticism. But, he can also make plays that leave you scratching your head. Weigman has a lot of work to do if he’s going to recoup any of the preseason draft hype. I think there’s a good chance he’ll return to college for the 2025 season.
QB10 | Cade Klubnik | Clemson | 6’2” | 210 lbs.
Like the two above him, Cade Klubnik is a former 5-star recruit that hasn’t quite lived up to the lofty expectations set upon him. However, he looks like he might be finally putting it all together for Clemson. He has a good arm, can throw off platform, places the ball where his receivers have the best chance to make a play, and will surprise you with this athleticism.
The question with Klubnik (and the other two in this tier) is if he’s going to return for another season or head to the NFL. I think he could be a Day 2 pick if he declares but may benefit more from returning for one more year.
TIER 5 2025 NFL Draft Rankings
QB11 | Miller Moss | USC | 6’0” | 227 lbs.
QB12 | Kyle McCord | Syracuse | 6’3” | 220 lbs.
QB13 | Donovan Smith | Houston | 6’5” | 235lbs.
QB14 | Jalon Daniels | Kansas | 6’0” | 220 lbs.
There are a lot of good players that were not included in this list. That does not mean that I don’t like them, nor does it preclude them from rising into the Top 14 by the time of rookie drafts next year.
The important thing to remember is that these 2025 NFL Draft Rankings are fluid. They have changed since the start of the season and will change again before the end. I will post another update to these rankings near the end of the college football season.
More 2025 NFL Draft Rankings
The weekly College Prospects to Watch article will reflect changes between now and my rankings update. My Running Back Rankings are now live, so check them out:
My Wide Receiver Rankings are also available now, so please feel free:
Our staff is working on a new mock draft each week, so be sure to check back regularly for more 2025 NFL Draft content. In case you missed it, here’s our most recent Superflex Rookie Mock Draft:
