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Last year, the NFL draft featured six quarterbacks selected in the first 12 picks: Caleb Williams at No. 1 overall, Jayden Daniels at No. 2, Drake Maye at No. 3, Michael Penix at No. 8, J.J. McCarthy at No. 10 and Bo Nix at No. 12.
After that record-tying number of passers in the first round, it took until Day 3 of the NFL draft for another quarterback to be selected. Spencer Rattler ended the drought when he was selected in the fifth round, No. 150 overall to the New Orleans Saints.
The 2025 NFL draft features a very different landscape at the quarterback position. There's two sure-fire first round prospects: Miami's Cam Ward and Colorado's Shedeur Sanders. Beyond those two, it's wide open with players who have different skillsets to provide teams at the NFL level.
Unlike last year, there will likely be a handful of quarterbacks that go after Day 1 of the NFL draft. Round 2 through Round 4 should see multiple prospects at the position find a new home in the NFL.
Here's how we rank the top-five mid-round quarterbacks.
Shough started a full college season for the first time in 2024 and made the most of that opportunity. He's got prototypical size (6-foot-5, 219 pounds), a strong arm and showed off his mobility at the combine (4.63-second 40-yard dash). He can fire the ball out on the move or in the pocket and gets through his progressions well thanks to his solid field vision.
Shough's biggest knocks coming into the draft are his age and injury history. He'll turn 26 during the 2025 NFL season and missed significant time with injury in 2021, 2022 and 2023. None of those were soft-tissue injuries, though, easing some concerns about long-term availability.
As far as on-field knocks, Shough struggled at times when pressured because he's best when in-rhythm and exposing holes in zone coverage. That could be less of an issue when brought into offenses with better talent than what he had alongside him at Louisville.
If a team needs a rookie starter outside of the first round, Shough is their best bet. He has the mix of talent and starter-level skills at this point to be at least a league-average starter.
Dart was exceptionally prolific in 2024 with Ole Miss, leading the SEC in passing yards (4,279) and completion percentage (69.3%) and the country in quarterback rating (180.7). He's got NFL-caliber size at 6-foot-2 and 223 pounds.
He improved in each of his three seasons under Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin and excels in play-action and RPO (run-pass option) concepts. When in-rhythm, Dart makes the right throws and can hang in the pocket when pressured. He has the athleticism to extend plays and the arm to access all levels of the field.
The Ole Miss offense is very quarterback-friendly, though, often scheming open throws for Dart. His footwork can be lazy which makes throws harder for him and/or makes it tougher to get through progressions quickly.
Dart would likely struggle as a rookie starter in the NFL unless the team he goes to utilizes a lot of play-action and RPO concepts. He's best on a team that will take their time to develop him over at least a year. If a team is looking for a succession plan for their aging starter, Dart would be worth a look.
Milroe is one of the best athletes in the entire class, regardless of position. He's an explosive dual-threat quarterback who is built like a running back and has a strong arm that can access all levels of the field with a quick release.
His mix of unique elite traits make him an unusual prospect. He changes how defenses can play by accounting for his sudden burst to go the distance at any time. Milroe's the most physically talented quarterback in the 2025 draft class.
His strong arm and release means he can drive the football to any level with ease. He's better on outside throws than attacking the middle of the field. When provided a clean pocket, he can hit those throws consistently.
But that's not always the case. He can spray throws when pressured, and when the field is condensed in the red zone, Milroe's a less effective passer. Play-action concepts were a big boost to him at Alabama and would likely be key to his progression in the NFL. He also throws every ball at the same speed, be it a deep out or a quick slant, and needs to improve his anticipation.
His 2023 tape was better than what he put on film in 2024. He struggled with turnovers last fall, throwing 10 of his 11 interceptions against SEC competition.
If your team is looking for a rookie starter in the late rounds, Milroe is not the best answer. He needs more time to develop his outlier talent and could follow a Jordan Love-like path to being a starter in the NFL by waiting under an experienced veteran.
McCord transferred from Ohio State to Syracuse for the 2024 season and thrived, leading the country in completions (391), attempts (592) and passing yards (4,779). He has good size (6-foot-3, 218 pounds) but lacks the athleticism to be more than a pocket passer.
McCord doesn't have elite traits like some of the other quarterbacks in this class but he's an instinctual passer with great feel for the game. That shows up when pressured and he makes the right read to get the ball out quickly.
He was best at Syracuse when the offense mixed underneath throws with deep shots. He became a leader for the Orange quickly despite transferring there for one season.
His aggressive mentality can be costly, though. McCord led the ACC in interceptions with 12, and he can take too many risky throws given his solid but unspectacular arm. His lack of athleticism means he can struggle to reliably hit his target on the move.
McCord could be an adequate starter in the NFL, potentially late in his rookie season. He won't be a force multiplier at the position given his lack of elite talent but could make the right plays in an offense with sufficient playmaking talent around him.
Howard is a modern pocket passer with ideal size (6-foot-4, 236 pounds), toughness and solid mechanics. He transferred to Ohio State in 2024 after four years at Kansas State and took a big leap forward as a passer.
Howard's mechanics and NFL-caliber arm talent mean he can make the right throws at the right times. He stands tall against pressure to deliver on-target with defenders bearing down on him. Howard's best when operating in the short and intermediate areas of the field.
His ball placement is good as well and often finds receivers in the right spot in tight coverage. He has enough mobility to make plays in short-yardage situations and power for first downs with his big frame.
But there will be questions about how much the supporting cast at Ohio State helped him improve in 2024. His gunslinger mentality can backfire, especially against zone coverages that change post-snap. His accuracy can be affected by inconsistent footwork, and he typically used half-field reads at the college level.
Howard has the size, leadership, toughness and mobility to make it in the NFL, but he will also need time to develop his understanding of coverages and improve his accuracy. NFL teams should not expect him to be a starter as a rookie but he can be a solid backup at least to start his career.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: NFL draft 2025: Jaxson Dart, Tyler Shough lead best mid-round QBs
Continue reading...
After that record-tying number of passers in the first round, it took until Day 3 of the NFL draft for another quarterback to be selected. Spencer Rattler ended the drought when he was selected in the fifth round, No. 150 overall to the New Orleans Saints.
The 2025 NFL draft features a very different landscape at the quarterback position. There's two sure-fire first round prospects: Miami's Cam Ward and Colorado's Shedeur Sanders. Beyond those two, it's wide open with players who have different skillsets to provide teams at the NFL level.
Unlike last year, there will likely be a handful of quarterbacks that go after Day 1 of the NFL draft. Round 2 through Round 4 should see multiple prospects at the position find a new home in the NFL.
Here's how we rank the top-five mid-round quarterbacks.
2025 NFL draft: Top 5 mid-round QBs
1. Tyler Shough, Louisville
Shough started a full college season for the first time in 2024 and made the most of that opportunity. He's got prototypical size (6-foot-5, 219 pounds), a strong arm and showed off his mobility at the combine (4.63-second 40-yard dash). He can fire the ball out on the move or in the pocket and gets through his progressions well thanks to his solid field vision.
Shough's biggest knocks coming into the draft are his age and injury history. He'll turn 26 during the 2025 NFL season and missed significant time with injury in 2021, 2022 and 2023. None of those were soft-tissue injuries, though, easing some concerns about long-term availability.
As far as on-field knocks, Shough struggled at times when pressured because he's best when in-rhythm and exposing holes in zone coverage. That could be less of an issue when brought into offenses with better talent than what he had alongside him at Louisville.
If a team needs a rookie starter outside of the first round, Shough is their best bet. He has the mix of talent and starter-level skills at this point to be at least a league-average starter.
2. Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss
Dart was exceptionally prolific in 2024 with Ole Miss, leading the SEC in passing yards (4,279) and completion percentage (69.3%) and the country in quarterback rating (180.7). He's got NFL-caliber size at 6-foot-2 and 223 pounds.
He improved in each of his three seasons under Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin and excels in play-action and RPO (run-pass option) concepts. When in-rhythm, Dart makes the right throws and can hang in the pocket when pressured. He has the athleticism to extend plays and the arm to access all levels of the field.
The Ole Miss offense is very quarterback-friendly, though, often scheming open throws for Dart. His footwork can be lazy which makes throws harder for him and/or makes it tougher to get through progressions quickly.
Dart would likely struggle as a rookie starter in the NFL unless the team he goes to utilizes a lot of play-action and RPO concepts. He's best on a team that will take their time to develop him over at least a year. If a team is looking for a succession plan for their aging starter, Dart would be worth a look.
3. Jalen Milroe, Alabama
Milroe is one of the best athletes in the entire class, regardless of position. He's an explosive dual-threat quarterback who is built like a running back and has a strong arm that can access all levels of the field with a quick release.
His mix of unique elite traits make him an unusual prospect. He changes how defenses can play by accounting for his sudden burst to go the distance at any time. Milroe's the most physically talented quarterback in the 2025 draft class.
His strong arm and release means he can drive the football to any level with ease. He's better on outside throws than attacking the middle of the field. When provided a clean pocket, he can hit those throws consistently.
But that's not always the case. He can spray throws when pressured, and when the field is condensed in the red zone, Milroe's a less effective passer. Play-action concepts were a big boost to him at Alabama and would likely be key to his progression in the NFL. He also throws every ball at the same speed, be it a deep out or a quick slant, and needs to improve his anticipation.
His 2023 tape was better than what he put on film in 2024. He struggled with turnovers last fall, throwing 10 of his 11 interceptions against SEC competition.
If your team is looking for a rookie starter in the late rounds, Milroe is not the best answer. He needs more time to develop his outlier talent and could follow a Jordan Love-like path to being a starter in the NFL by waiting under an experienced veteran.
4. Kyle McCord, Syracuse
McCord transferred from Ohio State to Syracuse for the 2024 season and thrived, leading the country in completions (391), attempts (592) and passing yards (4,779). He has good size (6-foot-3, 218 pounds) but lacks the athleticism to be more than a pocket passer.
McCord doesn't have elite traits like some of the other quarterbacks in this class but he's an instinctual passer with great feel for the game. That shows up when pressured and he makes the right read to get the ball out quickly.
He was best at Syracuse when the offense mixed underneath throws with deep shots. He became a leader for the Orange quickly despite transferring there for one season.
His aggressive mentality can be costly, though. McCord led the ACC in interceptions with 12, and he can take too many risky throws given his solid but unspectacular arm. His lack of athleticism means he can struggle to reliably hit his target on the move.
McCord could be an adequate starter in the NFL, potentially late in his rookie season. He won't be a force multiplier at the position given his lack of elite talent but could make the right plays in an offense with sufficient playmaking talent around him.
5. Will Howard, Ohio State
Howard is a modern pocket passer with ideal size (6-foot-4, 236 pounds), toughness and solid mechanics. He transferred to Ohio State in 2024 after four years at Kansas State and took a big leap forward as a passer.
Howard's mechanics and NFL-caliber arm talent mean he can make the right throws at the right times. He stands tall against pressure to deliver on-target with defenders bearing down on him. Howard's best when operating in the short and intermediate areas of the field.
His ball placement is good as well and often finds receivers in the right spot in tight coverage. He has enough mobility to make plays in short-yardage situations and power for first downs with his big frame.
But there will be questions about how much the supporting cast at Ohio State helped him improve in 2024. His gunslinger mentality can backfire, especially against zone coverages that change post-snap. His accuracy can be affected by inconsistent footwork, and he typically used half-field reads at the college level.
Howard has the size, leadership, toughness and mobility to make it in the NFL, but he will also need time to develop his understanding of coverages and improve his accuracy. NFL teams should not expect him to be a starter as a rookie but he can be a solid backup at least to start his career.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: NFL draft 2025: Jaxson Dart, Tyler Shough lead best mid-round QBs
Continue reading...
