NFL Draft QB rankings 2025: Shedeur Sanders, Quinn Ewers, Carson Beck lead top 10 in next year's class

Bill Bender

NFL Draft QB rankings 2025: Shedeur Sanders, Quinn Ewers, Carson Beck lead top 10 in next year's class image

Get ready for a full calendar year of Shedeur Sanders NFL Draft hype. 

Sanders showed he could play at the FBS level last year with Colorado under first-year coach Deion Sanders. That father-son relationship promises to be one of the leading storylines heading into the 2025 NFL Draft. 

Will Shedeur Sanders be the No.1 pick? Will Deion try to control where Sheduer lands at the next level? Who else could be that top pick?

The nearest competition might come from a pair of SEC quarterbacks. Quinn Ewers led Texas to the College Football Playoff last season, and Carson Beck returned to Georgia after taking control of the starting job. Sanders, Ewers and Beck are the best bets to be first-round quarterbacks in 2025. 

Who will be the surprise riser? That is an open-ended debate. The rest of the quarterbacks on this list have that potential – but they need to answer several questions for NFL scouts in the 2024 college football season. 

Six of the 10 quarterbacks on this list have transferred at least once, and two quarterbacks transferred twice. Sporting News breaks down the top 10 quarterbacks for 2025.

MORE 2025 NFL DRAFT: Way-too-early mock | Top 50 big board

1.Shedeur Sanders, Colorado 

Sanders (6-2, 215) was No. 3 on our QB rankings for the 2024 NFL Draft at this time last year, which might have played out that way had he not returned to Colorado. There are layers to this pick. Sanders passed for 3,230 yards, 27 TDs and three interceptions – and his 510-yard, four-TD debut against TCU in last season's opener was one of the most memorable performances of the season. Sanders performed well despite taking 52 sacks and a running game that was last in the FBS at 68.9 yards per game. He brings the play-making skills and charisma of a franchise quarterback to the field, but there will be a media frenzy attached if Sanders elevates that stock in the 2024 season with the Buffaloes. It's already started.  

2. Quinn Ewers, Texas

Ewers (6-2, 205) also was ranked in last year's class, but he returned for one more season at Texas. Ewers has put on 10 pounds since last season and likely will add more weight before the 2025 NFL Draft. The 349-yard, three-TD performance against Alabama showed the high-level talent Ewers possesses, and when the deep-passing game is accurate, he is a first-round quarterback. Ewers needs to show more consistency in his third year as Texas' starter, which he did last season in the intermediate passing game. Ewers has battled injuries the last two seasons, but he also has held off Arch Manning for the starting job. Ewers' draft projection will be all over the board early – but a strong finish with the Longhorns would keep him in the first round. 

3. Carson Beck, Georgia 

Beck (6-4, 215) led all returning FBS quarterbacks with 3,941 passing yards last season and bypassed the 2024 NFL Draft for one more season with the Bulldogs. Beck worked the short passing game and middle of the field – where he had a 72.3% completion percentage according to Pro Football Focus. Beck had five games with 300 yards or more, and he never had a completion rate lower than 65% in any game last season. While that might lead to a “game manager” label, Beck will get a chance to prove himself without Brock Bowers and Ladd McConkey, Beck should emerge as a safe pick in either the first or second round next season. 

MORE: Top SEC QBs for 2024 | Big Ten | ACC | Big 12

4. Cam Ward, Miami, Fla. 

Ward (6-2, 223) transferred to Miami after two seasons at Washington State, where he passed for 6,968 yards, 48 TDs and 16 interceptions. Ward – an option quarterback in high school – developed into a high-volume passer who is proficient in the deep passing game. Ward needs to be better in that intermediate range – where he had a 65.9% completion percentage with six TDs and five interceptions. Like Sanders, Ward did not have much run support. The Cougars averaged just 85 rushing yards per game. If Ward leads Miami to a breakthrough season, he will jump into the first round. 

5. Riley Leonard, Notre Dame 

Leonard (6-4, 205) transferred to Notre Dame and is recovering from ankle surgery, but he is expected to be ready for the season opener. Leonard flashed a dual-threat skill set at Duke the last two seasons. He had 20 TDs and six interceptions in 2022, and he averaged 525.5 rushing yards the last two years. Leonard might have leaned on that running game too much – and he had a 47.4% completion percentage in games against Clemson, Notre Dame and Florida State. Leonard, however, should improve with the new setting under offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock, and there will be hype if the Irish made a College Football Playoff run. Notre Dame hasn't had a first-round quarterback since Brady Quinn (2007). 

6. Jalon Daniels, Kansas 

Daniels (6-0, 203) could be the QB steal of his draft if he can stay healthy. Remember the Liberty Bowl on Dec. 28, 2022? Daniels had 544 passing yards and five TDs in a 55-53 loss to Arkansas. He has 31 TDs and 12 interceptions – and that came with a 74.7% completion percentage last season before being sidelined with a back injury. That's two straight seasons where Daniels had a promising season derailed by injury, and that will be a question about his draft-day value. Of course, Daniels could answer that with coach Lance Leipold and new offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes, who arrives from Baylor and should add to Daniels' game.  

7. Jalen Milroe, Alabama 

Milroe (6-2, 220) will be another polarizing quarterback in the 2025 NFL Draft. He took hold of the starting job with the Crimson Tide at midseason — and he passed for 2,834 yards with 23 TDs and six interceptions. He added 531 rushing yards and 12 TDs, and the ceiling for 2024 with first-year coach Kalen DeBoer is a Heisman Trophy-type run like Jayden Daniels made last season. Milroe needs to improve in the intermediate passing game. According to PFF, Milroe had a 52.3% completion percentage with four TDs and four interceptions on throws between 10-19 yards. If that doesn't improve, then he will be a Day 3 pick at best. If DeBoer and Milroe work out well, then a first-round grade like Michael Penix Jr. is not out of the question. Milroe did have a passer rating of 172.2 – which is first among returning Power 4 quarterbacks. 

8. DJ Uiagalelei, Florida State 

Uiagalelei (6-4, 250) is on his fifth season and third school in three years, but the move to Florida State creates an interesting opportunity for the former five-star recruit. Uiagalelei is a big-bodied quarterback who averaged 2,579 yards, 22 TDs and seven interceptions the last two seasons at Clemson and Oregon State. He goes to a quarterback-friendly offense at Florida State – and it might take time to develop based on his performance in the spring game (12 of 26, 177 yards). Uiagalelei has a 59.1% completion percentage for his career. That – more than anything – will need to improve for him to be a Day 2 quarterback.

9. Conner Weigman, Texas A&M 

Weigman (6-3, 215) could be this year's out-of-nowhere riser to the first round, even if the signs are in plain sight. He has a five-star pedigree with 1,875 yards, 16 TDs and two interceptions the last two seasons. He missed most of the 2023 season with a foot injury. Weigman is a talented passer who can make the throws at every range, but there will be a learning curve with new coach Mike Elko and offensive coordinator Collin Klein, his third coordinator in three seasons. If that process takes longer than expected, we might have to wait until the 2026 NFL Draft to see where Weigman lands. 

10. Noah Fifita, Arizona 

Fifita (5-11, 195) does not have the prototype NFL size, which could lead to other prospects such as Penn State's Drew Allar (6-5, 243), Ohio State's Will Howard (6-5, 242) or Indiana's Kurtis Rourke (6-5, 222) going in this spot. So, Fifita will have to separate with his play-making skills. He could continue that rise by building on last year's breakout season. He had a 53.8% completion percentage of throws of 10 yards or more with 11 TDs and no interceptions last season and elevated the Wildcats into a potential playoff contender for this season. Will that continue with first-year coach Brent Brennan?

 

Bill Bender

Bill Bender Photo

Bill Bender graduated from Ohio University in 2002 and started at The Sporting News as a fantasy football writer in 2007. He has covered the College Football Playoff, NBA Finals and World Series for SN. Bender enjoys story-telling, awesomely-bad 80s movies and coaching youth sports.