Raiders To Host RB Ashton Jeanty
Like all other teams, the Raiders are busy hosting several prospects in advance of this month’s draft. One of the players headed to Vegas this week is the top running back in the 2025 class. 
The Raiders are set to host Ashton Jeanty, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. He adds the Heisman runner-up will fly in tomorrow. Vegas owns the sixth overall pick in the draft, and as a result the team will likely be within range to select Jeanty.
Several mock drafts have linked team and player in this case, given the Raiders’ struggles on the ground last season. Year 1 of the post-Josh Jacobs era did not go according to plan, with Zamir White averaging only 2.8 yards per carry. Alexander Mattison was not much more efficient, and he has departed in free agency. Vegas added Raheem Mostert last month after he was cut by the Dolphins. The veteran figures to have a role on offense in 2025, but it would come as no surprise if a notable draft investment were to be made in the backfield.
Jeanty enjoyed an extremely productive tenure at Boise State, winning the Mountain West’s Offensive Player of the Year Award in 2023 and again last season. After totaling 2,729 yards and 30 touchdowns in 2024, Jeanty earned All-American honors and took home the Maxwell Award. The three-year Broncos contributor headlines a strong running back class, one which is expected to see North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton also hear his name called on Day 1.
Having already met with the Bears and Cowboys, Jeanty is not expected to fall outside the top 15-20 picks. He will likely be off the board well before that range, and the Raiders are certainly among the teams to watch with respect to selecting him. How the team proceeds will of course depend in part on how the upcoming visit goes.
Rapoport adds that Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers is also slated to visit the Raiders. Vegas’ starting situation has been assured with the decision to trade for and extend Geno Smith, but the team could of course be in the market for adding a rookie past the opening round of the draft. Ewers – whose final Longhorns season included injuries and less-than-expected production – is one of many Day 2 prospects in the 2025 class; the Raiders own one pick in each of the second and third rounds.
2025 NFL Draft Visits: Schwesinger, Cowboys, Nolen, Ezeiruaku, Burden, Turner, Bond, Steelers, Emmanwori
This isn’t exactly a visit in the sense of top-30 visits, like most of the rest of bullets that follow this will be, but UCLA linebacker Carson Schwesinger held a private pro day earlier this week in Los Angeles and had 30 teams in attendance, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
While, obviously, not a comprehensive list, Schefter specifically mentions the Cowboys, Giants, Saints, Chargers, and Broncos, and notes that the linebackers coaches from Dallas, New York, and New Orleans all met privately with Schwesinger.
Schwesinger is not currently the top-ranked linebacker prospect in most analysts’ eyes, but he often slides in as the second-best off-ball linebacker in the class behind Alabama’s Jihaad Campbell — third if you count Georgia defender Jalon Walker, who has the ability to play every linebacker spot at the next level. Some thought Schwesinger may sneak into the back end of the first round at the end of the month, but more likely is that he hears his name on Day 2. Per Tony Pauline of sportskeeda, it would be surprising to see him fall past the first half of the second round.
Here are some more prospect-NFL team connections we’ve seen recent reports on:
- The Cowboys have certainly been very busy in the runup to the 2025 NFL Draft. On Friday, the team held their invite-only “Dallas Day,” hosting draft prospects without the visits counting towards their top-30 visits. According to Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports, North Carolina running back Omarion Hampton met with the team at “Dallas Day.” The well-balanced rusher continues to skyrocket up draft boards, is likely to join Ashton Jeanty in the first round, and has several other visits lined up.
- Jeanty was also in attendance on Friday, per ESPN’s Todd Archer. We had relayed that Jeanty would be taking a top-30 visit with the Cowboys, but it’s unclear whether this is what was meant in that original report. Also in attendance for “Dallas Day” were Texas A&M defensive tackle Shemar Turner, Oklahoma State running back Ollie Gordon, TCU wide receivers Savion Williams and Jack Bech, Texas quarterback and offensive lineman Quinn Ewers and Cameron Williams, and Miami tight end and running back Elijah Arroyo and Damien Martinez.
- Also in attendance at “Dallas Day” was Ole Miss defensive tackle Walter Nolen. Per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2, Nolen will follow up his Dallas visit with a visit with the Panthers on Monday and a visit with the Bengals some other time this week.
- Joining Nolen in Carolina on Monday will be Boston College pass rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku, per Joe Person of The Athletic. The ACC Defensive Player of the Year has been a hot topic with multiple scouts of late, per ESPN’s Jordan Reid. He’s currently viewed as an early-Day 2 prospect, and his stock continues to rise.
- Speaking of another “Dallas Day” athlete, Wilson of KPRC 2 provided an updated list of teams that Turner, from Texas A&M, is set to visit with. We already noted his recent visit in New Orleans, but Wilson tells us that Turner has also visited the Texans and plans to visit the Ravens, Rams, Eagles, Dolphins, Colts, Buccaneers, and Cardinals.
- According to Mike Klis of 9NEWS, the Broncos hosted Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden for a top-30 visit last week. The talented wideout fell off in 2024 after an incredible sophomore campaign with the Tigers, but his high ceiling makes him a borderline first-round prospect. Denver would love to bring in another talented weapon for young quarterback Bo Nix.
- We already reported recent visits for Texas wide receiver Isaiah Bond in Atlanta, Chicago, Green Bay, and Los Angeles, but we now have a couple sources adding some new locations for the Longhorn. Wilson of KPRC 2 tells us that Bond had dinner with the Bills before a private workout Friday and a top-30 visit as well as visits with the Browns and Packers. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler adds that Bond has visits scheduled with the Chiefs and Titans, as well.
- Brooke Pryor of ESPN tells us that the Steelers hosted a full house on Thursday. Prospects on hand last week included Texas wide receiver Matthew Golden, Florida State cornerback Azareye’h Thomas, Iowa running back Kaleb Johnson, and Pittsburgh tight end Gavin Bartholomew.
- Lastly, Pryor adds that Pittsburgh was one of the recent teams to host South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori. The pre-draft standout had reportedly lined up visits with Atlanta, Carolina, Seattle, Cincinnati, and Miami already. The Steelers’ interest in the Gamecock is no surprise as he’s trending towards being a Day 1 selection at this point.
QB Draft Rumors: Titans, Saints, Manning
As the 2025 NFL Draft continues to draw nearer and nearer, we continue to see momentum towards the Titans selecting Miami quarterback Cam Ward with the No. 1 overall pick. While the team’s president of football operations, Chad Brinker, spoke recently about the time the team has spent evaluating top options like Ward, Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter, or Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter, he also spoke about a patient, disciplined approach that could entail trading back.
“We are going to go through the whole thing, and I think probably here in two weeks, we’re going to have a good idea of where things are headed,” Brinker told the media, per Titans senior writer/editor Jim Wyatt. “And there’s a chance a team calls, and it makes you stop for a second and think, ‘Hey, we might need to consider this.’ But all of this is a part of being disciplined and being thorough.”
Dianna Russini of The Athletic seemed to imply that there are some in the building who are pushing for the team to trade out of the No. 1 overall spot. Russini, in a recent interview, talked about how those in the building with this view see so many question marks on the roster and so many positions of need. If a team gives them an offer that allows them to cover more ground in repairing what needs to be fixed, they feel as if the team needs to seriously consider that option.
Here are a few other rumors concerning quarterback prospects in the coming draft (and beyond):
- In an interview on NFL Network yesterday, Ian Rapoport noted the Saints as a team that could go after a quarterback early in the draft. The team recently restructured Derek Carr‘s contract, ensuring that they wouldn’t be forced to draft a quarterback later this month, but Rapoport posits that New Orleans still needs a quarterback of the future. If necessary, the team could take a passer at ninth overall or trade back later into the first round, if they believe the guy they want will still be there. Notably, Jason La Canfora of The Washington Post told us today that officials from two NFL clubs have “suggested the Saints’ brass is…infatuated with Texas’s Quinn Ewers in the second round.”
- La Canfora also cited a scout who believes that Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe is “almost a lock to go in the second round.” Milroe has been making the rounds in the pre-draft process with several teams who have needs at quarterback. La Canfora’s source cited Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson as examples of guys who didn’t necessarily have elite accuracy or passing ability coming out of the draft but, eventually, added those attributes to their natural athleticism. Milroe is viewed as an elite athlete, and if teams believe they can improve on accuracy and passing traits that, at this moment, don’t seem NFL-ready, there’s no reason he can’t hear his name called on Day 1 or 2.
- One last thing La Canfora mentioned was that “nearly everyone in the scouting community has opined on the Giants being infatuated with Texas quarterback Arch Manning.” Manning is obviously the nephew of long-time New York franchise passer Eli Manning. The issue with this thought is that they would need to tank in 2025 to be in a position to select Arch, and even then, both Eli and his brother, Peyton Manning, spent four years in college. If Arch follows in his uncles’ footsteps, the Giants would have to tank for two straight seasons in order to have a chance at him. A lot can happen in two years, and given that Manning has only played in 12 collegiate games and made only two starts for the Longhorns, his draft stock could easily change over that time.
QB Prospect Notes: Fins, Colts, Saints, Rams
While much of the pre-draft quarterback talk has been focused on teams atop the draft board, there are plenty of additional squad eyeing prospects at the position. Over the past few weeks, the Dolphins, Colts, Saints, and Rams have been among the teams connected to rookie quarterbacks.
As mentioned, the Dolphins have been among the team’s scouting quarterbacks, with Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reporting that the team has met with, scouted, or “evaluated” Texas’ Quinn Ewers, Louisville’s Tyler Shough, Alabama’s Jalen Milroe, Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel, and Syracuse’s Kyle McCord. Jackson passes along a prediction from agent Drew Rosenhaus, who recently opined that the Dolphins will end up taking a QB in the draft.
While the organization may simply be doing their due diligence, it makes sense for the Dolphins to consider the position in the draft. Tua Tagovailoa‘s injury and concussion injury has been well documented, and there will continue to be questions about the starter’s playing future. While Miami brought in Zach Wilson this offseason, the former draft bust likely wouldn’t be the team’s first choice to take over atop the depth chart.
Sticking in the AFC, Colts GM Chris Ballard admitted that his team would take a QB if the situation presented itself. The team is rostering a former fourth-overall pick in Anthony Richardson, and they added former Giants starter Daniel Jones this offseason. Still, the organization has a hole on the depth chart after Sam Ehlinger left in free agency, and they could look for a QB3 via the draft.
“If you think there’s somebody organizationally that you believe in, at any point, I think you pull the trigger,” Ballard said (via Joel A. Erickson of the Indianapolis Star).
One of the teams that’s considered likeliest to select a QB is in the NFC. Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.football recently said there’s “something” to the team’s flirtation with many of the non-blue chip prospects. Underhill cites the team’s need for a long-term answer behind Derek Carr, and their pursuit could even lead to them selecting a QB in the first round. Among the players presumably under consideration is Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart, with NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reporting that head coach Kellen Moore was in attendance for the school’s pro day.
Finally, the Rams have been mentioned as a potential landing spot for rookie quarterbacks. Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic says the team is “open” to drafting a player at the position, although they “won’t reach for one.” As Rodrigue notes, both GM Les Snead and head coach Sean McVay have expressed interest in bringing in a young signal caller to play behind Matthew Stafford.
Steelers Have No Timeline For Aaron Rodgers Deal, Still Exploring Other QBs
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said that the team has no exact timeline to sign Aaron Rodgers, per team writer Dale Lolley.
Training camp, however, would be a “line of demarcation,” per ESPN’s Brooke Pryor. At that point, not having a quarterback in place would hinder the team’s ability to build chemistry and cohesiveness before the season.
Pittsburgh’s public pursuit of the four-time MVP has not advanced past a six-hour visit on March 21. Tomlin said that the two sides were focused on getting to know each other during the meeting. He also did not rule out another addition to a Steelers quarterback room that currently features two players – Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson – who have combined for 21 career starts.
“We’re still evaluating the acquisition of a guy at the position, whether it’s in free agency and/or the draft,” said Tomlin (via Lolley).
Rodgers is the only starting-caliber quarterback available in free agency, but the Steelers could explore trading for Kirk Cousins after the draft. That would likely be predicated on Pittsburgh not picking a quarterback in the first round of April’s draft. The team currently holds the No. 21 pick, where top quarterback prospects Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders are not expected to be available.
The Steelers have been scouting the rest of the 2025 quarterback class, including Notre Dame’s Riley Leonard, Ohio State’s Will Howard, and Texas’ Quinn Ewers. Tomlin and general manager Omar Khan visited all three schools’ pro days in recent weeks, per Mike DeFabo of The Athletic.
Tomlin also acknowledged the possibility of entering the season with Rudolph as the starter.
“I think that’s why we reacquired him. We like Mason Rudolph, but you know, that’s no secret,” he said (via DeFabo).
Draft Rumors: Visits, Green, Nolen, RBs
As the 2025 NFL Draft continues to draw nigh, teams are beginning to do their due diligence on each prospect, including hosting several for visits.
A perfect example of this saw the Saints host a bevy of Longhorns for a dinner last night, per Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football. The list of Texas prospects included possible first-rounders cornerback Jahdae Barron and wide receiver Matthew Golden as well as defensive tackle Vernon Broughton and quarterback Quinn Ewers.
The Saints weren’t the only team to spend time with Ewers yesterday, per Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated. Both the Jets and Raiders sent staffers to meet with the 22-year-old in Austin prior to the team’s pro day. Ewers has several visits planned following today’s pro day, as well, including meetings with the Cowboys, Colts, and Raiders, again, in early April.
Another potential Longhorn first-rounder, wide receiver Isaiah Bond, has also reportedly set up a number of visits following today’s pro day, per CJ Vogel of On Texas Football. Bond apparently has top-30 visits scheduled in the next month with the Falcons, Bears, Packers, and Rams.
Here are some more rumors concerning the 2025 NFL Draft:
- East Carolina cornerback Shavon Revel Jr. is making the rounds, as well. After previously meeting with New Orleans, Revel reportedly visited the Texans on Friday, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. Revel is attempting to make a speedy recovery from a torn ACL that ended his final collegiate season after only three games. He’s reportedly on track to be ready to return in time for training camp.
- One of Revel’s top competitors at the position in this year’s class, Michigan cornerback Will Johnson, is set to meet with the Raiders, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Johnson has already met with the Falcons and reportedly met with the Cardinals already, as well.
- Already having met with the Saints and Falcons, Oregon offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr. is set to meet with several other franchises, per Wilson. One of the top tackle options in the class, Conerly has visits planned with the Texans, Eagles, Commanders, Bengals, and Bears. Wilson adds that, at the NFL Scouting Combine, Conerly already formerly met with the Texans, Jets, Titans, Patriots, Raiders, Commanders, and 49ers.
- Marshall’s pro day garnered a few more visitors than usual today, thanks to the presence of potential first-round pass rusher Mike Green. According to Tony Pauline of sportskeeda, while several teams sent personnel to check Green out, the Falcons sent most of their front office as well as head coach Raheem Morris. Pauline adds that the Commanders also held a significant presence at the pass rusher’s pro day.
- Due to the draft being more deep than top-heavy, there are several prospects who receive a wide range of opinions on when and where they’ll go in the draft. According to Matt Miller of ESPN, though, no player has a wider range than Ole Miss defensive tackle Walter Nolen. Transferring within the conference from Texas A&M for the final year of his collegiate career, Nolen had a strong, consensus All-American season with the Rebels, totaling 48 total tackles, 6.5 sacks, and 14 tackles for loss. Despite the impressive performance, Miller claims that “teams are torn on (Nolen’s) lack of refined pass-rush moves,” resulting in projections from the top 10 all the way back to the second round.
- Last year was the second time in the three years that we saw no running backs taken in the first round of the draft. According to Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports, we could see two running backs hear their names called on Day 1 of the event this year. A running backs coach told Schultz that “there’s no way (Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty) falls outside the top 15-20 picks.” Jeanty has been projected in multiple mock drafts to both the Raiders at No. 6 overall and the Cowboys at No. 12. While the position is deep, with players like Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson, Ohio State’s duo of TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins, Miami’s Damien Martinez, and several others, it’s North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton who may have played himself into the first round with Jeanty. Schultz claims that a personnel director told him the only thing Hampton needed to do in order to go in Round 1 was run in the 4.4’s at the combine, and Hampton ran a 4.46. He may not get taken as high as Jeanty, but he should still be considered a first-round candidate come the end of April.
Raiders Still In Play To Draft First-Round QB
The Raiders have their 2025 starting quarterback, needing to give up only a third-round pick for him. Geno Smith‘s reunion with Pete Carroll checked off the most important box for the Raiders during their offseason, and a new contract will be expected for the ex-Seahawk.
A meeting between Carroll, Tom Brady, John Spytek, Chip Kelly and QBs coach Greg Olson charted a course after the Raiders’ Matthew Stafford effort failed. The team wanted to have an established veteran over an untested rookie, according to The Athletic’s Tashan Reed, who indicates the meeting came after “several members” of the Raiders’ offensive staff preferred a vet.
That said, the Raiders have still acquired a soon-to-be 35-year-old quarterback. While Smith’s presence could allow the Raiders to reset and table their need to draft a passer — perhaps when more appealing QB draft classes emerge after 2025 — but Reed adds this trade is not expected to take the Raiders out of the mix for a first-round QB investment this year entirely.
The Raiders may need to keep this up to make their pick more valuable in a potential trade, as smokescreen efforts regularly involve quarterbacks, but the team has done extensive homework on Round 1 passes in each of the past two years. Of course, two different regimes went through those process. Spytek and Brady will lead this one. A quarterback chosen outside the first round also may be in play.
Already linked to Jalen Milroe recently, the Raiders were particularly impressed with he and Texas’ Quinn Ewers after going through concepts with them at the Combine, per Reed. Both players are not currently viewed as first-round prospects, but we have seen QB prospects vault to that status during the pre-draft process many times in the draft. How teams fill their positions in free agency will also impact perception on these two, Jaxson Dart and Tyler Shough ahead of the draft. The Raiders were linked to a Cam Ward trade-up, but now that they have Smith, it seems highly unlikely they would move up for the Miami passer. Shedeur Sanders may well be available at No. 6, though the Colorado product’s stock his falling.
The Seahawks had put off adding a Smith heir apparent in the 2023 and ’24 drafts, and while they had not seen their QB match his 2022 Comeback Player of the Year form, Smith remained a solid option under center. He finished 14th in QBR in 2023 and started 17 games last season, though his QBR fell to 21st.
Smith saw his interceptions climb to 15 but also matched his 2022 yards per attempt figure (7.5) and established a new high for completion percentage (70.4) with a mark that bettered his NFL-leading 2022 number (69.8). Smith should provide the Raiders with flexibility, likely giving them a multi-season starter.
Nothing had gone especially well for the Raiders at quarterback since they cut Derek Carr. Neither Jimmy Garoppolo nor Gardner Minshew proved the answer, with each being benched during stays that involved injuries and, eventually, post-June 1 cuts. The Raiders will need a Smith heir apparent in the not-too-distant future, but taking a Day 2 QB and evaluating him this year would not cut into the team’s resources to build around Smith too much.
QB Quinn Ewers Declares For Draft
Following Texas’ CFP semifinal loss to Ohio State, Quinn Ewers said he did not expect to be playing college football next season. The multiyear Longhorns starter made that official Wednesday.
Ewers is entering the 2025 draft, he announced on his X account. While Ewers is not currently viewed as a no-doubt first-round pick, he is expected to be one of the first QBs chosen in a crop that has generated significant questions. Ewers’ Austin exit also clears a path for Arch Manning, who is already drawing down-the-line NFL interest.
Going 21-5 as a starter under Steve Sarkisian, Ewers enjoyed a quality college career. He held off Manning for two seasons, remaining the starter despite the super-prospect seeing time as a redshirt freshman this past season. The 6-foot-3 QB piloted the Longhorns to back-to-back CFP semifinal games.
Ewers threw 31 touchdown passes and 12 interceptions this season, helping the Longhorns back to the semis. This season did bring a completion percentage step back, dropping from 69% to 65.8%, and a lower yards-per-attempt number (8.8 to 7.8) compared to his sophomore season. Ewers was unable to solidify himself as a surefire first-rounder, but he will get to work on attempting to do so before the draft.
ESPN’s Scouts Inc. rates Ewers as the No. 60 overall prospect. Among quarterbacks, that places him third in the class — behind Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward and ahead of Jalen Milroe. That said, Sanders and Ward are candidates to be top-five picks. As far back as November, we heard a tier gap existed between the Colorado and Miami arms and the rest of the 2025 QB class. Nothing has yet emerged to indicate that assessment was inaccurate, and a more recent report pointed to evaluators being more intrigued by the 2026 and ’27 QB classes — one of which could well include Manning — compared to this year’s group.
With Manning on track to start for Texas in 2025, Ewers could have entered the transfer portal and commanded a lofty NIL payout to stay in college and further his stock for the 2026 draft. He had a senior year of eligibility to use. Georgia’s Carson Beck is taking this route, passing on a 2025 NFL entrance and transferring to Miami. Milroe, however, will join Ewers in declaring for a draft that features extensive question marks at the QB position.
An Ohio State recruit once upon a time, Ewers had reclassified to enter college earlier. He did redshirt as a first-year collegian, eventually using up three years of eligibility at Texas. Ewers will turn 22 a month before the draft. Rather than take the Jayden Daniels–Bo Nix–Michael Penix Jr. route to better his prep and enter a draft in his mid-20s, Ewers will follow the more traditional route Caleb Williams and Drake Maye took last year.
2025 Draft QB Rumors: Ewers, Allar, Titans
The collegiate career of Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers appears to be over. While he has not officially released a statement, in a College GameDay interview with ESPN’s Pete Thamel, Ewers gave a blunt reply when asked if he expected to play college football next year, simply saying, “No, I don’t.”
Ewers started drawing attention in his second year as the starter for the Longhorns, completing 69 percent of his passes for 3,479 yards, 22 touchdowns, and six interceptions and rushing for five more scores. This year, the emergence of sophomore quarterback Arch Manning made it difficult for Ewers to stay on the field.
Manning’s presence combined with some in-season struggles resulted in a bit of a down year for Ewers. Despite the Longhorns reaching the College Football Playoff semifinals, Ewers (3,472 yards, 31 touchdowns, 12 interceptions) was never viewed as a strength on a team that many saw as balanced throughout the roster. At this point, it seems impossible to hold off the advancement of Manning. With the writing on the wall, Ewers doesn’t appear likely to remain in Austin or in college at all.
Following the assumption that Ewers will declare for the draft, it’s hard to determine in which round he’ll fall. The consensus seems to indicate that Miami’s Cam Ward and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders are the only two passers that are worthy of first-round picks. The importance of the position may push a few fringe players up, though. In rankings from ESPN analysts and The Athletic’s Dane Brugler, Ewers is viewed as a fringe top-five quarterback, making it hard to believe that there will be enough need to push him into the first round, though he could hear his name in the middle rounds.
Here are a few more rumors concerning quarterbacks potentially in the 2025 NFL Draft class:
- Penn State’s Drew Allar has been an intriguing quarterback prospect in scouting circles. After being knocked out of the College Football Playoffs in the semifinals, reports seem to indicate that Allar will return to Happy Valley. Per Brugler, though, there were several in the NFL who believed Allar may enter the draft with a strong playoff run. While the Nittany Lions won two games, Allar only completed 54 percent of his passes for 433 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception in three games. There are certainly fans of Allar in the NFL, but it seems they’ll need to consider him for the 2026 NFL Draft as Allar has announced he’s returning for another year at Penn State, per Dane Brugler of The Athletic.
- Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated recently gave us a bit of obvious insight in the Titans‘ upcoming decision with the No. 1 overall draft pick. There’s a clear sense that they can’t move forward with only Will Levis as the gameplan at quarterback. This means that Tennessee will be taking a long, hard look at Ward and Sanders. If they don’t like what they see, Colorado athlete Travis Hunter could fill holes on both sides of the ball, or the team may just trade back and make a pick that they believe matches the value of their draft slot.
2025 QB Class Generating More Skepticism
As the NFL regular season comes to a close and college prospects are making their final amateur appearances, focus for many NFL teams is shifting to the 2025 NFL Draft. While many sources seem to have narrowed the field of potential first-round quarterbacks to two players, there are reportedly some scouts who believe taking any quarterback on Day 1 “would be a mistake,” per Dane Brugler of The Athletic. 
According to a post from Brugler, an AFC scout commented on the matter, saying, “Man, I feel bad for the teams trying to find one (quarterback) in this group.”
There are two obvious options for teams currently looking at a first-round quarterback: Miami’s Cam Ward and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders. After Ward and Sanders, there’s a big perceived dropoff in quarterback talent in this year’s draft class with other prospects like Alabama’s Jalen Milroe, Texas’ Quinn Ewers, and Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart all being projected as Day 2 or 3 picks. Georgia passer Carson Beck, who recently declared for the draft, forgoing one final year of eligibility (granted because of COVID-19), was at one point viewed as a first-round option, but after a disappointing redshirt season and UCL surgery, his draft stock took a considerable hit.
As for Ward and Sanders, it’s hard to imagine a world in which neither prospect hears their name called on the first night of the draft. The Giants sent general manager Joe Schoen and director of player personnel Tim McDonnell to the Pop-Tarts Bowl to watch Ward play in the first half this past weekend. According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, Raiders assistant general manager Champ Kelly was in attendance, as well. Schoen, along with scouts from his Giants and the Falcons, was also in attendance to watch Sanders take on the Utes about a month and a half ago.
The Giants (currently set to pick fourth overall) are one of six teams inside the projected top-10 picks of the draft with an interest in adding a quarterback. The Titans (No. 2), Browns (No. 3), Panthers (No. 6), Jets (No. 7), and Raiders (No. 8) have all been viewed as possibilities to go after a first-round passer, as well.
The need to fill such a crucial role as quarterback has a tendency to inflate some prospects’ draft stocks. In the 2024 NFL Draft, Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, and according to some sources, Drake Maye were all viewed as the likely first-round passers for most of the draft process. As the draft drew nearer and it became more obvious that some teams would need additional help at quarterback, prospects like Michael Penix, J.J. McCarthy, and Bo Nix all found their draft stock being bumped from Day 2 or 3 to Day 1.
Because this phenomenon is likely to take effect once again this year, even if Ward and Sanders were not considered first-round options — which, to be clear, many scouts do view them to be — they would still likely find themselves on stage at Lambeau Field on April 24. In order to simulate this effect, some have claimed that this year’s versions of Ward and Sanders would’ve ranked as QB4 and QB5, in any order, in last year’s quarterback crop, placing them firmly in the top ten draft picks for that class, as well. In fact, the often-desperate need for young quarterback talent may even bring players like Beck, Milroe, or Dart back into first-round consideration with Ward and Sanders.
There’s still plenty of time until we arrive at Day 1 of the draft. Between now and then, we will see College Football Playoff performances, the NFL Scouting Combine, and pro days around the country. Many quarterbacks and other prospects will see their draft stock rise and fall throughout the next few months. At this point, though, Ward and Sanders seem to have cemented themselves as top five picks, regardless of what some scouts believe their value to be.