Quarterback-Only 2025 NFL Mock Draft - Top 10 Prospects

John's quarterback-only 2025 NFL mock draft. His landing spot predictions for the top 10 quarterback prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft, featuring Cam Ward, Shedeur Sanders, and more.

It's impossible to deny that the quarterback is the most important position in the NFL, and has been for a long time. Ever since the adoption of the forward pass, the signal-callers have been the most involved players on offense. They handle the ball on nearly every snap, are responsible for executing nearly 100 percent of passing plays, and have a massive list of responsibilities to carry out.

The position's cruciality to offenses is proven every season, when the teams with the best passers tend to have the best offenses, and great QBs consistently elevate their teams to the playoffs for a shot at the Super Bowl. In addition, teams that don't have good answers at the position tend to languish in years of mediocrity, sometimes only saved when they draft their next franchise QB.

Thus, the most important job for scouting departments and management crews across the NFL is to find long-term solutions at quarterback. 2025 will be no exception to this, and there are several intriguing prospects that will play under center. So let's break down the top-10 rookie QB prospects for the 2025 NFL Draft in this QB-only mock draft.

1. Cameron Ward, QB, Miami

At first on this list, and first on most analysts' lists, is Ward. He's my QB2 in this class. While Ward has some nice athleticism and arm strength, he's highly inconsistent and makes too many bad decisions to be a successful quarterback in the NFL unless he cleans up that part of his game.

That's a tough thing to do. Still, it's a weak class, and Ward is here due to a lack of other options. It's likely he wouldn't have been in the top six of quarterback prospects if last year's quarterbacks were incoming rookies.

Cam Ward has been sacked 84 times and only rushed for 150 yards in 2 years while committing 14 fumbles this past season. 😳

— Jaguar Paw (@sirdibbydukes) December 14, 2023

One underreported yet probably pretty important negative trait Ward has is his attitude. Of course, physical talent and mental ability are more important, but at the quarterback position, you need a player who's always bought in 100 percent of the time.

Cam Ward is the perfect example of what is wrong with college football.

Transferred to chase a bag.
Got his personal record and draft stock boost.

Quit on the guys that helped him get there.

Last game for some of his teammates and their leader quit. Cam is a coward. https://t.co/2DjGFQyBIv

— CHEEZ-IT Bowl Champion 🐸 (@CheezItChampTCU) December 29, 2024

The presumptive No. 1 quarterback of each class will always get massively hyped just because they're the QB1. However, Ward has serious flaws in his game that are being overlooked.

2. Jaxson Dart, QB, Ole Miss

It's controversial to have Dart as QB1, but I do. Not that he'll be taken as the first QB off the board, but there's a chance he's the second. He's the best processor of all the quarterbacks in this draft class, has enough arm talent to succeed at the next level, and is adept at sensing and avoiding pressure.

He has also shown tremendous improvement over his career at Ole Miss, giving reason to believe he'll continue improving at the next level. He doesn't put nearly as many terrible negative plays on tape as the other two top prospects do.

Dart also spent much of his senior season without his only good wide receiver, Tre Harris. Harris suffered multiple injuries and played in just eight games, missing a big chunk of his final contest. Dart finished the season with a 69.8 percent completion rate, passing for 4,279 yards and throwing 29 touchdowns to just six interceptions. He's still a bit of a raw prospect, but none of this year's quarterbacks are polished anyway.

Jaxson Dart has Legitimate NFL Traits

➖77.7% Adjusted Completion Percentage
➖7.1% Big Time Throw Percentage
➖11.9 Average Depth of Target

ALL of these Advanced Analytics were BETTER than Cam Wards..

➖Age: 21
➖Size: 6’2, 225 lbs

Future 1st Round Pick in the 2025 NFL Draft pic.twitter.com/7RcgeOSLjl

— Austin Abbott (@AustinAbbottFF) March 16, 2025

His size isn't a concern -- he's 6-foot-2 and 225 pounds -- and he'll have some utility as a runner in short-yardage scenarios and at the goal line. His impressive statistical output was boosted by a six-touchdown game against the Arkansas Razorbacks, a game in which Harris missed completely. His tape shows that he can be fearless at times, throwing dimes when the heat is on.

some of Jaxson Dart's best throws are when he's staring down the barrel and about to get hit. pic.twitter.com/MWWsPkkZI9

— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) March 27, 2025

So many quarterbacks become essentially worthlessly inconsistent when the pressure is on, but that doesn't happen with Dart, which gives him a high ceiling in a league where high-pressure rates often destroy QBs. Just look at Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud, who faced much more pressure in his sophomore season. We've seen the result of that. Dart should be a steal.

3. Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado

You know it's a weak class when someone like Sanders is in the top-3 here, or even in the top-2 in consensus rankings. However, there's so little talent later in the draft that it necessitates his spot here. Perhaps we're spoiled in the short term by having seen so many great prospects get drafted in 2024 and go on to have successful, or at least promising, rookie seasons.

I’m sorry, Shedeur Sanders is not a 1st round prospect and this is why. This is an egregious example of his pattern of taking too many BAD sacks. Having not learned as a three year starter to go down and not cost your team three points is alarming pic.twitter.com/6BddNQtoW6

— Anthony Russo (@Anthony_Russo97) December 29, 2024

Sanders is simply not a good prospect, and after the two names above him, there's a significant fall-off in terms of processing and understanding the game. Sanders' game shows very little understanding of timing, and he often seems to be going for leisurely strolls behind his offensive line.

He also does the weird thing that now New York Jets QB Justin Fields does of just taking forever to drop back for no reason, eliminating part of teams' playbooks.

Shedeur Sanders vs Cam Ward vs Jaxson Dart:

Big Time Throw rate:
Sanders- 5%
Ward- 6.3%
Dart- 7.1%

TO Worthy Play Rate:
Sanders- 1.1%
Ward- 3.3%
Dart- 2.2%

Pressure to Sack Rate:
Sanders- 20.1%
Ward- 15.9%
Dart- 19.2%

ADOT:
Sanders- 8.1yds
Ward- 9.8yds
Dart- 11.9yds#Giants pic.twitter.com/95vIobefsy

— The Giants Report (@GiantsReport1) March 30, 2025

That's evident in his sack rate. He's more conservative with his throws and more willing to take terrible sacks, leading to his lower turnover-worthy throw rate. These are not recipes for success in the NFL. It seems like WR/CB Travis Hunter carried Sanders to how he's viewed as a prospect now, but he's not good.

4. Kyle McCord, QB, Syracuse

McCord is probably better than some of the guys ranked above him. He's not a starting-level prospect, but he could develop into one, as he has a solid understanding of maneuvering to avoid sacks and decent accuracy. McCord will be limited in terms of what he can do, but he'll likely be a career backup and emergency spot starter, and his arm strength is a plus.

Who led the NCAA in completions of 20+ air yards in 2024?

Not Cam Ward.
Not Shedeur Sanders.
Not Jaxson Dart.

It was Syracuse's Kyle McCord. 41 of 79 for 1,273 yards, nine touchdowns, three interceptions, and a passer rating of 120.4. pic.twitter.com/Gyc4TCiULm

— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) March 27, 2025

5. Jalen Milroe, QB, Alabama

Milroe has very, very poor accuracy and doesn't possess a great understanding of the game. But his rushing ability is a big plus. He could land on a team that knows how to utilize him properly, and if they do, he could eventually develop into a starter. His mental processing and accuracy will always be an issue, but the physical talent is undeniable, and at just 22 years old, he has plenty of time to develop.

He needs work as a passer, but the moment Jalen Milroe is drafted, he becomes one of the most dynamic and explosive runners at QB pic.twitter.com/BcDFfB5Ns1

— Billy M (@BillyM_91) March 29, 2025

6. Dillon Gabriel, QB, Oregon

Left-handed QBs are a rarity at the next level, but Gabriel could become a solid backup, and with some more development, could become at least one of the league's top-32 quarterbacks. His low sack rate stands out, as he's adept at avoiding pressure and preventing negative plays before throwing the ball. That should earn him a shot at being a starter someday, though it probably won't be for long.

I think Dillon Gabriel has a good arm

pic.twitter.com/5NazY29RQ0

— Steve Palazzolo (@StevePalazzolo_) March 23, 2025

7. Quinn Ewers, QB, Texas

Ewers has spent his career at Texas surrounded by excellent talent, both at the wide receiver and running back positions. Despite this, the most notable thing he's done so far has been constantly missing his receivers. Ewers hasn't shown anything to suggest he's an NFL-ready QB, but quarterbacks with the best talent around them tend to be consistently overrated for just that reason, even if they're not good.

When you try to evaluate Matthew Golden or Isaiah Bond you realize how bad Quinn Ewers really is.

— Attack! on Cowboys ✭ (@AttackOnCowboys) March 27, 2025

8. Will Howard, QB, Ohio State

Howard's biggest flaw is that he just doesn't make many big plays. That could be a bit misleading, though. He has solid accuracy, and though he often didn't read fully through his progressions, sometimes on good offenses, QBs aren't asked to do much. It could be that that was the case with him.

Will Howard highlights.

Big boy under center now 6'5 240

🔸️5,786 yards passing yards
🔸️48 passing TD's
🔸️19 rushing TD's pic.twitter.com/5k4ifekOvK

— JBook. (@JBook_37) January 5, 2024

His massive size also carries underrated potential as a rusher (or battering ram) from under center.

9. Tyler Shough, QB, Louisville

Shough is another prospect who probably won't ever see much playing time. There are bad decisions, and then there are horrible decisions that no starter should ever make, which indicate that a player's career should be doomed before it starts. However, he made a play like this last season.

I have literally never seen anything like this insane play from Tyler Shough.

Even Will Levis thinks this is bananas. pic.twitter.com/FcR7iae93k

— Sam Monson (@SamMonsonNFL) March 27, 2025

Ouch. Not sure he'll last long in the NFL at all.

10. Cameron Rising, QB, Utah

Rising is finally entering the NFL Draft after seemingly being at Utah forever. He didn't play at all in the 2023 season due to a severe knee injury he suffered in the Rose Bowl the previous year, and he played in just three games in 2024 due to injury issues. He's likely a career third-string or reserve guy, unlikely to ever earn a starting job. He'll also be 26 before the 2025 NFL season starts.

Cam Rising tonight…

16/37
209 yards
3 interceptions

pic.twitter.com/nIzATzgN3R

— Unnecessary Roughness (@UnnecRoughness) October 12, 2024

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