2025 NFL Draft: QB Rankings (Preseason Edition)

All Access Football examines the quarterback position of past, present and future with a keen eye on the NFL Draft QB Class of 2025. All Access. All Football. All The Time.

Volume XXIV Edition II | 2025 NFL Draft QB Preview

In this edition of the All Access Football Newsletter:

• Top 50 NFL Draft-Eligible Quarterback Prospects

• 2010s Decade First Round Boom Or Bust QBs

• Ranking The QBs Drafted Since 2020

2025 NFL Draft Preview Series: QB | RB | WR | TE | OT | OG | C

Welcome to the AAF 2025 NFL Draft Quarterback Preview Edition. The NFL continues to evolve into a league that heavily leans on mobile quarterbacks who are able to extend plays and move around in the pocket. Since 2020, gone are the likes of traditional pocket-passers such as Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Ben Roethlisberger, Eli Manning, Philip Rivers and Matt Ryan. Enter ‘Generation Next!’

In the past, the prototype size for signal-callers was thought to be approximately 6-foot-4. That is no longer the case. With the league craving more athletic quarterbacks, size requirements have gone out the window entirely. A quarterback has been chosen with the No.1 overall pick in six of the last seven NFL Drafts. Yet, only two (Joe Burrow and Trevor Lawrence) measured taller than 6-foot-1. It’s a true indicator of how the position has morphed very rapidly in a short period of time.

In addition to our 2025 NFL Draft QB Big Board, below you will also find a snapshot of quarterbacks chosen in the first round of the 2010’s decade. Remarkably, we discovered a 3-to-1 bust ratio amongst first round quarterbacks upon our review! Since it typically takes about five years to gain a true evaluation, we have ranked the top signal-callers chosen since 2020 in a separate list.

Before you get started, here are some key dates to be aware of. The countdown to kickoff currently stands at 24 days until the NFL Hall of Fame Game (August 1st preseason), 47 days until college football kicks off (August 24th) and 59 days until NFL opening night (September 5th). Be sure to buckle up!

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2010’s QUARTERBACK FLASHBACK: BOOM OR BUST?

The moment a signal-caller is selected in the first round, he is instantly dubbed a ‘franchise quarterback.’ However, that is not necessarily the case. Our look back on the previous decade indicates that choosing a quarterback in round one comes with great risk. According to our evaluations, the ‘Busts’ are more than three times greater than the ‘Booms.’ It’s a noteworthy benchmark to keep in mind the next time your team selects a rookie quarterback on Day 1 of the draft.

[Editor’s Note: Two quarterbacks Deshaun Watson and Baker Mayfield could ultimately end up in the ‘Boom’ column one day but they been considered a ‘Bust’ thus far in our book.]

First Round Booms [7]: Cam Newton (2011), Andrew Luck, (2012), Jared Goff (2016), Patrick Mahomes (2017), Josh Allen (2018), Lamar Jackson (2018), Kyler Murray (2019)

First Round Busts [23]: Sam Bradford (2010), Tim Tebow (2010), Jake Locker (2011), Blaine Gabbert (2011), Christian Ponder (2011), Robert Griffin (2012), Ryan Tannehill (2012), Brandon Weeden (2012), EJ Manuel (2013), Blake Bortles (2014), Johnny Manziel (2014), Teddy Bridgewater (2014), Jameis Winston (2015), Marcus Mariota (2015), Carson Wentz (2016), Paxton Lynch (2016), Mitchell Trubisky (2017), Deshaun Watson (2107), Baker Mayfield (2018), Sam Darnold (2018), Josh Rosen (2018), Daniel Jones (2019), Dwayne Haskins (2019)

*Scroll down for our rankings of quarterbacks drafted since 2020.

2025 NFL DRAFT PRESEASON BIG BOARD: QB

We saw a whopping six quarterbacks selected in round one of the 2024 NFL Draft, a feat that last occurred in 1983. In a supply and demand league, this past year’s market was top-heavy, as the seventh quarterback didn’t hear his name called until the fifth round. Over the past three years, only 11 quarterbacks have been selected on average each draft, with nearly one-third taken in the first round. 

Unlike last season, where Caleb Williams was the clear-cut consensus top quarterback prospect, the Class of 2025 features a varied assortment of candidates to be the top choice. 

It promises to be an exhilarating year in Boulder, regardless of how much winning is accomplished. No one attracts more attention than Colorado head coach Deion Sanders and his son, Buffaloes star quarterback Shedeur Sanders. There’s no doubt that Sanders has shown he can make all the throws and is willing to put the team on his back, at times to a default. But despite a revolving cast of characters acting as his supporting cast, Sanders posted 3,230 passing yards, completing 69.3% of his passes for 27 touchdowns and just three interceptions. The talented, enigmatic Sanders is sure to bring plenty of flash both on and off the field.

The one quarterback not being discussed enough is Ole Miss gunslinger Jaxson Dart, who has a slingshot of an arm and the ability to extend plays in the pocket. The Rebels could make a run at a National Championship, which would see his draft stock soar along with it. Hop on board the ‘Lane Train’ in Oxford, as Dart is the conductor.

Let us not forget about the dazzling Quinn Ewers who guided the Texas Longhorns into national contention, while gutting through injury and showcasing his rifle-arm. Ewers tossed for 3,479 yards, completing 69% of his attempts, for 22 touchdowns and six interceptions. Look for him to be involved with a handful of Big 12 shootouts once again in ‘24.

RK | PLAYER | SCHOOL | YEAR | HEIGHT | WEIGHT | FORTY

1. Carson Beck, Georgia, rSr, 6042, 218, 4.80 | (photo credit: UGA)

Our top-ranked quarterback entering the 2024 season is Carson Beck of Georgia. The old cliche, you can’t go broke taking a profit holds true when describing Beck, who is a masterful captain orchestrating the passing attack, especially within the short-to-intermediate parameters. His football IQ is through the rough, while Beck also has the savvy to extend plays and make throws outside the pocket. He can push the ball down field when needed and displays excellent touch. The Bulldogs coaching staff have praised his stoic personality and have stated that Beck doesn’t rattle.

A pinpoint accurate passer, Beck demonstrated elite decision-making, connecting on 72.4% of his passes (breaking the single-season school record of 68.2% set by Stetson Bennett in 2022), for 3,941 passing yards, 24 touchdowns and six interceptions. Most impressive, he posted such prestigious numbers in just 417 pass attempts, making 14 starts.

The Jacksonville native enters his second season as the full-time starter and has seemed to fulfill his potential. However, the expectation in Athens has become to win the National Championship and failing to do so would leave a huge void in the resume for Beck. Regardless, he begins the college football season as the consensus number one quarterback prospect on most draft boards.

2. Shedeur Sanders, Colorado, Sr, 6012, 198, 4.70

3. Jaxon Dart, Mississippi, Sr, 6020, 217, 4.65

4. Quinn Ewers, Texas, rJr, 6020, 195, 4.78

5. Jalen Milroe, Alabama, rJr, 6015, 220, 4.48

6. Conner Weigman, Texas A&M, rSo, 6026, 215, 4.67

7. Riley Leonard, Notre Dame, Sr, 6035, 212, 4.52

8. Miller Moss, USC, rJr, 6020, 200, 4.80

9. Noah Fifita, Arizona, rSo, 5106, 194, 4.74

10. Drew Allar, Penn State, Jr, 6040, 225, 4.80

11. Taylen Green, Arkansas, rJr, 6054, 225, 4.55

12. Donovan Smith, Houston, Sr, 6040, 237, 4.65

13. Rocco Becht, Iowa State, rSo, 6006, 205, 4.72

14. Cameron Ward, Miami, Sr, 6020, 220, 4.64

15. Kyron Drones, Virginia Tech, rJr, 6020, 234, 4.62

16. Kyle McCord, Syracuse, Sr, 6025, 221, 4.80

17. Byrum Brown, South Florida, rSo, 6030, 219, 4.58

18. Brady Cook, Missouri, Sr, 6015, 210, 4.65

19. Brock Vandagriff, Kentucky, rJr, 6030, 210, 4.65

20. Jalon Daniels, Kansas, rSr, 5116, 211, 4.55

21. Tyler Van Dyke, Wisconsin, rSr, 6040, 222, 4.90

22. DJ Uiagalelei, Florida State, rSr, 6042, 253, 4.90

23. Joey Aguilar, Appalachian State, Sr, 6027, 217, 4.77

24. Will Howard, Ohio State, rSr, 6040, 243, 4.80

25. Graham Mertz, Wisconsin, rSr, 6030, 215, 4.50

26. Dillon Gabriel, Oregon, rSr, 5110, 207, 4.70

27. Cameron Rising, Utah, rSr, 6014, 216, 4.75

28. Cade Klubnik, Clemson, Jr, 6017, 202, 4.70

29. Mark Gronowski, South Dakota State, 6022, 225, 4.70

30. Grayson McCall, North Carolina State, rSr, 6030, 200, 4.55

31. KJ Jefferson, UCF, rSr, 6031, 250, 4.75

32. Max Brosmer, Minnesota, rSr, 6014, 220, 4.80

33. Seth Henigan, Memphis, Sr, 6032, 205, 4.85

34. Hudson Card, Purdue, Sr, 6022, 207, 4.70

35. TJ Finley, Western Kentucky, rSr, 6070, 246, 5.12

36. Kaidon Salter, Liberty, rJr, 6006, 200, 4.48

37. Aidan Bowuan, South Dakota, rSr, 6053, 232

38. Kurtis Rourke, Indiana, rSr, 6042, 231, 4.63

39. Sam Huard, Utah, rJr, 6020, 220, 4.80

40. EJ Warner, Rice, Jr, 6002, 295, 4.75

41. Max Johnson, North Carolina, rSr, 6045, 226, 4.90

42. Gerry Bohanon, BYU, rSr, 6020, 221, 4.50

43. Garrett Nussmeier, LSU, rJr, 6015, 205, 4.75

44. Zach Zebrowski, Central Missouri, rJr, 6000, 210, 4.65

45. Matthew Sluka, UNLV, rSr, 6022, 216, 4.60

46. Tyler Shough, Louisville, rSr, 6046, 231, 4.78

47. Will Rogers, Washington, Sr, 6020, 211, 5.10

48. Zevi Eckhaus, Washington State, Sr, 6000, 205, 4.75

49. Preston Stone, SMU, rJr, 6010, 220, 4.80

50. Connor Watkins, Villanova, Sr, 6020, 225, 4.70

FIRST ROUND QB RANKINGS [SINCE 2020]

The jury remains out on the 19 quarterbacks who have been chosen during the 2020’s. In just four years, five first round signal-callers have already moved on from their original team. The Class of 2024 (six players) are the wildcards of the bunch but it’s an interesting look at how they could stack up based on our perspective.

1. Joe Burrow (2020) | (photo credit: Cincinnati Bengals)

2. CJ Stroud (2023)

3. Justin Herbert (2020)

4. Jordan Love (2020)

5. Caleb Williams (2024)

6. Trevor Lawrence (2021)

7. Tua Tagovailoa (2020)

8. Anthony Richardson (2023)

9. JJ McCarthy (2024)

10. Bryce Young (2023)

11. Michael Penix (2024)

12. Justin Fields (2021)

13. Jayden Daniels (2024)

14. Zach Wilson (2021)

15. Drake Maye (2024)

16. Bo Nix (2024)

17. Kenny Pickett (2022)

18. Mac Jones (2021)

19. Trey Lance (2021)

2024 GLOBE BOWL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Team USA is now accepting player applicants for the 2024 Globe Bowl International World Championships. Participants will compete in games against Team Mexico at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles (Aug 2-5) and Team Canada (Aug 22-24) in Toronto. Learn More Here

GRID CAMPS PRO FREE AGENT SHOWCASE | 7.21.24

The next GRID CAMPS Showcase for pro football free agents is scheduled for July 21, 2024 in Philadelphia. All Access Football founder and Edmonton Elks scout Ric Serritella will be in attendance to help oversee testing and evaluate players. The workout will be conducted by Memphis Showboats head coach John DeFilippo and former Philadelphia Eagles offensive line coach Eugene Chung. To be eligible for this event, you must register at: www.GRIDCAMPS.com.

LINDY’S 2024 PREVIEW MAGAZINES NOW ON SALE

Now Available: AAF founder Ric Serritella was grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the Lindy’s Annual Football Preview Magazines once again. Get your copies of the longest running football guides still published. Available on newsstands across America, or order here.