NFL Draft quarterback grades for 2025 for all 13 QBs, from Cam Ward to Quinn Ewers

Bill Bender

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NFL Draft quarterback grades for 2025 for all 13 QBs, from Cam Ward to Quinn Ewers image

A total of 13 quarterbacks were selected in the 2025 NFL Draft. 

A total of five quarterbacks have been selected through two days. Tennessee selected Miami’s Cam Ward with the No. 1 pick, and the Giants traded up to take Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart with the No. 25 pick. 

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Day 2 had a few surprises. New Orleans selected Louisville’s Tyler Shough in the second round with the No. 40 pick. Seattle took Alabama’s Jalen Milroe in the third round with the No. 92 pick, and Cleveland added Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel two picks later.

Colorado's Shedeur Sanders had to wait until the fifth round and the No. 133 pick to come off the board. He also landed the Browns. He was the first of eight Day 3 quarterbacks, which ended with Texas' Quinn Ewers going to Miami at No. 231. 

How do those new quarterbacks fit with their new teams? Which teams got the best value? A closer look: 

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2025 NFL Draft quarterback grades 

Round 1

Tennessee Titans: Cam Ward (Round 1, Pick No. 1) 

Grade: A 

Ward (6-2, 219 pounds) was the easy pick here, and it’s undeniable there are franchise quarterback qualities at work. Warren Moon even unretired his number for Ward.

Tennessee tried to address quarterback by selecting Malik Willis in the third round in 2022 and Will Levis in the second round in 2024, but neither worked out. Taking Ward in the first round is an all-in moment, and the stat we keep coming back to is Ward had a 45.3% completion percentage with 14 TDs and no interceptions on passes of 20 yards or more at Miami last season. Ward did take an average of 30 sacks the past two seasons —and he can be loose with the football — but he’s a clear upgrade at the position and a fresh start for second-year coach Brian Callahan. 

New York Giants: Jaxson Dart (Round 1, Pick No. 25) 

Grade: B+

Dart (6-2, 223 pounds) was a surprise as the second QB selected in the draft, and the Giants made their splash by trading up with the Texans to get the No. 25 pick. The Ole Miss star had 17 TD passes of 20 yards or more, and he added 495 rushing yards and four TDs last year.

Will Dart emerge as a franchise quarterback? That remains an open-ended question, and as far as the immediate, he'll serve as Russell Wilson's backup. New York general manager Joe Schoen needed to take a swing, and Dart could turn out to be the best quarterback in this draft. 

Round 3

New Orleans Saints: Tyler Shough (Round 2, Pick No. 40) 

Grade: C-

Shough (6-5, 219 pounds) has played seven seasons of college football, and the Saints took this late riser ahead of Sanders, which was a Day 2 surprise. Shough impressed in his one season with Louisville under Jeff Brohm with 3,195 yards, 23 TDs, and six interceptions. He battled injury throughout his career, but NFL scouts have liked his value throughout the draft process.

Is he a starter for first-year coach Kellen Moore? That is debatable despite the Derek Carr injury. New Orleans also has Spencer Rattler on the roster. Shough had more of a Day 3 projection, so this feels like at least a reach and at most a half-measure at the quarterback position for New Orleans.  

Seattle Seahawks: Jalen Milroe (Round 3, Pick No. 92) 

Grade: B+

Milroe (6-2, 217 pounds) was a safe backup option for the Seahawks, who signed Sam Darnold to a three-year, $100.5 million contract. Milroe had ups-and-downs in two years as Alabama’s starter, but he can make an immediate impact in run packages given he had 20 rushing TDs last season.

Milroe struggled with turnovers at times, but he still finished his career with a 64.3% completion percentage. A willingness to be patient could pay off for the Seahawks in the future. Offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak can work with Milroe, and Seattle did not reach here. 

Cleveland Browns: Dillon Gabriel (Round 3, Pick No. 94) 

Grade: C

Gabriel (5-11, 205 pounds), who finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting last season, also will not be a Day 1 starter. Gabriel averaged 3,759 yards, 30 TDs, and six interceptions for Oklahoma and Oregon the past two seasons, and he has above-average mobility that led to 19 rushing TDs.

Cleveland’s quarterback room features veteran Joe Flacco, who will likely start in Week 1. Deshaun Watson is recovering from a torn Achilles and isn't expected to play this season. He also has two years left on his $230 million contract, though. Gabriel could have slipped to Day 3, and his size will be a topic of conversation. He is not a long-term option at quarterback, but he could be a solid backup for Cleveland in the latest QB shuffle. The Browns have tried the third round in the past with Charlie Frye (2005), Colt McCoy (2010), and Cody Kessler (2016). This does not feel much different.

SHEDEUR SANDERS NFL DRAFT SLIDE: 

Round 5

Cleveland Browns: Shedeur Sanders (Round 5, No. 144) 

Grade: B+

Sanders (6-1, 212) was the talk of all three days of the draft. He was a projected first-round pick, but the Colorado star slipped to Day 3 in inexplicable fashion. Sanders had 7,364 passing yards, 64 TDs and 13 interceptions, and that came with a 71.4% completion percentage. So, what was the reason he fell to the fifth round? That will get dissected in detail, and the Browns took two quarterbacks in three rounds with Gabriel and Sanders. Will they be the ones competing to be the backup – or even third-string QB – in a room that also has Deshaun Watson, Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett? On sheer draft-day value, this is a fine pick if you are willing to accept anything when finding the answer. The Browns clearly are.

MORE: Shedeur Sanders winners and losers

Round 6

Philadelphia Eagles: Kyle McCord (Round 6, No. 181) 

Grade: B

McCord (6-3, 218) started the quarterback run in Round 6, and the Eagles found a value pick as a backup quarterback with more than enough upside. McCord set the ACC record with 4,779 passing yards last season, and that came with 34 TDs and 12 interceptions. He was 21-4 as a starter between Ohio State and Syracuse, and the fit behind Jalen Hurts should work out. He played his high school ball at St. Joseph's Prep in Philadelphia. It's a happy homecoming for McCord. 

Pittsburgh Steelers: Will Howard (Round 6, No. 185) 

Grade: B

Howard (6-4, 236) – who took over as Ohio State’s starter in 2024 after McCord transferred – was selected four picks afterward. Howard put on a fantastic run in the College Football Playoff with 1,150 yards, eight TDs and two interceptions. He has a similar build to Ben Roethlisberger, and the leadership qualities are there. Plus, Howard is in a quarterback room with Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson. Will Aaron Rodgers be there, too? Howard, at minimum, will be a high-end backup to start his career.  

Indianapolis Colts: Riley Leonard (Round 6,  No. 189) 

Grade: B-

Leonard (6-4, 216) is an interesting prospect. He was 27-10 as a starter between his time with the Irish and Duke. There are still some consistency issues, but he did increase his accuracy by nearly 10% with the transfer, and he was 68.2% during the Irish’s four-game playoff run. He also had 906 rushing yards and 17 TDs. The Colts have Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones, so Leonard will have to compete with Jason Bean in the preseason for the third-string job as a rookie. 

Houston Texans: Graham Mertz (Round 6, No. 197) 

Grade: C

We did not have Mertz (6-3, 212) in our QB Mock Draft, so the Texans liked what they saw from the six-year college player. Mertz did flash NFL-level accuracy with a 73.7% completion percentage at Florida the last two seasons, but he also struggled with injuries. Still, he had 26 TDs and five interceptions. He could develop into a high-end backup, but the upside with this pick is limited. 

MORE NFL DRAFT 2025:

Las Vegas Raiders: Cam Miller, North Dakota State (Round 6, No. 215)

Grade: B

Miller (6-1, 212) is the Raiders’ late-round quarterback pick, and he feels like a fit in a Pete Carroll offense. Miller was 45-11 and won two FCS national championships with the Bison, and he piled up 9,720 yards, 81 TDs and 19 interceptions. He follows a North Dakota State quarterback pipeline to the NFL that features Carson Wentz, Easton Stick and Trey Lance. Miller will stick with the Raiders as a backup in 2025. 

San Francisco 49ers: Kurtis Rourke (Round 7, No. 227) 

Grade: A-

The landing spot has our attention. Rourke (6-4, 220) had 3,042 yards, 29 TDs and five interceptions with the Hoosiers last season, and he proved to be effective in the intermediate passing game. The 49ers’ offense could be suitable for his talents, and the opportunity to learn behind Brock Purdy is a winning situation. It is a good fit for the 49ers, if Rourke can show he can avoid sacks. 

Miami Dolphins: Quinn Ewers, Miami Dolphins (Round 7, No. 231) 

Grade: B+

Ewers (6-2, 214) slipped to the seventh round, which is a miscalculation on our part. He had 68 TDs and 24 interceptions as a three-year starter with Texas, and the arm talent is there. Yet Ewers struggled with consistency and injuries throughout his career. If Ewers can be more accurate on deep passes, then he could thrive in Mike McDaniel’s offense in Miami given the talent around him. Ewers is a boom-or-bust backup, but with a seventh-round price tag we like the value for Miami.

Bill Bender

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.