Shedeur Sanders is the top quarterback in the 2025 NFL Draft while people are sleeping on Graham Mertz

The 2025 quarterback class will likely only see one or two players go in the first round compared to the six we saw this year. However, that doesn’t mean we don’t have a couple of possible franchise quarterbacks in this class. The top quarterback on my board is Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders and if he can prove to teams he is mature enough to lead an NFL team he should be a top 15 pick next April.

A quarterback who is being overlooked is Florida’s Graham Mertz who despite coming off a strong season, is still ranked as the 746th best player in the NFL Draft by Mock Draft Database. On the other hand, two quarterbacks people have way too high are Texas’s Quinn Ewers and Alabama’s Jalen Milroe who I don’t have rated as one of my top five quarterbacks.

Top five quarterbacks in the 2025 NFL Draft

1. Shedeur Sanders, Colorado

One of the more controversial quarterbacks in the 2025 NFL Draft is Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders. In terms of pure talent there he is the most talented quarterback in the draft displaying the strong arm, impressive accuracy, and the touch to hit the short passes consistently. A couple of areas he needs to work on though are his overall awareness, and taking what the defense gives him. Last season, he was sacked an FBS leading 49 times and a large reason for this was his tendency to hold onto the ball too long instead of taking what the defense gives him. He also needs to improve his footwork especially when asked to come out from under center which is something the Buffalo’s rarely asked him to do. One more thing he needs to show NFL teams that won’t be coached by his dad is that he has the maturity to lead an NFL franchise.

2. Carson Beck, Georgia

Going into the 2024 season I am in the minority having Georgia quarterback Carson Beck as my second-rated quarterback. However, that doesn’t mean I am not a big fan of him and I have a first-round grade on him. The biggest reason I am a fan of his is his pinpoint accuercey. He does a great job of hitting his receivers in stride and also is consistently on the money when throwing on the run. Another trait that stands out is his poise and how he rarely forces a ball which are two reasons why he completed 72% of his passes and only threw six interceptions last year. The only reason I have Sanders over Beck is he has more potential displaying a stronger arm and overall athletic ability.

3. Cameron Ward, Miami

A player who likely would have been the seventh quarterback off the board if he had entered the 2024 NFL Draft is Cameron Ward. Instead, Ward decided to transfer to Miami this offseason where he will look to improve on the second round grade I currently give him. The reason I see him as a high day two pick despite having an up and down season last year at Washington State is his impressive arm strength that allows him to hit the deep ball or scramble out of the pocket and complete the big throw across the field. Another positive with him is his mobility which makes him very dangerous once a play breaks down. However, he does need to improve his pocket awareness and play a more structured type of game which he will be asked to do at Miami. If he can play more in rhyme this year it should also help him cut down on the 39 sacks he took last year.

4. Graham Mertz, Florida

A player who is being slept on is Florida’s Graham Mertz. Mertz has the tools to be a top-50 selection in the 2025 NFL Draft, and with another strong season look for him to have a Bo Nix type raise up the draft board. His most impressive trait is his accuracy which saw him complete 73 percent of his passes last season. In this area he does a terrific job of hitting receivers in stride and also has an excellent strike point when throwing on the run. Another positive with him is he doesn’t force a ton of passes, and last season only had three passes picked off. One area I would like to see him improve on is getting rid of the ball quicker in the pocket.

5. Quinn Ewers, Texas

A player others are higher on than I am is Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers who is widely being projected as a top 20 pick next year. One of the biggest reasons I only have a third round grade on him is his lack of elite arm strength. He needs to put much more zip on his ball at the NFL level, and he will likely have a hard time stretching a defense vertically. He also needs to do a better job of going through his reads quickly, instead of relying on just his first or second read. On the positive side he shows good accuracy in the short to mid-range passing game and also he made great strides from his 2022 to 2023 season. If he can have another year where he improves as much as he did last year he could be a day two pick, but if not he could be a mid-day three selection.