Tag: quarterbacks

Louisville quarterback Tyler Shough during Pro Day at the UofL Football's Trager Indoor Practice Facility Tuesday, March 25, 2025.

Ramifications of NCAA’s new world reach NFL draft

Posted on | by Field Level Media

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Quarterbacks Tyler Shough and Dillon Gabriel, both taken on the second day of the draft, might be considered rookies by the NFL, but their extensive game experience reflects the current nomadic culture of college football.

Each of their paths — with three schools apiece, a combined 106 games, and parts of 13 seasons — included a stop at Oregon.

Shough, a 25-year-old taken in the second round by the New Orleans Saints at No. 40, spent his first three seasons at Oregon (2018-20), followed by three at Texas Tech and his final season at Louisville.

Gabriel, 24, was selected in the third round by the Cleveland Browns with the 94th pick. He began his college career with three seasons at Central Florida, followed by two at Oklahoma, then last season at Oregon.

Shough’s college career was plagued by a smorgasbord of injuries. The list includes broken collarbones in back-to-back season and a broken left fibula in 2023 in his final season at Texas Tech.

“In my case, I didn’t necessarily benefit from the changes of eligibility,” Shough said after he was selected. “I had a redshirt, and then it was COVID year, and then I had a medical. It was just unfortunate timing with some of the stuff, but for me, like I said, it’s prepared me so much mentally to kind of deal with a lot of the adversity on and off the field. Some of the circumstances are out of your control and you have to respond to that.”

Miami quarterback Cam Ward, the first overall pick by the Tennessee Titans, spent two seasons at FCS school Incarnate Word, then two seasons at Washington State before his final season with the Hurricanes.

Jackson Dart, taken at No. 25 in the first round by the Giants, spent one season at Southern California followed by three at Ole Miss.

Alabama’s Jalen Milroe was the only other QB taken in the first two days, selected two picks in front of Gabriel by the Seattle Seahawks. He spent all four college seasons with the Crimson Tide.

–Jim Hoehn, Field Level Media

Oct 5, 2024; Berkeley, California, USA; Miami Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward (1) rushes for a touchdown /across the/ during the fourth quarter at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

2025 NFL Draft position series: Quarterbacks

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Value equations and position priority can vary by NFL franchise, general manager and coaching staff with one glaring exception tested by history and proven out in hardware.

Quarterbacks are the ultimate NFL wildcard, a top necessity with very noteworthy exceptions.

Of the 14 starting quarterbacks in the 2025 playoffs, 12 entered the league as first-round picks. The Lombardi Trophy winner — Jalen Hurts of the Eagles — was an exception, as was 2024 NFC Super Bowl quarterback Brock Purdy. Hurts was a second-rounder (53rd overall in 2020) and the lowest drafted playoff starter other than Steelers veteran Russell Wilson (a third-round pick, 75th overall, in 2012). Ten of the quarterbacks starting 2025 playoff games were drafted in the top 12 overall.

The roundabout point on the table goes well past the history of teams drafting quarterbacks in the top five.

Most years, a franchise finds its way to the No. 1 pick because of a QB need. Six of the top 12 picks in 2024 were spent on quarterbacks.

It’s largely true again this year of the three teams in the top three: Titans, Browns and Giants. All had high-profile fires breakout around the planned development of touted saviors and prized picks and with three wins last season are under major heat to get the position fixed.

Can the supply available in the 2025 NFL Draft meet the demand of teams with no proven answer at the position?

FIELD LEVEL MEDIA 2025 Draft QB rankings:

1. Cameron Ward, Miami
With 158 career TD passes and a three-program track record of winning with peak production in five years at the college level, Ward stands as the lone quarterback with the first-round grade in FLM rankings. Fit has become critical at QB — while that was always the case, synergy and an established developmental platform are now pass-fail metrics falling on the organization, not the player. Ward might’ve been No. 3-5 in the historic class of 2024 between J.J. McCarthy and Michael Penix.

There is risk, of course, but Ward’s tools are enticing: pocket mobility, decent short-area speed, power to rip in a crowded pocket and touch downfield.

He is not fully programmed. The penchant to freelance and trust his instincts led to rich success at Miami and Washington State. The same off-script escapades and live arm can lead to him overtrusting his ability to make something out of nothing. The combination of all of these factors invite loose comparisons to Patrick Mahomes, and GMs taking deep-dive looks at Ward are blown away by his impactful leadership and follow-me style expected from a franchise quarterback.

2. Shedeur Sanders, Colorado
Developed by his dad, Deion Sanders, at Jackson State and Colorado, the spotlight has never been overly engulfing for Shedeur Sanders. An easy target as the coach’s kid under the tutelage of flashy and famous Hall of Fame cornerback, Shedeur Sanders was 13-11 in two seasons at the FBS level and completed 73 percent of his passes as a junior before declaring for the draft.

Deion Sanders made his fortune with rare speed, explosiveness and playmaking instincts. Shedeur Sanders’ ticket to pro success resides in his competitive toughness and ability to deliver the ball on time while staring down the barrel of the pass rush. He’s not suited for every NFL offense and some coordinators fear he can’t be pulled out of an overly cautious in-game approach. Shedeur Sanders might only succeed in a scheme focused on a strong running game with a full-trust, tough-love situation similar to Bo Nix with the Broncos.

3. Jalen Milroe, Alabama
All sorts of variations of the pecking order of this QB class are out there among the NFL’s 32 opinions that matter. For any franchise preparing for a rainy day, Milroe is highlighted as a player who could take the Jordan Love (26th overall) or Jalen Hurts route to an NFL starting job.

A quarterback in a running back’s body, Milroe’s pro progress has almost no chance of being a straight-line to success. He’s admittedly raw, new to reading beyond his second option and accustomed to getting by with natural gifts — rare as they might be — to win. This can often mean retreating to the point of highest training as a run-first mindset when plays go off-script.

He made a leap training under first-year coach Kellen DeBoer and brings a game-changing ability as a runner — 20 rushing touchdowns last season — to add value while using his workmanlike and professional approach to evolve as an NFL passer. Parallels to current Packers backup Malik Willis are wide of the mark and those making comps to run-happy Syracuse product Donovan McNabb (No. 2 overall, 1999) and Mississippi State project Dak Prescott (fourth round, 2016) are only marginally closer.

If he’s drafted into ideal circumstances with pro redshirt possibilities, Milroe’s home-run speed and upside are being undersold.

4. Jaxson Dart, Mississippi
Not to suggest a daily driver can’t compete in a car show, but a value ceiling appears to be inevitable for Dart in the 2025 draft. He passed for more than 10,000 yards and embodied the chip-on-shoulder approach to the position coach Lane Kiffin loves. As an NFL prospect, there are elements of Dart’s game that easily transfer to a timing-based offense. He’s 28-10 as a starter and throws the ball with accuracy, timing and can escape or use his legs to create openings.

He’s not going to cut the ball through gusty winds but would willingly die trying with a gunslinger mentality some coaches are certain to embrace.

There are winning traits in common with Brock Purdy (49ers) and Kirk Cousins (Falcons) but his greatest production and performance has come in helter skelter pacing or comeback situations and a season or two might be necessary to build him into a more complete starter.

5. Quinn Ewers, Texas
One of the more high-profile recruits in recent memory and a foundation stone of the start of the NIL era, Ewers brings the profile of a backup quarterback to the table despite success and playoff experience at Texas and in the SEC.

A touch passer with enough mobility to manipulate the pocket, Ewers has undeniable similarity to former Pitt first-round pick Kenny Pickett. Pickett is on his third NFL team in three seasons after being acquired from the Eagles by the Cleveland Browns. He’s good enough to win a game, but perhaps not the player coaches want in the driver’s seat long-term.

6. Tyler Shough, Louisville
A seven-year college journey paved the path for Shough to hit the NFL draft at nearly 26 years old holding an incomplete resume. He only played in more than eight games once in his career and that came last season at Louisville, where his pocket prowess made him a perfect fit in a downfield passing game. Given durability concerns and advanced age, the upside to selecting Shough ahead of younger, developmental options is limited. Shough turns 26 in September, and if a team isn’t going to start him as a rookie, what in the name of Brandon Weeden are we doing here?

7. Kyle McCord, Syracuse
Turnovers, risk tolerance and a rigid release are the issues scouts can’t get past in the final grade for McCord. His mental makeup, experience, reps and controlled aggressiveness as a decision-maker push him into top backup and fringe starter territory.

8. Will Howard, Ohio State
Went from Kansas State to the Buckeyes and a season directing a Cadillac offense skyrocketed his efficiency and he won over some scouts with his toughness. Questions about arm strength and inconsistent accuracy aren’t going away.

9. Dillon Gabriel, Oregon
As a second- or third-day draft pick, Gabriel’s size (5-11, 200) and limited exposure to a pro-style scheme cast him in the same light as former career backup Chase Daniel.

10. Kurtis Rourke, Indiana
Six seasons in college and playing through a second torn ACL (August 2024, surgery January 2025) reduce Rourke to a backup-level ceiling.

–Field Level Media

Cleveland Browns quarterback Jameis Winston (5) attempts a pass during the second half of an NFL football game at Huntington Bank Field, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024, in Cleveland, Ohio.

Report: Browns to start QB Jameis Winston vs. Ravens

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The Cleveland Browns are counting on Jameis Winston to start at quarterback at home on Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens, The Athletic reported Wednesday.

He will replace Deshaun Watson, who ruptured his right Achilles tendon when he appeared to hyperextend his leg on a non-contact play last Sunday in the team’s 21-14 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.

The Browns were 1-6 under Watson.

After the injury, the Browns turned to second-year quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson, and he suffered a finger injury in the fourth quarter.

With Watson out for the season and Thompson-Robinson’s availability uncertain, the Browns signed Bailey Zappe off the Kansas City Chiefs’ practice squad on Tuesday.

Winston, 30, was the No. 1 overall pick of the 2015 NFL Draft by the Buccaneers. After starting the first five seasons for Tampa Bay, he spent four seasons in a backup role with the New Orleans Saints before signing a one-year deal with the Browns.

He’ll be an unrestricted free agent after this season.

Winston has appeared in 98 games (80 starts) with a 34-46-0 record as a starter. He has a career 61.1 percent completion percentage, throwing for 22,187 yards with 142 TDs and 99 interceptions.

Against the AFC North-leading Ravens (5-2), Winston will become the 39th starting quarterback for the Browns since their return to Cleveland in 1999, when No. 1 overall draft pick Tim Couch manned the position.

–Field Level Media

April 20, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA: Texas Longhorns quarterbacks Arch Manning (16), left, and Quinn Ewers (3) throw passes while warming up ahead of the Longhorns' spring Orange and White game at Darrell K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sara Diggins-Imagn Images via American Statesman

No. 1 Texas won’t name starting QB until Friday

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Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said he won’t decide until Friday whether Quinn Ewers or Arch Manning will quarterback the nation’s No. 1 team on Saturday against Mississippi State.

Ewers left the Longhorns’ Week 3 win over UTSA with an abdominal strain and was replaced by Manning. The redshirt freshman started in Ewers’ place last weekend in a 51-3 drubbing of Louisiana-Monroe as Texas moved to 4-0.

Sarkisian told reporters Thursday that he wants Ewers, in his third season as the Longhorns starter, to have the maximum time to recover before naming his QB.

“We’re going to decide on the quarterback thing (Friday),” Sarkisian said. “It won’t be a secret. We’re not trying to pull the wool over anybody’s eyes. Just want to give Quinn every opportunity to see if he’s ready to play and what he looks like. I’d say he’s improved every day. I think Arch has had a very good week.”

In his first college start, Manning was 15-of-29 passing for 258 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions against ULM. In relief of Ewers in the UTSA game, Manning completed 9 of 12 passes for 223 yards with four TD passes and 67-yard touchdown run.

Ewers is 19-6 as a starter at Texas. He has 6,347 career passing yards, good for seventh place in program history. His 45 passing touchdowns rank sixth.

Mississippi State will be the first-ever Southeastern Conference opponent for the Longhorns. The Bulldogs (1-3, 0-1 SEC) lost their conference opener to Florida 45-28 last Saturday and lost quarterback Blake Shapen for the season to a shoulder injury.

Freshman Michael Van Buren will get his first college start for the Bulldogs on Saturday in Austin.

–Field Level Media

Aug 15, 2024; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) runs the ball in for a touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles during the first half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

Jerod Mayo makes Patriots’ QB call, but he’s not telling

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New England Patriots first-year head coach Jerod Mayo made the call and knows the winner of the quarterback competition between Jacoby Brissett and rookie No. 3 pick Drake Maye.

But he’s not ready to spill the tea.

“I know everyone wants to know that. I’m going to talk to the individual players tomorrow — I’m going to have a team meeting tomorrow — and then I’ll get it to you guys,” Mayo said. “Yes, we’ve made a decision; just haven’t communicated. And honestly, I want those guys to hear it first from me before they hear it from someone else.”

When training camp began, the Patriots identified Brissett, a 31-year-old journeyman with 48 career starts with five NFL teams, as the clear No. 1 on the quarterback depth chart. Mayo lauded his “veteran presence” and quick mastery of the offense.

But Mayo said earlier this week Maye had “outplayed” Brissett before hedging that performance measures weren’t the only factor he’ll consider in a decision that will involve offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, others on the coaching staff and personnel boss Eliot Wolf.

“Look, they’ve gone through the process as well. They’ve gone through the spring with these players, they’ve gone through training camp with these players,” Mayo said. “I’m sure they all have an opinion on who should be the starting quarterback, but I don’t think I have to explain it to anyone else. It’s my decision, and if it doesn’t work, blame me.”

Mayo likely doesn’t want the blame of a setback in Maye’s development. One critical concern evident in training camp was the pass protection on the offensive line.

Maye was 21 of 32 for 192 yards and a touchdown in the preseason, when he totaled seven carries for 32 yards with one touchdown. Brissett was 5 of 14 for 36 yards, threw a red-zone interception and posted a QB rating of 14.6.

Even if Maye begins the season as Brissett’s backup on Sept. 8 at Cincinnati, nothing is set in stone, the New England coach said.

“I would say one thing: I think it’s important to remember, what’s good for the team today may not be good for the team weeks down the line,” Mayo said.

–Field Level Media

Mar 4, 2024; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Devin Brown speaks to media at the start of spring practice at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.

Devin Brown, Will Howard ready for QB competition at Ohio State

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Ohio State’s Devin Brown had a strong message Monday for people who think he’s intimidated by a tough quarterback room this spring.

Bottom line: He isn’t transferring.

“I’ve said it through and through. I’m a Buckeye, and I’m here to compete, no matter what,” he told reporters in Columbus, Ohio, the day before spring practices begin.

“Honestly,” he continued, “I think people are cowards. I think people have this thought in their own heads that I’m gonna leave and I’m a quitter, but that’s never been me. These people live wherever, in their mom’s basement, saying stuff about me and they don’t know (expletive). Excuse my language, but they don’t know anything. They don’t know why I am. They don’t know who I’ve been, and that’s always who I’ve been.”

Brown, a redshirt sophomore, lost the starting job to Kyle McCord before the 2023 season, but when McCord announced his transfer at the end of the regular season, Brown was given the starting assignment in the Cotton Bowl against Missouri.

But Brown left the game in the second quarter of the 14-3 loss with an ankle injury, with freshman Lincoln Kienholz taking over.

Since then, the Buckeyes have brought Kansas State graduate transfer Will Howard and 2024 blue-chip recruits Julian Sayin and Air Noland in to compete with Brown and Kienholz. They will be trying to impress head coach Ryan Day and Chip Kelly, the new offensive coordinator.

Howard, who started 27 games at Kansas State, has one year of eligibility left. And he sounded confident when he addressed reporters Monday.

“I didn’t come here to be nervous or to be timid or anything like that,” Howard said. “I’m ready to go, and the fact of the matter is you know it might not all be perfect. I might make a few mistakes but that’s how I’m going to learn and that’s how we’re going to learn as a team.

“Nothing’s too big for me. Nothing’s too big for this team. Spring ball, it’s going to be a lot of learning across the board but I’m excited for that. I want to embrace that.”

–Field Level Media

Dec 29, 2023; Arlington, Texas, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day watches during the second quarter of the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic against the Missouri Tigers at AT&T Stadium.

Ohio State awaiting final word on Bill O’Brien status

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Ohio State coach Ryan Day hired Bill O’Brien as his offensive coordinator this offseason, entrusting him to call plays for the Buckeyes in the 2024 season.

And Day is proceeding with that plan until he hears otherwise.

O’Brien, the former head coach of the Houston Texans and Penn State, is a top contender for the recently opened head-coaching job at Boston College, interviewing earlier this week. Day told reporters O’Brien was on campus in Columbus and at work on Wednesday.

He said he had “no update” about O’Brien’s future with the program, although ESPN reported Boston College is expected to name a head coach this week. Day has a Plan B should O’Brien, his hand-picked choice to relieve him of play-calling duties, depart.

“It isn’t just one of those situations where you take out one guy and put another guy in there and move on,” Day said. “It doesn’t work that way. But yes, we talked to different people for that position, and we have contingency plans in place. Hopefully, we don’t have to go down that road, though.”

Day also addressed a problem most college coaches would love to have entering spring practice: a glut of quarterbacks.

Following the transfer of last year’s starter, Kyle McCord,” Day said he anticipates a “fierce competition” at the position.

The Buckeyes have in their quarterback room Will Howard, an experienced transfer from Kansas State; returnees Devin Brown and Lincoln Kienholz; and Julian Sayin and Air Noland, incoming freshmen ranked as the No. 3 and No. 7 quarterbacks, respectively, in the 2024 class by 247Sports.

The youngsters will try to push the veteran Howard.

“Will came here to play football, so I hope that’s his mentality, and I hope all the guys have that mentality,” Day said. “He’s got to learn the offense and get going.”

–Field Level Media

Arizona State Sun Devils quarterback Trenton Bourguet (16) grimaces after an ankle injury that forced him to leave the game against the Fresno State Bulldogs in the first half at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe on Sept. 16, 2023.

Arizona State battling injuries at quarterback with USC next

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Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham might need to pull a quarterback or two out of his hat before the Sun Devils take on nationally ranked Southern California next weekend.

Freshman starter Jaden Rashada didn’t dress in Saturday’s 29-0 home loss to Fresno State and is expected to be out four to six weeks with a lingering unspecifed injury, Dillingham said.

The starter against Fresno State, Trenton Bourguet, departed the game in the first quarter with an apparent left leg injury and resurfaced later with crutches and a walking boot on his left foot. He will have an MRI, Dillingham said.

Then, the backup’s backup, Notre Dame transfer Drew Pyne, sustained a “muscular injury” to a leg and had to come out. He was 5-for-13 passing for 52 yards and lost the ball four times — twice on interceptions, twice on fumbles.

The leading passer on the day was Jacob Conover, the only other scholarship quarterback on the roster. The fourth-string sophomore was 6-for-16 passing for 89 yards, and he threw two more interceptions, giving Fresno State five on the day.

Arizona State turned the ball over eight times in all.

“This is football,” junior nickel back Jordan Clark said of the team’s injuries, per 247Sports. “That’s the risk whenever you put your helmet on and then strap your pads up. The mood around the team is just next man up. You got to play football. And if anybody’s mood isn’t that, that’ll get corrected.”

Before Saturday, the Sun Devils hadn’t been shut out in a home game since then-No. 2 USC beat them 50-0 in the 1988 season.

–Field Level Media

Jan 2, 2023; Pasadena, California, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Sean Clifford (14) warms up before the game between the Utah Utes and the Penn State Nittany Lions at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Draft record-setter: 11 QBs taken in first 150 picks

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The Green Bay Packers’ selection of quarterback Sean Clifford from Penn State in the fifth round of the NFL draft on Saturday was a record breaker.

NFL Network reported that this is first draft in history in which 11 quarterbacks were taken in the first 150 picks.

The Packers nabbed Clifford with pick 149.

The Minnesota Vikings went on to add Jaren Hall of BYU with the 164th pick, making him the 12th quarterback selected in the first five rounds.

The first 10 picks selected, and their draft number are:
No. 1: Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers
No. 2: C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans
No. 4: Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis Colts
No. 33: Will Levis, Tennessee Titans
No. 68 : Hendon Hooker, Detroit Lions
No. 127: Jake Haener, New Orleans Saints
No. 128: Stetson Bennett, Los Angeles Rams
No. 135: Aidan O’Connell, Las Vegas Raiders
No. 139: Clayton Tune, Arizona Cardinals
No. 140: Dorian Thompson-Robinson, Cleveland Browns

–Field Level Media

Oct 9, 2022; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel talks with quarterback Skylar Thompson (19) between plays against the New York Jets during the first half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa out, rookie Skylar Thompson to start

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Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is out for the AFC wild-card game at Buffalo on Sunday.

Tagovailoa has not cleared concussion protocol and is prohibited from football activities. Head coach Mike McDaniel said Wednesday that Tagovailoa officially has been ruled out, and the Dolphins are preparing rookie Skylar Thompson to start against the Bills.

Tagovailoa is in the protocol for the third time this season after self-reporting symptoms following a Week 16 loss to the Green Bay Packers. The Dolphins broke a five-game losing streak and won a wild-card spot with a 9-8 record by virtue of their 11-6 win over the New York Jets on Sunday.

Thompsonm a seventh-round pick in the 2022 draft, was 20 of 31 for 152 passing yards in Week 18, drawing the starting assignment over Teddy Bridgewater. Bridgewater was active last week but limited by an injury to the pinkie finger on his right hand.

Miami is fixed on the short-term, McDaniel said, which includes winning at Buffalo and getting Tagovailoa healthy. The first-year head coach didn’t want to discuss any long-term plans for the quarterback position, only saying the focus is on helping Tagovailoa “getting to full health as a human being.”

McDaniel said the Dolphins aren’t ruling out running back Raheem Mostert this week despite a broken thumb. Mostert leads the Dolphins with 891 rushing yards.

–Field Level Media