Interest in 2026-27 QB prospects surpasses 2025 NFL Draft

There will inevitably be some teams at the end of the 2024 NFL season that will be itching for a new quarterback for 2025. Rumors are swirling about the job security of Daniel Jones in New York, no one appears to have a firm grip on the starting job in Las Vegas, and there is uncertainty surrounding recent investments in the position in Indianapolis, Cleveland, Carolina and Tennessee. The 2025 NFL Draft class may not provide enough answers for all of these teams, so many are doing their research on the next few draft classes.

That doesn’t mean there aren’t options in 2025. Two passers appear to be at the top of the list for the upcoming draft: Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders and that of Miami Cam Ward. Sanders and his father (head coach and NFL legend Deion Sanders) have worked hard over the past two seasons to put the Buffaloes on track for a berth in the Big 12 title game and a shot at the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff. Sanders isn’t exactly elite with his arm or legs, but manages to utilize his technique and use good timing and ball placement to direct his attack. Because scouts only played under his father in college, they are concerned about Sanders’ maturity and leadership skills.

Ward, who previously declared for the 2024 NFL Draft before withdrawing to transfer from Washington State to Coral Gables, has earned his place in the first-round conversation. Ward started as a zero-star recruit at Incarnate Ward at the FCS level and found a home in Pullman before joining the Hurricanes. The 22-year-old has led the Canes to a 9-1 record, rushing for 348 yards and three touchdowns in the team’s only loss. His composure in the pocket and elite arm talent make him an enticing prospect, but could lead him to make some questionable decisions. He’s an obvious contender for the Heisman Trophy, but his draft stock is far from solidified.

Behind Sanders and Ward, there’s a pretty significant drop-off to players like LSU’s Garrett NussmeierAlabama Jalen MilroeGeorgia Carson Beckand that of Penn State Drew Allar. All four players have mid-round intrigue, but there’s plenty of time for each of them to work out conversations late in the first round, as we saw Michael Penix Jr. And Bo Nix do last year.

While a few teams will be in a position to take a quarterback early in the 2025 draft, and some may decide Sanders or Ward are the right fit for their organization, others are already doing their homework for the next few classes of students. Two redshirt freshmen and one true freshman have scouts licking their chops before they even qualify for the draft.

In Austin, freshman Bow Manning has quietly built up a lot of expectations from the bench. The grandson of the former Saints quarterback Archie Manning Manning, son of Peyton and Eli’s brother Cooper, has waited patiently behind the Longhorns’ starting passer Quinn Ewers. Manning saw time in six games as Ewers’ successor in 2024 and starred in spurts for Texas.

Another older NFL player, Dylan Raiola – son of the old Lions center Dominic Raiola – started his true freshman season for Nebraska hot before falling off in recent weeks. After drawing early comparisons to the Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (mostly visually) Raiola came on strong in his collegiate start, throwing nine touchdowns against just two interceptions in his first five games. Since then, the Cornhuskers pass rusher has cooled off considerably, throwing just one touchdown against six picks.

Finally, South Carolina has a redshirt freshman passer incoming LaNorris Salespeople whose name is already resonating in NFL scouting circles. While his arm isn’t fully electric yet, Sellers has been effective as a starter on his way to a 5-3 record. He also adds some dynamism with his legs averaging about 50 rushing yards per game on his way to four scores on the ground.

The talk about players like Manning, Raiola and Sellers is clearly far too premature, as evidenced by Raiola’s mid-season slump. However, the existence of such conversations seems to underscore the NFL’s lack of excitement in the 2025 draft class. Sanders and Ward are on track to have their names called on the first night of the draft, but Nussmeier, Milroe, Beck, Allar and others still have some work to do if they want to convince NFL teams to take a chance cart. on them this offseason.