BERKELEY, Calif. — Almost midway by way of the faculty soccer season, there’s nonetheless a captivating race among the many high quarterbacks to see who would be the first one taken within the NFL draft within the spring.
Heading into Week 6, 5 quarterbacks might declare the highest spot, making this a very “muddy” yr, as one veteran scout termed it. A part of that lack of conviction comes from the caliber of the quarterback crop, because it’s thought-about a distinctly lower-quality class after a file six quarterbacks have been drafted within the high 12 picks this yr.
ESPN polled 20 NFL scouts and executives who consider school gamers to see the place they stood on the highest quarterback for the 2025 NFL draft. The variance of solutions proved telling, as Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders bought 9 votes, Georgia’s Carson Beck bought 5, and Alabama’s Jalen Milroe bought 4. Miami’s Cam Ward and Texas’ Quinn Ewers bought one vote every, with Ward rising and Ewers’ standing possible harm after lacking the previous two weeks with an damage.
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The ballot must be considered extra of a bellwether for the uncertainty within the class and potential volatility between now and the draft greater than any sort of definitive predictor.
Executives agreed it is uncommon to have this many quarterbacks within the dialog and this a lot uncertainty across the place. There was unanimous feeling in scouting circles that there is a important step again in high quarterback expertise from the 2024 draft class, which is no surprise.
“Positively an odd yr,” noticed one veteran govt. “Clearly have to see extra.”
Ward and Milroe will be thought-about the risers in current weeks, as two scouts famous that they’d Ward second on their present lists. Joked one veteran scout: “I am not able to say Cam Ward, however I need to say Cam Ward.”
Milroe performed considered one of his greatest video games as a university soccer participant in opposition to Georgia, and there is actual momentum for him as he exhibits extra anticipation and polish as a passer. Ward confirmed off his late-game magic by orchestrating a fourth-quarter comeback in opposition to Virginia Tech on Sept. 27, which included just a few Houdini escapes, an inconceivable chest go and a fourth-down completion to a participant on the bottom.
A number of scouts picked Beck by way of gritted tooth, not wanting his flat first half in opposition to Alabama to taint him as a prospect.
For the second straight yr, Ewers delivered a definitive street win in an iconic venue in opposition to a top-10 crew, slicing aside Michigan for 3 touchdowns and 246 yards on 24-for-36 passing. He’s anticipated to return subsequent week in opposition to Oklahoma and proceed his trajectory.
Sometimes, there’s some aspect of readability within the quarterback hierarchy by now. Final yr, for instance, Caleb Williams had been the presumptive No. 1 choose for 2 full seasons. Bryce Younger and C.J. Stroud have been projected to be chosen early heading into the 2022 season.
One scout invoked the 2022 draft, which did not see a quarterback picked till Kenny Pickett at No. 20, when referencing the muddled nature of this yr’s crop. Whereas the general expertise this yr initiatives larger than 2022, particularly given the necessity on the place amid an total weak draft, it will likely be attention-grabbing to see when a quarterback goes off the board.
A number of scouts declined to reply, insisting it was too early to make a name. That is additionally instructive to the scouting course of, through which space scouts are learning gamers of their areas and nationwide scouts have not finished all of the cross-checking they should absolutely research all of the gamers. Common managers and high executives do not absolutely put money into the scouting course of till a lot later within the yr.
Sanders has been productive this yr and has proven an affinity for the dramatic, as he led a miraculous comeback at Baylor and has thrown 14 landing passes and three interceptions. He’s No. 6 nationally in passing yards with 1,630 taking part in below longtime NFL offensive coach Pat Shurmur, which has led to an evolution to extra of an NFL-style offense.
