2025 NFL Draft: Pro execs, scouts, coaches rank and evaluate the top 18 prospects in this QB class

PROJECTED: Round 1

The Davey O'Brien Award winner as the nation's top quarterback and a Heisman Trophy finalist, Ward threw a school-record 39 touchdown passes in a lone season at Miami that elevated him from a Day 3 prospect a year ago to the presumptive No. 1 overall pick in this week's draft. "There's one guy that's head and shoulders above the rest in Cam Ward," a quarterbacks coach for an AFC team said. "He's the one that you [see] a bona fide starter. The natural comparison is (Patrick) Mahomes and Caleb Williams from last year. The same type of playmaking ability and arm talent. The same hesitancies you see, as well, in terms of just playing on schedule more consistently. But I like him a lot. It's pretty obvious that he's going to be the first overall pick, and I think he's worth it." 

In 57 college starts at three schools, Ward completed 65.1 percent of his passes for 18,184 yards and an NCAA-record 158 touchdowns with 37 interceptions. He ran for 20 more TDs. Comparisons to Mahomes coming out of Texas Tech in 2017 are unavoidable. "Their arm angles and their ability to throw sidearm, different crazy throws off the wrong foot downfield but staying completely accurate -- that is eerily the same," an AFC coordinator said. "The thing I see with Cam is he's so smooth back there in the shotgun, and then they do all that RPO stuff where he'll slow-ride it with the back and keep his feet in cement and just sidearm flick it to a wide receiver on a screen, or maybe he scrambles a little bit and then has a crazy throw. Not all guys can do that." Ward led the FCS in touchdown passes both of his seasons at Incarnate Word -- throwing 47 in 2021 alone -- before transferring to Washington State, where he twice earned honorable mention All-Pac-12 honors and was a team captain. "Cam has a chance to be really good, especially because the person is super competitive," an NFC scouting director said. "He's going to make some mistakes. He's going to turn it over a ton. But I think part of that is him pushing his limits, which I think is a sign of confidence in his own ability and belief in his team." 

Like Mahomes, Ward is a little on the shorter side (6-foot-1 5/8, 219 pounds), comes from a wide-open Air Raid offense and has a less-than-chiseled physique. "I don't like his body and how it looks," an AFC executive said. "But he does have poise and instincts and arm talent. Another year, he's probably not the No. 1 overall pick. I think the kid's pretty smart. He feels like a fast processor on tape, but he's also a roll-out-of-bed gamer. He doesn't play within the system. It's kind of backyard. You'll see it: They'll call a play, and in college, they don't rush -- he just sits back there and f---ing backyards it because he's done it everywhere he's been. I think he can be a good player, but there will be some ups and downs." Said an NFC assistant coach: "He's got all the tools. He's wired right. Now, he'll take some chances with the ball. If something bad happens, he's got that mentality of, Hey, I'm just going to make it the next play; it doesn't matter. He makes some things happen, makes impressive throws, wired the right way. He's pretty legitimate." 

Ward initially declared for last year’s draft before pivoting a couple weeks later and committing to Miami. He made such a leap in his final season -- in which he threw for 4,313 yards, helping Miami reach 10 wins for just the second time since 2003 -- that it took some scouts longer to come around on him as a top prospect. "You're taking into account that Air Raid system that he's been in since Incarnate Word, and he was a Wing-T quarterback before that, so you've got a lot of looseness in his game. But he has the most physical ability throwing the ball of the guys at the top," an NFC executive said. "The guys on the offense -- he's demanding, and they play for him. But I don't know that he's figured out how to be the CEO type and bring everybody. I don't think there's an issue with his work habits. He's intelligent. He's a little bit pudgy. The bigger issue is the background and what he's been exposed to. It doesn't appear that he reads coverages very well. Or, if he does read them well, he progresses way too quickly through his reads and he tends to want to extend for the big play versus taking what the defense gives him a lot of the time. That will be hard at this level." Ward's decision to sit out the second half of the Pop-Tarts Bowl created a media uproar, but rarely came up in conversations with scouts and coaches -- perhaps a reflection of how attitudes have shifted toward business decisions at the college level. Even Ward's fans note their evaluations are a projection. "Obviously, the No. 1 guy for me is Ward. There's not even a close second, in all honesty," another NFC scouting director said. "Cam Ward's got his s--- that scares me a little bit, too. The guy is like a turnover machine sometimes. You see him try to be too much gamer, too much baller at times and get outside the pocket and try to make something happen, and it gets erratic and you don't know where the ball's going to go. He can either hit a beautiful play or he can throw a pick." Said another AFC quarterbacks coach: "Cam is the most talented. But he scares me a lot. He's got a long ways to go before he's refined as a passer, and I see a lot of misses, especially outside the numbers. Caleb Williams is a much better passer, he's much more polished, and he still had a very rough year as a first-year quarterback. I see the athleticism. I see the off-schedule plays. But I don't see him doing much in the pocket that he's going to need to do."

Asked where Ward would've ranked in last year's draft, most scouts and coaches placed him somewhere between Michael Penix Jr. (the fourth QB taken) and Bo Nix (sixth), and below the Caleb Williams-Jayden Daniels-Drake Maye group that went 1-2-3. "I probably would've liked him a little more than J.J. McCarthy and Bo Nix, honestly," an NFC coordinator said. "He's got the twitch in his arm. He's got every throw. Love the instincts, the feel for the game. Looks like he sees things well. Then obviously, the creativity and the things he can do when the play breaks down and he breaks the pocket. I thought there was almost a little bit of (Ben) Roethlisberger in terms of his ability to shed guys." In this or any class, Ward projects as a starter. "Last year, he would've been after Bo," another AFC coordinator said. "The makeup's strong. He's highly confident. He's got the arm talent. Just some accuracy things. The way he sits back in the pocket, it seems like he has to scramble back to see. I'm not sure he's a surefire franchise quarterback, but he's the best in the class."

The Tennessee Titans appear poised to make the bet they can rein in Ward's raw ability and replicate his college production in the NFL. "He's a special arm talent," a third AFC quarterbacks coach said. "The ball comes out of his hand a little different than most, and I think he's going to be a top-10 thrower in our league immediately, and that's pretty rare. I do think there's a way you have to be smart with his rookie year and give him some good concepts that he's run a bunch in his life. He's got a different personality than the other guys, but not in a bad or a negative way. He is who he is, and you've got to accept that and convince him that, wherever he goes, that's the place he's going to maximize his talent. And he's extremely talented." Said an AFC GM: "God, he can really sling it. He would have a chance to be in that top six (last year). Now, there's a lot of stuff he's got to correct. But man, he can throw it."

PROJECTED: Round 1-2

The Big 12 Conference Offensive Player of the Year, Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award winner and second-team AP All-American QB as a senior last fall, Sanders threw a school-record 64 touchdown passes over two seasons while playing for his Pro Football Hall of Fame father, Deion, in Boulder after they spent a couple years together at FCS Jackson State. His freewheeling play style and unique pedigree make him one of the most fascinating -- and polarizing -- evaluations in the entire draft. "Shedeur is a really, really talented passer," an NFC quarterbacks coach said. "Not elite arm strength, but I don't think it's anything that will hinder you. Obviously, he's been working with Pat (Shurmur, a longtime NFL coach who's currently Colorado's offensive coordinator), so he knows some NFL stuff. He'll have to learn to get the ball out and to play with the timing you need to play in this league. That's everything it really comes down to." Said an NFC assistant coach: "He's got ability to throw to all three levels. He's good on the ball-out, quick passing game. Can move around. Tough as all get out. He'll take hits and just hop up and it doesn't really faze him. That's impressive. There's obviously things he needs to improve on, just working progressions. You've got Travis Hunter out there; it's not like you have to work a ton of progressions. And then he took a lot of sacks. Obviously, the line wasn't outstanding, but they weren't always the line's fault, either. He's hanging on to the ball. He's not throwing the ball away for one reason or another. He's got a chance to be good. There's things there that's got to improve. I think he can do it."

In 50 college starts (26 at Jackson State, 24 at Colorado), Sanders completed 70.1 percent of his passes for 14,347 yards and 134 touchdowns with 27 interceptions. Ten of those interceptions came last season, when he also led the FBS with a 74 percent completion rate while ranking second with 353 completions and 37 touchdown passes -- a school record, as were his 4,134 passing yards. "If you look at just 'wow' throws, he's got probably the best collection of those over the whole entire crop," an NFC executive said. "It's just the other stuff. It's the ability to do stuff from structure, in the pocket, checkdowns, the easy gimmes. But if you want to just isolate the high level, high degree of difficulties, then to me, there's a difference between him and the other guys." A Colorado program that was 1-11 in 2022 improved to 4-8 and 9-4 in Sanders' two seasons under center (though the Buffaloes were 1-7 against ranked opponents in that span). Sanders ran for 17 TDs over four college seasons. But more often than not, he was scrambling to throw, not run. "His college tape looked like Caleb Williams without the elite physical arm talent," an NFC coordinator said. "I'm sorry: You can't play that game at this level. So, you've got to be banking on him making a jump from a decision-making, in-the-pocket, on-time, under-pressure [perspective], where you don't have evidence of that on tape. That, to me, is why people are going to be nervous about him. He's not going to extend plays the way he did at Colorado. Nobody does, unless you're Lamar (Jackson), Josh Allen, Kyler (Murray). Those guys are elite athletes. He's not. So, it's going to be a very different game he's asked to play. I'm not saying he can't do it. But that's where the hesitation is going to come into play." 

Sanders' size (6-1 1/2, 212) and surprisingly limited athletic profile (given his potential genetic advantages) help explain why some scouts and coaches don't have a first-round grade on him. "If somebody's open, he's going to hit it. So you don't want to discredit how accurate he is," another NFC coordinator said. "There's just a lack of a ton of juice in his arm. He's not incredibly athletic. He does hold on to the ball. The offense is really hard to judge what they're doing offensively and what he's being told from a read standpoint, so you can't totally kill him for that. I see him as more of a backup that, shoot, maybe he can develop into a fringe starter." Said an AFC quarterbacks coach: "I think he needs to be in a specific system that caters to his skill set, which is getting the ball out quickly. I think he's got plenty of arm in the short to intermediate parts of the field; he generates pretty good zip. It kind of dies on him down the field. If you can get him to operate in the same mold that you used to see (Drew) Brees operate, which is being able to process what's happening post-snap and get the ball out quickly and get the ball to the right guys in a timing manner, I think that's the best approach with him." One AFC scout compared Sanders to Geno Smith with a little less arm. "There are some flashes of this kid having some understanding of the game, coverages, which gives you some hope." the scout said. "The character stuff is also something that factors. From what I've seen at East-West Shrine and combine, there's definitely some entitlement and special treatment that he expects. There might be some growth with that. The NFL's still a meritocracy and you have to come in and earn it. It's a man's league, and he's going to have to do it on his own."

When it comes to Sanders' makeup, he's a one-of-one case study in many ways. Not many draft prospects grow up as the son of one of the greatest and highest-profile athletes of his generation. Even fewer have been coached almost exclusively by their legendary father; Deion was also Shedeur's offensive coordinator at Trinity Christian in Texas before taking the head-coaching job at Jackson State (and flipping his son's original commitment to Florida Atlantic). "The dude's only played for his dad. When things go wrong, it's not his fault. He takes a sack, he blames the O-line," an AFC coordinator said. "He can make the throws. He's got good accuracy. But does he lock on No. 1 and home in on him? And does the offense tailor for him to read it out?" Deion Sanders hasn't been shy about using social media and press conferences to fire back at any real or perceived slights he has heard about Shedeur during the pre-draft process. "You can't have your dad saying, 'I'm going to come put a quarterback coach on blast who said you were arrogant.' So, he can't be criticized?" a veteran NFC executive said. "It seems like his [teammates] like him. They back him, even with all the limelight stuff and going in a different car to the game. It seems like they back him more." 

One NFC scouting director who has done extensive background work on Sanders summarized it this way: "When you hear all the anecdotal stories about the person, it's not that he's a bad kid. He has been so insulated. It's going to be a culture shock when he really learns how a locker room really operates and how it really works inside a building. He's had so much input on the offensive game plan and who the coach is, and everything's been catered to him. When you walk in one of these (NFL) buildings, no one's going to give a s--- about that. No one cares who your dad is. You're going to have to end up fighting through some adversity. The plays aren't going to be called to exactly what you want to run. Even last year with Shurmur, a lot of the mistakes he made was stuff that he just decided to call at the line of scrimmage himself, and there's no recourse of him making those decisions. Whereas, in a real locker room, you make a couple of those decisions, you get your a-- ripped so bad that you never want to do it again." Less than four months after Sanders played his final college game, Colorado retired the numbers of Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter and Sanders, with the quarterback's inclusion and the unusually speedy move leading to a backlash, including from former Buffalo players.

The closest comparison to Sanders' background might be that of former NFL quarterback Brian Brohm, who was coached by his father through high school and then his brother at Louisville. Midway through his college career, Brohm was discussed as a potential high first-round pick. Once the 2008 draft came around, through, the signal-caller slid to the second round (56th overall) before the Packers rescued him, making a calculated gamble he'd benefit from getting outside the family environment. Instead, Brohm crumbled. At least once, his brother, Jeff, emailed a local beat reporter to complain about negative practice reports and accuse the media of bias. Seventh-round pick Matt Flynn won the No. 2 QB job over Brohm, who was cut the following year and started a total of two NFL games in Buffalo before he was out of the league. That doesn't mean Sanders will have a similar outcome, but it's an example of the unknown. "He's all ball. But the program's just different," another AFC GM said. "Do you blame him? It's his dad. It's going to be different than any other circumstances because of his dad and who his dad is. But you'd like to think [things will be different] once he gets outside of that. I don't think it'll be a problem. The guy wants to be really good. Sometimes you don't overthink it. It's complicated just because of the circumstance. He hasn't helped himself in some of the interviews."

One longtime NFL assistant coach said his time with Sanders was "the worst formal interview I've ever been in in my life. He's so entitled. He takes unnecessary sacks. He never plays on time. He has horrible body language. He blames teammates. ... But the biggest thing is, he's not that good." Said one longtime AFC executive: "It didn't go great in our interview. He wants to dictate what he's going to do and what's best for him. He makes you feel small." Even some of Sanders' fans expressed disappointment he didn't take a bigger step forward as a senior. "I liked him the year before," an NFC GM said. "They did change coordinators. It just felt different. It felt less athletic, less arm talent -- everything felt less. If you're talking about this year's tape versus (Jaxson) Dart and Shedeur, I don't think it was particularly close."

Still, there aren't enough quarterbacks, and Sanders remains the second-best one in this class for many coaches and scouts. To some football minds, like my colleague and former NFL scout Bucky Brooks, Sanders is the QB1 in this year’s group. Meanwhile, another co-worker, Charles Davis, views the character criticisms leveled at Sanders as overblown and irrelevant when compared to his “talent and determination.” As holders of the No. 1 overall draft pick, the Titans only brought in four players for visits -- and Sanders was one of them. Coach Brian Callahan referred to him as one of the elite players in this draft. The Browns, who draft No. 2, also had Sanders in on a visit. The Giants, who draft third, worked out Sanders privately last Thursday as part of their final-week QB scouting tour. The Raiders (sixth overall) and Steelers (21st), who have long-term QB questions, brought in Sanders for visits, as well. "Shedeur, man, you've just got to like him," said one GM who has spoken with Sanders. "It's the same thing in every building -- I don't think you can get a consensus of 100 percent on him. I still think the Giants can take him."

PROJECTED: Round 1-2

A three-year starter at Ole Miss, Dart earned first-team All-SEC honors last fall while leading the Rebels to a second straight double-digit-win season and ranking among the nation's most productive passers in Lane Kiffin's QB-friendly spread offense. "He's very accurate. He's sneaky athletic. He makes a lot of plays," an AFC quarterbacks coach said. "He kind of reminds me of [Michael Penix Jr.] last year. I feel like (Dart is) a little bit better thrower, he has a little more arm strength. If I had the No. 1 pick and I had to pick a guy and my job was on the line, I would try to get Jaxson Dart in the conversation." Said an NFC coordinator: "I was watching the receiver (fellow Ole Miss draft prospect Tre Harris), and multiple times, I was like, Whoa, who's the quarterback? Let me rewind that and see that f---ing throw. Jaxson is a better runner than both Cam and Sanders. He has real athletic ability, where those guys don't at this level. And I think Jaxson plays on time more and has probably a little bit more arm ability. He's more consistent from the pocket."

In 45 college games (41 starts), Dart completed 65.2 percent of his passes for 11,970 yards and 81 touchdowns with 27 interceptions. He ran for another 1,543 yards and 14 TDs. "The dude is a competitor," an AFC coordinator said. "He's tough. He's got a plenty-strong arm. When he throws like a 15-yard out route to the field, it'll flutter a little bit, but it gets to where it needs to go to on time and in rhythm. The stuff he does with his legs and then getting extra yards and taking hits, competes, makes all the throws. Some guys throw missiles and they sometimes can be hard to catch; Jaxson Dart throws a friendly ball." Several coaches and executives ranked Sanders behind Dart, who is bigger (6-2 1/4, 223 with 9 1/2-inch hands), played against tougher competition in the SEC and was 28-10 as Mississippi's starter. "Dart is the toughest motherf----- there is," an AFC GM said. "He makes all the throws. He's got everything you want. But then he just does some dumb things. I think if you put him in the right system and use his athletic traits and his toughness and let him throw the ball 20 to 25 times until he learns the game more, learns to lead more and all that, you could have something. But this kid could also be Will Levis 2.0."

Kiffin chewed out Dart on the sideline and called him out publicly for his final snap in an Ole Miss uniform: A 69-yard touchdown pass that Dart checked to with the Rebel already up 31 points in the closing minutes of their Gator Bowl win and Kiffin trying to run out the clock. "There's still probably some lack of maturity to his game," an AFC scout said. "Some of the flash and swagger with the face paint, the chest beating. He's a guy you probably are still gonna have some bumpers around him and he's going to need some coaching. You look at that last game against Duke, his own head coach is like, Hey, he's kind of a knucklehead, and he checks to a pass and throws another touchdown. He can probably get a little off script. You're gonna have to rein him in."

The 2020 Gatorade National Player of the Year as a high schooler, Dart played one year at USC (six games/three starts) before transferring to Ole Miss. Under Kiffin, he ran an offense that also turned Jonathan Crompton, Matt Barkley and Matt Corral into NFL draft picks. None went in the first round or became NFL starters. "I could teach my dog to f---ing run those concepts," an AFC executive said. "[Kiffin] makes it very simple." However, coaches say they saw more on tape with Dart running the show. "[Kiffin] has actually gotten back to some of his old-school West Coast roots, doing some more conceptual stuff," a third AFC coordinator said. "I think it has to do with the fact that he trusts the guy. [Dart]'s got a little s--- to him, too. He plays like Baker (Mayfield) -- he just doesn't throw it quite as good as Baker does." Said an NFC assistant coach: "He's accurate on the short and intermediate pass game, can anticipate throws, smart, changes his arm angle, can get outside the pocket and make throws. He's got that athletic ability, too. If he just improves consistency with some of his lower-body stuff, he'll be really good from a technique standpoint. When he does miss, it's because those things are a little out of whack. He's got some big upside."

Is that enough for Dart to come off the board on Thursday night? One NFC GM said Dart would've been in the conversation with Penix and J.J. McCarthy as the fourth or fifth quarterback in last year's stacked QB draft, based on his arm and overall talent level. Another AFC quarterbacks coach predicted Dart doesn't get past New Orleans at No. 9 overall. "Dart just has some pretty cool intangibles," another AFC GM said. "I think he's going to go in Round 1."

PROJECTED: Round 1-2

A two-year starter and team captain, Milroe succeeded No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young with the Crimson Tide, who went 21-6 with Milroe as the starter. Although he remains raw as a passer, Milroe's rare combination of traits and playmaking ability has drawn favorable comparisons to some of the NFL's most dynamic talents. "He is the greatest runner of the football at the quarterback position I've ever seen. And there's enough talent in the arm to make you want to play an offense that suits that," an AFC quarterbacks coach said. "It's (Jalen) Hurts. It's Lamar (Jackson). It's Colin Kaepernick. There are some guys that have successfully done it, and if you want to baby him into the league that way and then let him flourish, who knows?" Said an AFC coordinator: "He has a lot of accuracy issues. But he's a freak. He's the best running quarterback I've ever evaluated. He's like Cam Newton's power with Lamar's speed. He can throw the ball down the field -- his numbers over 20 yards are good. And he's a true developmental-type player. He's electric."

In 38 college games (27 starts), Milroe completed 64.3 percent of his passes for 6,016 yards and 45 touchdowns with 20 interceptions, including 11 INTs last season as he adjusted to a new offense. But he remained elite as a run threat in 2024, rushing for 726 yards and 20 TDs -- seven more than Hurts' prior Alabama record -- after rushing for 12 TDs the year before. "Jalen Hurts was a better passer (coming out). Lamar Jackson was a way better passer. But I think you could probably hear a GM say, 'All right, Jalen Hurts was picked in the second round; if you were to redo it, you'd take him in the first,' " an NFC scout said. "And Milroe is a much better runner. If he were a running back, he'd be a top-of-the-second-round running back." Said an AFC executive who saw Milroe play live: "This is the fastest guy on the goddamn field. He was outrunning angles. He's just so f---ing erratic. He's a smart enough kid, but not a fast processor. He's into all these f---ing mental coaches. Has to see it open. Doesn't have anticipation. He's the typical big, rifle-armed f---er who throws everything f---ing hard and fast and will throw a good pass and then the next five, you don't know where the f--- they're going to end up." At his pro day, Milroe (6-1 7/8, 217) ran a 4.40 40-yard dash with a 1.44 10-yard split, according to the SEC Network. "He's a 22 mph-on-the-ground guy," another AFC coordinator said. "He's got a fastball that's not very accurate. He doesn't know when to take it off the ball. We heard out of Alabama all the skill [players] would've transferred if he came back. He wants to be known as a pocket quarterback and your best skill is you're frickin' fast."

Milroe has said former Alabama offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien suggested he switch positions -- an idea Milroe rejected then and is still against now. While teams are intrigued by the idea of using Milroe in packages while he develops as a quarterback -- like Baltimore did in the first half of Jackson's rookie season -- Milroe has made clear in meetings with organizations that he sees himself strictly as a quarterback, not a gadget guy. "He can be as good, if not better than any of those guys (in this draft) in the right system. But it's a very specific system that I don't know if I believe in," an NFC scouting director said. "He's one of those guys that, if he's your starter, he could come in and wreck the league for about a year or two and then people start figuring him out. I think there's time -- Milroe wants to prove that he's a passer and he's a little bit resistant to being a physical runner." Said an NFC assistant coach: "From a playmaking standpoint, he is as good as anybody. That dude's impressive and he can make big plays and take off and run. But the consistent accuracy is the biggest part with him. He's probably got as much upside, if not more, than anybody in this draft. It's just, can you hone that? If you run your offense like they did early for Lamar -- it's using those physical traits as that pass game evolves -- then you've got something really special. If you try to say, 'Hey, we're going to make him into a pocket passer Year 1,' it might be tough." Jackson (No. 32 pick in 2018) and Hurts (No. 53 in 2020) both have developed significantly as passers after being drafted later. Other star QBs, such as Josh Allen, also have improved their accuracy in the NFL "You've gotta have a clear, clear vision of how you're going to move forward with this guy," an NFC coordinator said. "He's one of the best athletes on the field. I just don't know how much better the accuracy is going to get. It's not like a Josh Allen or a Lamar Jackson coming out, where there were some accuracy issues, but they were still natural, whip throwers. [Milroe] just isn't a real natural thrower. Those guys just needed to clean up their base and fundamentals. I just don't see the accuracy getting that much better. I don't think it'll be at a level where you feel great about him dropping back and throwing the ball."

One veteran coordinator pointed to Alabama's coaching change last year as a factor in slowing Milroe's development. During the Crimson Tide's 12-2 season in 2023, Milroe ranked third in FBS in pass yards per attempt (10) and seventh in yards per completion (15.2). Then Nick Saban retired, offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Tommy Rees left for the NFL and Alabama hired Kalen DeBoer, who'd just come off a playoff run with a spread offense built around Michael Penix Jr. -- a pocket passer with a vastly different skill set than Milroe. "If you can mold the correct system around him, then his ability as just an athlete and a ball-carrier -- he's dangerous," another AFC quarterbacks coach said. "It requires the right coaching staff and the right philosophical outlook. But I think he's the wild card in all this. He'll probably end up being the third or fourth one taken. But if somebody loves him enough to feel like you've got to jump back up there into the middle of the first to make sure you get him, that wouldn't surprise me either." Milroe won the William V. Campbell Trophy (a.k.a., the "Academic Heisman") last season. In a draft of older QBs, Milroe is still just 22 years old. "If that guy comes on the field, that's a problem" for the defense, an AFC scouting director said. "He can develop the throwing part. But for right now, get creative with him and have some packages. He's as dynamic as I've seen running the ball."

PROJECTED: Round 1-2

A veteran of three schools over seven college seasons, Shough finally stayed healthy last fall at Louisville and has helped himself as much as anyone in the pre-draft process. "He's a grown man compared to kids in an evaluation standard. It works in his favor," an NFC executive said. "He's been in a lot of places, he's handled adversity, he's learned different systems and he's had to be around the most diverse group of people, going between all three schools. His floor is super high. It's just, you have to figure out if the floor and the ceiling are touching. And then, can you couple that with the durability?" 

Shough (6-4 7/8, 219) has been playing college football so long that he spent two seasons as Justin Herbert's backup at Oregon before starting all seven games in the COVID-shortened 2020 season, ranking seventh nationally with 14.7 yards per completion and helping the Ducks win a Pac-12 title. But due in large part to injuries -- including a broken collarbone, shoulder injury and broken leg during his three years at Texas Tech -- he never played in more than seven games until last season, when he threw for 3,195 yards and 23 touchdowns (against six picks) with the Cardinals. "He did have to operate in a pro-style offense. (Jeff) Brohm trusted him," an AFC scout said. "Just like an NFL quarterback, he would get multiple plays, he could check at the line of scrimmage, make NFL calls, call (plays) in the huddle. He's done that type of operation already and shown he can handle it. He's going to intrigue some teams. Smart, high-IQ type guy. Very stable. He's already married. He comes across very professionally. He's going to be 26 (in September). The Senior Bowl, the spring process has only benefited him, because he's going to come across well in meetings -- he can talk it at a high level with coordinators, coaches, draw it up." In 42 college games (32 starts), Shough completed 63 percent of his passes for 7,820 yards and 59 touchdowns with 23 interceptions. He also ran for 11 TDs. Shough was honorable mention All-ACC last season. "He's the most Day 1 ready to play in the NFL, no matter what offense. And there's something to be said about that," an AFC quarterbacks coach said. "The injury history, I hear that, but that's not my job to think about right now if the player is talented. He reminds me of a lot of efficient guys that have played in our league that have stuck around, and he has all those makings."

Several coaches expressed reservations about how the volume of injuries may have impacted Shough's play style, particularly how he functions under duress. "Dude, he has clips of throwing the ball and literally spinning around and terrified of getting hit," an NFC assistant coach said. "The last person I saw do that was Jarrett Stidham from Auburn. I wouldn't take him. But he's at least a good thrower, a good passer, he's accurate." One NFL head coach referred to Shough as the "king of chuck-and-duck. You can't play in this league if you're a chuck-and-duck guy." As an AFC coordinator put it: "He gets nervous in the pocket, too. He's not good against pressure, and that's what the NFL is." Said an NFC coordinator: "He's probably the second-best thrower of all the guys. He has some athleticism to go along with it. There's just some 'flinch' there in the pocket and under pressure. It reminded me of Drew Lock, where I can see the arm, I can see some athleticism to go along with it, there is a skill set there, but the (reason for) pause is the same as Drew Lock in terms of (when) things aren't clean around him, the accuracy drops, the decision-making drops. Seeing anything more than just a middle-of-the-road backup, I think, would be a stretch." 

After running more extensively in his last two seasons at Texas Tech, Shough was strictly a pocket passer during his final college campaign at Louisville. He showed off his athletic ability at the combine, running the 40-yard dash in 4.63 seconds and posting a 32-inch vertical and 9-9 broad jump. He has ample, 9 3/4-inch hands. "He's a good athlete. I think he processes well. He throws a really nice ball. He's not a big super f---ing cannon (arm). But everything's good," an AFC executive said. "He can move a little bit. He's just been hurt so much, and you see it. And there's a little gun shy that's there. He's very cognizant: My injuries have been acute broken collarbone twice, broken leg. Hasn't been joints, hasn't been soft tissue. But the fact remains he's been hurt. And you can see it -- he'll fall away from some stuff. I feel better that he'll end up as a real good 2, as opposed to a bona fide starter. But I think there's a chance. He just feels kind of weak-bodied. Can he hold up?" While some GMs expressed skepticism Shough could sneak into Round 1, it only takes one team to fall in love and take a shot. "There isn't a huge sample size there in terms of how much he's played," another AFC quarterbacks coach said. "But he checks a lot of boxes in what you're looking for, what you see an NFL quarterback being. And then you talk to him and you talk to different coaches he's been around, he's a slam dunk in all those aspects. The age thing, part of it too with the injury-history stuff -- here's an aspect of that I kind of like, too, because he's gone through some s--- and he's had to overcome some stuff. He's got a little bit of a chip on his shoulder because of the way he's being viewed, and I like that. I like the amount of edge he has to him."

PROJECTED: Round 3-4

A three-year starter at Texas amidst the program's turnaround under Steve Sarkisian, Ewers guided the Longhorns to consecutive College Football Playoff appearances, earning second-team All-SEC honors last fall. "Real smart, great kid, real self-aware," an NFC quarterbacks coach said. "Just the arm strength and some of the decision-making (are concerns). He's going to have a big jump, too, just as far as what's asked of him at the next level. But he's somebody you can see develop, develop, develop and then -- bang! Because there's a competitor there that's hard to teach and there's an intelligence factor there that's hard to teach." 

A No. 1 overall recruit coming out of high school in Southlake, Texas, Ewers spent a redshirt year at Ohio State before Sarkisian brought him home. A team that went 5-7 in Sarkisian's first season was 27-9 -- including 11-1 in true road games -- with Ewers as the starter. "He's a good player. He's got timing and anticipation. He's been coached well. And Steve -- I think they're a little careful," an AFC executive said. "But he's more player than talent. He's just not a big kid (6-2 1/8, 214). He's been hurt every year since high school. The arm's very average. There's not a lot of talent there. He's not a starter. He's a distributor. He's a point guard. He ain't going to push it down the field." Ewers' small frame, injury history and overall average traits are why he's not expected to come off the board sooner. "The Texas kid, I wasn't a fan of," an AFC coordinator said. "He can hit short and intermediate, but he's like an all-arm thrower. He never uses his lower body and he's not accurate down the field." At least last season, part of that was likely related to a painful oblique injury, which sidelined Ewers for two games and lingered even after he returned to help Texas advance to the national semifinal. Ewers also missed six games in his final high school season due to injury, three games with a shoulder issue in 2022 and two games with another shoulder ailment in '23. "There's just no juice in his body," an NFC assistant coach said. "He's little. Arm strength lacks. Athleticism lacks. I don't really know the upside of that kid. When you put their film on and (Arch) Manning comes in the game, the ball is just jumping off his hand in comparison."

Still, Ewers has played in a lot of big games and been productive. In 37 college appearances (36 starts), Ewers completed 64.9 percent of his passes for 9,128 yards and 68 touchdowns -- including 31 last fall, tying for sixth in the FBS. "Operation, decision-making, ball placement -- he's just the safest pick, although the ceiling is not high," an NFC coordinator said. Ewers threw 24 interceptions, 12 of them coming last season. "Kind of just an average traits guy, but the kid's been through a lot," an AFC scouting director said. "You can't discredit his ability to overcome adversity. Arch Manning on his heels. We want to see guys that can handle pressure and fight through tough times, and he did that. S---, he had this guy breathing down his neck for two years. I like that part about him. But the rest is kind of average." 

Ewers ran for eight touchdowns in his college career. He did position drills only at the combine and his pro day. He has 9 3/8-inch hands. "He's just good at a lot of things, and he can operate an offense," another NFC assistant coach said. "Is he going to be an elite guy or a Day 1 starter? No. But I think he could develop into a really good 2. I think he's got that type of ability. You first turn on the tape, he's making some really good ball-out throws. The ball comes out of his hand and he's accurate on that stuff. It's just when he's gotta start pushing the ball downfield, that's where some of the question marks come out." Said an AFC scout: "There's some tools and ability there. He's been a little streaky at times. There's been some flashes of some big-time clutch plays in some moments in games, and there's times he's had some misses, too. Doesn't have a really big arm or dominant traits. Could be a functional starter, continue to grow. He's won some games."

PROJECTED: Round 3-4

The Offensive MVP of the Buckeyes' national championship win over Notre Dame, Howard made the most of his lone season in Columbus after four up-and-down years at Kansas State. "He played really well down the stretch," an AFC executive said. "He's a bigger guy (6-4 1/4, 236). He has some running ability. I thought he was going to be a little faster. But he kind of came on late. His arm's, frankly, a little disappointing for his size. Not a lot of velocity and drive and zip on it. I thought he was more of a big play-action thrower. But then towards the end of the year, he made some plays off balance, different arm angles. I was like, F---, I didn't think he could do that. Smart guy, really good kid."

In 50 college games (43 starts), Howard completed 63.8 percent of his passes for 9,796 yards and 83 touchdowns with 35 interceptions, adding another 1,147 yards and 26 TDs on the ground. He set the Kansas State school record with 48 career passing touchdowns -- half of them in his second-team All-Big 12 season in 2023 -- before transferring to Ohio State, where he put up by far his best season with 42 total touchdowns on the way to the national title. "You see him making NFL throws on tape," an NFC quarterbacks coach said. "He has limits on his athleticism. You could argue it really comes down to preference when you're looking at Howard, (Kyle) McCord and Quinn Ewers. What's a coach value? The cool thing about Howard is you see him throw it with Chip (Kelly) last year. Chip's come pretty full circle in what he's done since being in an NFL offense. You see NFL concepts. You see playing him under center sometimes, which is a far cry from the Oregon days."

Coaches point to mechanical issues as a factor in Howard's lack of velocity and inconsistent accuracy downfield. "It's like a slice," an AFC coordinator said. "Watching him when he throws, it just fades out to the right." Said another AFC coordinator: "He just doesn't throw it very good. He doesn't generate a lot of velocity. But he's a big, athletic dude. Got good leadership. He can't generate a lot of power, and it's weird because he's such a big guy." Howard's hands are on the smaller side (9 inches). He didn't run the 40 at the combine but posted a 31 1/2-inch vertical and 9-4 broad jump. "He's big. He's athletic," an AFC quarterbacks coach said. "Mechanically, that front leg gets locked. There's a couple things you'd like to tweak. But he has the size and the athletic ability and the mind to do it. You've got to get him to a place where he can flourish there."

PROJECTED: Round 3-4

A third-team All-Big Ten selection on an 11-2 Ohio State team in 2023, McCord wasn't assured the starting job for 2024 and transferred to Syracuse, where he led FBS with an ACC-record 4,779 passing yards for the 10-3 Orange, throwing 34 passing touchdowns in the process. "Little bit lesser version of (Tyler) Shough in terms of the football IQ. But he's a game-manager type. They did give him a lot to do, handle the line of scrimmage," an AFC scout said. "He showed he can be an accurate passer this year. Probably not as elite in terms of vision and decision-making. A little bit of an elongated release. But he's a sturdy, thick-built guy (6-3, 218) and got enough athleticism to still move the chains. He's one whose game has been ascending here the last year. There's a lot to like about him. He's another high-intangibles guy." 

In 37 college games (26 starts), McCord completed 66.2 percent of his passes for 8,555 yards and 61 touchdowns with 20 interceptions. "Overall arm talent is good. Accurate. When he's in rhythm, he has good timing and all that," an NFC scout said. "The deep arm is probably more above-average than it is good. But as far as accuracy, throwing motion, he's got good feet. When you just see him out there 7-on-7, he's a pretty thrower of the football. But I think once live game action happens, especially in the NFL, that's where he's going to struggle a little bit more with blitzes and handling pressure, because he can just live and survive off the quick-game stuff in college." McCord threw five interceptions -- including three pick-sixes in the first half -- in a loss to Pitt last October, but rebounded to throw 15 TDs and just one interception the rest of the season. According to PFF, McCord led the FBS with 33 "big-time throws" last season. "I thought he had a little stronger arm than Tyler Shough. He's productive. But I don't think he's quite as good as Shough all around," an AFC quarterbacks coach said. "I think he would be a good backup that you could have for a long time. I don't see him necessarily becoming a starter."

With McCord as the starter in college, his teams were 22-4. "The one thing about this kid is he freaking wins," another AFC quarterbacks coach said. "There's a few things development-wise that have got to take place." McCord has 9 1/2-inch hands. He ran for just three touchdowns in college. He originally tried to petition for another year of eligibility before entering the draft. "He dealt with a lot of adversity. He got knocked out of Ohio State. He goes to Syracuse, which everyone is like, What the hell? Why would he go there? And leads the NCAA in passing," an AFC coordinator said. "Their offense is really RPO, pick-and-stick throws, so not a lot of progression stuff. But he was throwing the ball every single play. They never ran the ball. I actually liked his stuff. And he's really super smart." Said an AFC GM: "The McCord kid's got something to him. I thought he did a nice job. I could see him rising up."

PROJECTED: Round 4-5

A six-year college starter at three schools, Gabriel set FBS records for total TDs (188) and QB starts (63) and earned 2024 Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year honors while helping Oregon reach the College Football Playoff in his lone season with the Ducks. "Gabriel is polished as can be. He's just short," an NFC scouting director said. "There's just some things in your offense you can't do. You have to worry a little bit about his limitations." Said an NFC executive: "He started 60-something games and there are not enough quarterbacks. Just very average arm strength. Small. How is he going to survive on third down until the game slows down for him?"

At 5-11 1/8 and 205 pounds, Gabriel wouldn't be the shortest quarterback in the NFL. (Former No. 1 overall picks Bryce Young and Kyler Murray both measured in at 5-10 1/8 at the combine; Russell Wilson was 5-10 5/8.) And Gabriel's college production shows he has found ways to overcome his small stature. In 64 college games at UCF, Oklahoma and Oregon, Gabriel completed 65.2 percent of his passes for 18,722 yards and 155 touchdowns with 32 interceptions. He ran for another 1,209 yards and 33 TDs. "He's been really good everywhere he's been. But obviously the size is a thing," an NFC quarterbacks coach said. "You have to always give smart guys that have been productive their due because there's a reason they've had success. Other than the personal preference, the ball spins the wrong way." Gabriel would join the short list of left-handed quarterbacks in the NFL -- one that includes Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa, whose Hawaii state passing-yards record was broken by Gabriel. To some, Gabriel is a mini-Tua: great accuracy and timing, with a frame that raises questions about whether he can hold up for an entire NFL season. He appeared to have bulked up some in the pre-draft process. "He's a good player. I just think he's so little," an AFC coordinator said. "What did he do before the combine to weigh in at 205 -- swallow concrete?" 

Bo Nix -- the quarterback who preceded Gabriel at Oregon and previously held the career-starts record -- was also slightly undersized (6-2 1/8, 214). But Nix went 12th overall to the Broncos last year and answered doubts about how he'd transition from the Ducks' quick-strike offense, throwing for 29 touchdowns and helping Denver reach the playoffs as a rookie. "Bo just had a better arm," an NFC scout said. "He's actually probably more athletic. He sees the field better. And then he's 6-2 and Gabriel is 5-11. That's tiny." Gabriel's stature also makes it less likely NFL teams would risk exposing him as a runner. As one NFC coordinator said: "It's hard to be short with medium arm talent and not run." Nonetheless, Gabriel finished third in Heisman Trophy voting last season. And he helped himself with how well he functioned at the Senior Bowl. "Dillon's small, but he can throw it," an AFC quarterbacks coach said. "There's a way to play offense with him: play-action, move the pocket, then drop back. He's a good player, but he's little, so you've got to play that way. But he can spin it."

PROJECTED: Round 4-5

A two-year starter at Duke, Leonard transferred to Notre Dame last year and overcame a bumpy start to help the Fighting Irish reach the College Football Playoff championship game. "He's the Day 3 developmental guy that you want to get," an AFC coordinator said. "He's very raw. Coming from a place like Duke and Notre Dame, you'd think he'd be more polished. He's like a big athlete that is still physically developing, and this is the first time he's ever played in an offense where there was reads and progressions. He's a smart kid. He's got a chance to really, truly develop." In 43 college games (37 starts), Leonard completed 66.7 percent of his passes for 7,311 yards and 45 touchdowns with 18 interceptions. He looks the part at 6-3 3/4 and 216 pounds with 9 1/2-inch hands. He also is a threat as a runner, finishing his college career with 2,130 rushing yards and 36 touchdowns, including 17 last season. "He sees it decent. He has physical ability. He can throw it. He can run. He's big," an NFC coordinator said. "He just can't throw a ball in the f---ing ocean."

Leonard's scattershot passing is the biggest concern, which likely is a reflection of his ongoing development learning the position. "I don't think he processes very well. He's smart. He comes off very well whenever you talk to him and is well-spoken. But I think that things tend to move pretty quickly for him when the bullets are flying," an AFC quarterbacks coach said. "That's one of my biggest concerns with him. And then there's a little bit of sporadic-ness. He's got a decent bit of ways to go as a passer from the pocket, being able to win from the pocket, and I think that's going to need to be a bigger part of his game." Said an AFC executive: "I kind of like him. He's a leader. He's tough as s---. He can damn sure run. And he got better as a passer. At Duke, it was not complicated -- didn't have to do a whole lot. At Notre Dame, I think that's one reason it started slow. Not that he couldn't learn it, but his base of knowledge was not there. He had never been made to do it. But he's everything you want as a kid. The arm talent's probably a little more average."

A 16-14 home loss to Northern Illinois in Leonard's first home game in South Bend got last season off to an inauspicious start. But the Irish pounded Purdue 66-7 the following week and didn't lose again until the national championship game. Leonard won Sugar Bowl and Orange Bowl MVP honors. He's still just 22 years old. "Riley Leonard's intriguing from a developmental standpoint," an NFC scouting director said. "He's just got to clean up his footwork and he can be a starter." Said another NFC scouting director: "You see the athletic upside there. Can he develop into the passer to be successful? He'll be fun to watch in the preseason, because he's going to make some guys miss and make some plays. People are going to get excited about him. He'll end up making a team and then see how far he can develop from there as far as the quarterback perspective."

PROJECTED: Round 7/Priority Free Agent

A transfer from Ohio, Rourke set a single-season school record with 29 touchdown passes and led Indiana to the College Football Playoff despite suffering a knee injury in August that turned out to be a torn ACL. He underwent surgery Jan. 8 and was recently cleared to resume throwing. "He can play the position," an AFC coordinator said. "Tough in the pocket. Good enough arm strength, accuracy. He's just a redshirt guy. Won't be ready (to play) until October." Rourke has NFL size (6-4 1/4, 220 with 9 3/8-inch hands). He was invited to the East-West Shrine Bowl before the injury was revealed. "If he would've been ready to throw at the combine, I could see somebody taking him in the sixth or seventh," an NFC quarterbacks coach said. "The problem is the injury. That's going to hurt him. But he had some stuff to him." 

Rourke appeared in one game in 2019 as a reserve at Ohio behind his brother, Nathan (a CFL standout who has had stints with several NFL teams), before taking over as the Bobcats' starter for the next four seasons. He was named MAC Offensive Player of the Year in 2022. In 48 total college games (46 starts), Rourke completed 67 percent of his passes for 10,692 yards and 79 touchdowns with 21 interceptions. He ran for 13 more scores. He tied an Indiana school record with six touchdown passes in a 66-0 win over Purdue. "I don't think his game translates very good to the NFL," an AFC quarterbacks coach said. "He throws amazing back-shoulder fades and he throws RPOs, and I think those things will be taken away and he doesn't do much else. But in college, it was unbelievable." 

Rourke's agent, Casey Muir, said recently that Rourke should be a full participant by training camp. And the 24-year-old elevated a program with minimal football history at Indiana. Said an NFC scouting director: "I think you can credit [Rourke for] a lot of that team success, because they're not that talented."

PROJECTED: Round 7/Priority Free Agent

A transfer from New Hampshire, Brosmer (6-1 5/8, 217) set a Minnesota school record with 268 completions while leading the Golden Gophers to an 8-5 record last season, including a 6-2 finish during which he accounted for 16 total touchdowns and just two interceptions. "A lot of scouts and higher-ups go through early on -- they're gonna watch tape of the North Carolina game, which was Week 1 for him, didn't play well," an NFC scout said. "But then as you watch him down the stretch, he played a lot better. Timing, quick feet, gets the ball out on time, he's accurate short to intermediate, smart, unbelievable work habits, really good leader -- all those things to speak to quarterback coaches and offensive coordinators, who finally get to these guys (before the draft). It would kind of surprise me if he didn't get drafted." 

In 49 college games (48 starts), Brosmer completed 63.1 percent of his passes for 11,544 yards and 88 touchdowns with 31 interceptions. "He's a really unorthodox thrower of the ball," an AFC scout said. "He's just really kind of tightly wound, tight upper body. You don't see a lot of shoulder rotation with him. It's a lot of all-arm. But he's still got a strong enough arm to get it there. Stands tall. Maybe some team likes him and they take a rip on him late." Brosmer started 10 games as a true freshman at New Hampshire in 2019, then had the 2020 season wiped out by COVID (he started the only game in the 2021 spring schedule) and missed the fall 2021 season with a torn ACL. He rebounded to become one of the most productive QBs in the FCS, ranking ninth in passing yards in 2022 and second in 2023 on his way to second-team AP FCS All-America honors. "He throws with anticipation, but he does not have a very strong arm at all," an AFC quarterbacks coach said. "He's a good college quarterback."

Brosmer had 15 career rushing touchdowns, including five last season. He ran a reported 4.78 40-yard dash at his pro day. He has 9 1/2-inch hands. "I wouldn't be surprised if Brosmer from Minnesota gets drafted," another AFC quarterbacks coach said. "Not to put too lofty of a comp on him, but he reminds me of a (Brock) Purdy a little bit, and I think other people will see that too."

PROJECTED: Round 7/Priority Free Agent

A two-time FCS national champion, Miller led the Bison to a 45-11 record in five seasons. "He's got some gamer to him," an AFC executive said. "He's little (6-0 7/8, 210). He's right on that 7th-PFA (line). Wouldn't shock me if someone just took him in the sixth. But there's something to that kid. He has a chance to be a 3." In 67 college games (56 starts), Miller completed 69.4 percent of his passes for 9,721 yards and 81 touchdowns with 19 interceptions, running for an additional 2,277 yards and 48 scores. His last college season was his best: 73.5 percent completion rate, 3,251 passing yards and 45 total touchdowns (33 passing, 12 rushing), including four scores in the championship game win over Montana State. He was named that game's Most Outstanding Player, in addition to receiving second-team AP FCS All-American honors and finishing second in voting for the Walter Payton Award as the top player in FCS. "He plays with anticipation, pocket toughness, really good against the blitz," an AFC coordinator said. 

Miller reportedly ran the 40 in 4.82 seconds and had a 32-inch vertical leap at his pro day. He has 9 5/8-inch hands. "He's a winner. He's small. He's a great kid," an NFC executive said. "Just really average tools." Miller was also an all-state baseball pitcher (0.60 ERA) in high school. He played football for his father, Kevin, at Solon (Iowa) High School before heading to NDSU in 2020, where he was teammates with future No. 3 overall draft pick Trey Lance for one COVID-shortened season. He helped himself at the East-West Shrine Bowl. "You're like, Hey, who the hell is this kid?" an AFC scout said. "He looked pretty good in the throwing workout. Now, he's small. But he was at least accurate and got enough arm strength."

PROJECTED: Round 7/Priority Free Agent

A three-year starter at Wisconsin before transferring to Florida, Mertz ranked third in FBS with a 72.9 percent completion percentage -- at one point throwing 239 passes without an interception -- for the Gators in 2023 before missing the season finale with a broken collarbone. Then, his sixth and final college season ended last Oct. 12 because of a torn ACL. "He actually has a chance to get drafted, because he was a [high-profile] recruit, he's done some good things on tape. It's just never really happened for him," an AFC coordinator said. "But I think he's got a shot. He plays good ball. He throws it good. He might be one of those guys that was a tough deal, just constant bad luck along the way." 

After redshirting in 2019, Mertz became the first freshman to start at QB for Wisconsin since 1978, starting all seven games in the COVID-shortened 2020 season. "He's been injured and got injured again this year," an NFC assistant coach said. "But when you watch the tape when he's playing for Florida this past year, there's just some natural ability there. Shoot, to stay in the game after he tore the ACL and go down (and lead) a scoring drive is impressive. He's got some toughness and grit to him." Barely five months after ACL reconstruction, Mertz threw a 58-pass script at his March 27 pro day. 

In 50 college games (48 starts), Mertz completed 64.7 percent of his passes for 9,099 yards and 64 touchdowns with 31 interceptions. He ran for another 13 scores. "I think he's impressive. But you've got to go to the injury history there," an NFC quarterbacks coach said. "The coaches and staff at Florida absolutely rave about him." Mertz has NFL size at 6-3 3/8 and 212 pounds with 9 3/4-inch hands. He did only positional drills at the combine and his pro day. "He's worth taking a flier on," an AFC quarterbacks coach said. "Limited traits. Not really athletic. But solid quarterback who played pretty well [before he] got injured this year. There's a chance."

PROJECTED: Round 7/Priority Free Agent

The Walter Payton Award winner as the best player in FCS last season, Mellott also worked out as a receiver and punt returner at his pro day. He lacks NFL quarterback size (5-11 5/8, 200 with 8 7/8-inch hands). But strong testing numbers -- a reported 4.39 40-yard dash, a 41-inch vertical jump and 19 reps of 225 pounds on the bench -- have gotten him a longer look. "The Montana State kid is a playmaker and has had a heck of a career there," an NFC assistant coach said. "He'll probably get drafted as just a guy who can make a ton of plays for you at whatever position that is and be your emergency third (QB) on game day." 

In 49 college games (41 starts), Mellott led the Bobcats to a 33-8 record, completing 63.7 percent of his passes for 6,016 yards and 55 touchdowns with just eight interceptions, and running for another 3,517 yards and 43 TDs. "Does somebody see him like McCaffrey's little brother (Luke) a couple years ago?" an NFC quarterbacks coach said. "He threw the ball better than I thought he would when I watched him on tape. He had a little bit more juice to his arm than I thought he was going to. I don't know that there's enough to draft that player, though."

PROJECTED: Round 7/Priority Free Agent

A four-year starter for the Tigers, Henigan (6-3, 215) completed 64 percent of his passes for 14,266 yards and 104 touchdowns with 31 interceptions over 50 college starts -- a stretch in which Memphis was 34-16 and Henigan earned multiple bowl game MVP awards. "The Henigan guy was a little bit intriguing. Just an OK Senior Bowl week, but then came alive in the game," an AFC scout said of Henigan, who engineered a fourth-quarter comeback and threw a touchdown pass to Jack Bech as time expired. "He's got size. He's got a lot of experience, even in that offense. They're throwing the ball a lot. Not a dynamic presence or leader. But he does have size and accuracy and enough instincts to sneak in the bottom of that (draftable) group." 

Henigan ran a 4.76 40-yard dash and had a 31 1/2-inch vertical leap at the combine. His hands are on the smaller side (9 inches). "It'd be really late -- seventh round or free agent," an AFC quarterbacks coach said. "He's got kind of an unorthodox release. He's not really athletic. But you can do the quarterback run game, get 4 yards and get down. He doesn't turn the ball over much. Game manager. He's not very talented as a thrower." Henigan's father and grandfather both played college football; he played for his father, Dave, in high school before landing at Memphis. "Not physically good enough, but he knows how to play quarterback," an AFC coordinator said. "He doesn't have a very good arm, not a lot of juice, not a good athlete, but finds a way to get completions, wins everywhere he's been. He'll hang around for a while because he's a good kid and smart."

PROJECTED: Round 7/Priority Free Agent

A three-year starter and team captain at Missouri, Cook (6-2 1/8, 214) completed 65.6 percent of his passes for 9,008 yards and 49 touchdowns with 14 interceptions in 46 career games (39 starts). "He's a really athletic guy," an AFC coordinator said. "I don't think he's ever going to be a true [starter]. But he's 6-2, he won 10 games two years in a row at Missouri in the SEC, he's tough as s---. He just doesn't throw it as good as you'd want him to. But I think there's things you can work with on him." Cook was the only FBS player to attempt at least 300 passes and throw two interceptions or fewer last season, though his numbers were down across the board (62.6 completions, 2,535 yards, 11 touchdown passes). "The Cook kid has a lot of experience. I don't know that he was quite able to get over the hump," an AFC scout said. "There was some ups and downs with him (during East-West Shrine Bowl week). Accuracy is probably not what you're expecting from a guy that's been that long in college football." 

The SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2023, Cook capped his college career by earning Music City Bowl MVP honors in a win over Iowa last December. "I wasn't a huge fan," an AFC quarterbacks coach said. "He's got some talent and there's athleticism and some traits you like about him. But he's pretty far behind the rest of the group mentally." Cook ran for 1,209 yards and 20 touchdowns in his college career. He confirmed his athletic ability at the combine, leading all quarterbacks in the 40-yard dash (4.59 seconds), vertical jump (37 inches), broad jump (10-8), 20-yard shuttle (4.17 seconds) and three-cone (7.01 seconds). He has 9 1/4-inch hands. He's 23. "He's an impressive kid to talk to," an NFC quarterbacks coach said. "Somebody might like the athlete and see if they can do more with him than just play quarterback. Could somebody use him like a Taysom (Hill)?"

PROJECTED: Round 7/Priority Free Agent

A transfer from Texas Tech, Smith struggled in his first season at Houston in 2023, underwent offseason shoulder surgery and then got benched last fall. But he has NFL size (6-4 1/8, 219), huge hands (10 3/8 inches) and enough tools that he figures to at least get a look. "He didn't have a good year. But I think he's got some ability," an AFC executive said. "Big kid. He's not as athletic as I wanted him to be. He was real inconsistent with everything, and he's been hurt, too. But there's some developmental upside there." 

In 44 college games, Smith completed 64.6 percent of his passes for 45 touchdowns with 31 interceptions. He ran for another 845 yards and 19 scores. "Someone could get a steal there," an NFC coordinator said. "He can run. He has some talent. Obviously, it's not a great system, he didn't have great players. Are you getting a fifth-round pick in free agency because he had a bad year? Because you saw ability." Smith also missed his freshman year at Texas Tech because of an injury. "He throws the ball well. He's big," an AFC quarterbacks coach said. "He just has lost a lot of games and had a lot of injuries and turned the ball over a lot."