Now that the quarterbacks from the 2025 draft class are known, it’s time to figure out where each of the QBs fits for their respective teams. Here are the rookie expectations for the quarterbacks picked in last month’s draft.
Cam Ward, #1, Tennessee Titans
Ward walks into Tennessee as the presumed starter. He’ll lead a quarterback group that includes Will Levis, Brandon Allen, and Tim Boyle.
2025 Expectation: Ward should start all 17 games. The AFC South isn’t the strongest division, but it will take time for Ward to get up to speed before the Titans push for the playoffs. If he starts all 17 games, he’ll have laid a solid foundation for the years to come.
Jaxson Dart, #25, New York Giants
He’ll be listed as QB3 heading into training camp, but Dart will assume the backup role from Jameis Winston at some point in the season. Russell Wilson, Winston, Dart, and Tommy DeVito comprise New York’s QB room. We’ll wait and see if the Giants trade any of the veterans.
2025 Expectation: Dart will eventually start in 2025; it’s just a question of when Brian Daboll will bench Wilson. The Giants likely won’t push for the playoffs in the tough NFC East, but Dart could end up saving Daboll and GM Joe Schoen’s jobs if he plays well.
Tyler Shough, #40, New Orleans Saints
The 25-year-old Shough arrives in New Orleans as QB2 behind Derek Carr. We’re still waiting for an update on Carr’s shoulder injury, but Shough will step into the starting job if Carr can’t play. Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener round out the QB room.
2025 Expectation: Shough has a serious chance to start in 2025. Worst case, Carr plays all season and Shough learns Kellen Moore’s offense before taking over in 2026. Best case, Carr doesn’t play at all and Shough starts immediately. The Saints got their guy with Shough, so he’s set up for a bright future with Moore calling the plays.
Jalen Milroe, #92, Seattle Seahawks
Will Sam Darnold be the next Matt Flynn or Joe Flacco? Seattle gave Darnold a three-year, $100.5 million deal this offseason, but selected Milroe in the third round. He’s listed third behind Darnold and Drew Lock, but Milroe will likely take the backup role in training camp.
2025 Expectation: Milroe should end up as Darnold’s backup and see action in specific packages. His natural athleticism is too dangerous to keep off the field. This feels similar to the Flacco and Lamar Jackson situation; however, Milroe needs more work on his passing ability to take over the reins. It’s Darnold’s job for 2025.
Dillon Gabriel, #94, Shedeur Sanders, #144, Cleveland Browns
Cleveland signed up for the first-ever QB controversy that won’t involve the starting job. Gabriel was seen as a late-Day 3 prospect who projects as a career backup, and Sanders was QB1 on some people’s boards (looking at you, Mel Kiper). The room already had Kenny Pickett and Joe Flacco, and the team decided to add two rookies to the mix. Deshaun Watson is still hanging around, but won’t be involved in 2025 due to a second Achilles tear.
2025 Expectation: Get your popcorn ready. As long as Cleveland keeps both veterans, neither rookie is likely to start in 2025. However, the battle between Gabriel and Sanders will begin at rookie minicamp and last until final cut day. Gabriel has a better chance of ending up on Cleveland’s practice squad if he gets cut, but Kevin Stefanski seemed pretty excited to select the Oregon product. Sanders’ historic fall in the draft will give him a massive chip on his shoulder, but he’ll have to prove he belongs to make it out of training camp as a Cleveland Brown.
Kyle McCord, #181, Philadelphia Eagles
Super Bowl MVP Jalen Hurts runs the ship in Philadelphia and won’t give it up unless he gets injured. Tanner McKee and Dorian Thompson-Robinson round out the QB room, and McCord will compete for the backup job.
2025 Expectation: McCord has a gunslinger mentality, but lacks the corresponding tools. Unless he flops in training camp, the Syracuse product will push for the backup role in 2025. Hurts is the long-term starter in Philadelphia, so the only way McCord sees the field next year is for clean-up duty or because of injury.
Will Howard, #185, Pittsburgh Steelers
Howard’s size and toughness fit the Steelers’ culture well, but his 2025 hinges on Aaron Rodgers. Pittsburgh’s QB room has Mason Rudolph, Howard, and Skylar Thompson, but each guy will move down a spot if Rodgers signs.
2025 Expectation: Howard could develop into Pittsburgh’s long-term starter, but it’s unlikely given his sixth-round draft status. If Rodgers signs, he’ll likely be the emergency QB all season. If Rodgers doesn’t sign, Howard could eventually take the job from Rudolph, but it’s unlikely the Pittsburgh offense will be any more explosive than last season.
Riley Leonard, #189, Indianapolis Colts
This is an interesting QB room as each guy is arguably a better runner than passer. Anthony Richardson is the starter, but Daniel Jones will push for the job after signing as a free agent.
2025 Expectation: Leonard fits the mold of Indy’s other QBs, but likely won’t push for the backup job. If he plays, it will probably come late in the season if the Colts are out of the playoff picture.
Graham Mertz, #197, Houston Texans
Mertz enters a QB room that includes CJ Stroud, Davis Mills, and Kedon Slovis. He’s listed as QB3 and will likely stay there all season, as Houston trusts Mills to back up Stroud.
2025 Expectation: Another sixth-round pick who will have his work cut out to push for the backup role. Mertz played 50 games over six years in college, but never threw for over 3,000 yards. He’s coming off an ACL tear last season, so don’t expect much from him in 2025.
Cam Miller, #215, Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders traded for Geno Smith this offseason and signed him to a two-year, $75 million extension. Waiting until the sixth round to draft a QB signifies that it’s Smith’s job at least for 2025. Miller is listed third behind Aidan O’Connell and ahead of Carter Bradley.
2025 Expectation: Miller played five years at North Dakota State, starting the final three. The FCS powerhouse hasn’t had much success with QB prospects, and Miller likely won’t buck that trend. If he ever starts and has a good game, expect the Tom Brady comparison, but it’s a stretch to think Miller will see the field next season.
Kurtis Rourke, #227, San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco’s top two QB spots are set with Brock Purdy and Mac Jones. Rourke will have to beat out Tanner Mordecai for the QB3 role, but the 49ers should be focused on paying Purdy rather than a seventh-round quarterback.
2025 Expectation: Rourke maximized his college experience playing five years at Ohio University before leading Indiana to an improbable CFP appearance on a torn ACL. He’s older, and his career-high in yards is just 3,256. Rourke is a great story, but won’t do much in 2025.
Quinn Ewers, #231, Miami Dolphins
Tua Tagovailoa runs the show in Miami, and the Dolphins signed Zach Wilson this offseason. Hopefully, Tua doesn’t suffer any more concussions, but Ewers has the best shot of any late-round QB to grab a backup role.
2025 Expectation: Should Ewers have stayed in school one more year? Probably. Falling to the seventh round is a tough look as he likely would have had a good NIL payday, but he has the tools to be a capable backup in year one. Wilson’s experience will be hard for Ewers to beat, but each guy’s playing time hinges on Tua’s health.
This article originally appeared on Draft Wire: Rookie season outlooks for the QBs in the 2025 NFL Draft class
Now that the quarterbacks from the 2025 draft class are known, it’s time to figure out where each of the QBs fits for their respective teams. Here are the rookie expectations for the quarterbacks picked in last month’s draft.
Cam Ward, #1, Tennessee Titans
Ward walks into Tennessee as the presumed starter. He’ll lead a quarterback group that includes Will Levis, Brandon Allen, and Tim Boyle.
2025 Expectation: Ward should start all 17 games. The AFC South isn’t the strongest division, but it will take time for Ward to get up to speed before the Titans push for the playoffs. If he starts all 17 games, he’ll have laid a solid foundation for the years to come.
Jaxson Dart, #25, New York Giants
He’ll be listed as QB3 heading into training camp, but Dart will assume the backup role from Jameis Winston at some point in the season. Russell Wilson, Winston, Dart, and Tommy DeVito comprise New York’s QB room. We’ll wait and see if the Giants trade any of the veterans.
2025 Expectation: Dart will eventually start in 2025; it’s just a question of when Brian Daboll will bench Wilson. The Giants likely won’t push for the playoffs in the tough NFC East, but Dart could end up saving Daboll and GM Joe Schoen’s jobs if he plays well.
Tyler Shough, #40, New Orleans Saints
The 25-year-old Shough arrives in New Orleans as QB2 behind Derek Carr. We’re still waiting for an update on Carr’s shoulder injury, but Shough will step into the starting job if Carr can’t play. Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener round out the QB room.
2025 Expectation: Shough has a serious chance to start in 2025. Worst case, Carr plays all season and Shough learns Kellen Moore’s offense before taking over in 2026. Best case, Carr doesn’t play at all and Shough starts immediately. The Saints got their guy with Shough, so he’s set up for a bright future with Moore calling the plays.
Jalen Milroe, #92, Seattle Seahawks
Will Sam Darnold be the next Matt Flynn or Joe Flacco? Seattle gave Darnold a three-year, $100.5 million deal this offseason, but selected Milroe in the third round. He’s listed third behind Darnold and Drew Lock, but Milroe will likely take the backup role in training camp.
2025 Expectation: Milroe should end up as Darnold’s backup and see action in specific packages. His natural athleticism is too dangerous to keep off the field. This feels similar to the Flacco and Lamar Jackson situation; however, Milroe needs more work on his passing ability to take over the reins. It’s Darnold’s job for 2025.
Dillon Gabriel, #94, Shedeur Sanders, #144, Cleveland Browns
Cleveland signed up for the first-ever QB controversy that won’t involve the starting job. Gabriel was seen as a late-Day 3 prospect who projects as a career backup, and Sanders was QB1 on some people’s boards (looking at you, Mel Kiper). The room already had Kenny Pickett and Joe Flacco, and the team decided to add two rookies to the mix. Deshaun Watson is still hanging around, but won’t be involved in 2025 due to a second Achilles tear.
2025 Expectation: Get your popcorn ready. As long as Cleveland keeps both veterans, neither rookie is likely to start in 2025. However, the battle between Gabriel and Sanders will begin at rookie minicamp and last until final cut day. Gabriel has a better chance of ending up on Cleveland’s practice squad if he gets cut, but Kevin Stefanski seemed pretty excited to select the Oregon product. Sanders’ historic fall in the draft will give him a massive chip on his shoulder, but he’ll have to prove he belongs to make it out of training camp as a Cleveland Brown.
Kyle McCord, #181, Philadelphia Eagles
Super Bowl MVP Jalen Hurts runs the ship in Philadelphia and won’t give it up unless he gets injured. Tanner McKee and Dorian Thompson-Robinson round out the QB room, and McCord will compete for the backup job.
2025 Expectation: McCord has a gunslinger mentality, but lacks the corresponding tools. Unless he flops in training camp, the Syracuse product will push for the backup role in 2025. Hurts is the long-term starter in Philadelphia, so the only way McCord sees the field next year is for clean-up duty or because of injury.
Will Howard, #185, Pittsburgh Steelers
Howard’s size and toughness fit the Steelers’ culture well, but his 2025 hinges on Aaron Rodgers. Pittsburgh’s QB room has Mason Rudolph, Howard, and Skylar Thompson, but each guy will move down a spot if Rodgers signs.
2025 Expectation: Howard could develop into Pittsburgh’s long-term starter, but it’s unlikely given his sixth-round draft status. If Rodgers signs, he’ll likely be the emergency QB all season. If Rodgers doesn’t sign, Howard could eventually take the job from Rudolph, but it’s unlikely the Pittsburgh offense will be any more explosive than last season.
Riley Leonard, #189, Indianapolis Colts
This is an interesting QB room as each guy is arguably a better runner than passer. Anthony Richardson is the starter, but Daniel Jones will push for the job after signing as a free agent.
2025 Expectation: Leonard fits the mold of Indy’s other QBs, but likely won’t push for the backup job. If he plays, it will probably come late in the season if the Colts are out of the playoff picture.
Graham Mertz, #197, Houston Texans
Mertz enters a QB room that includes CJ Stroud, Davis Mills, and Kedon Slovis. He’s listed as QB3 and will likely stay there all season, as Houston trusts Mills to back up Stroud.
2025 Expectation: Another sixth-round pick who will have his work cut out to push for the backup role. Mertz played 50 games over six years in college, but never threw for over 3,000 yards. He’s coming off an ACL tear last season, so don’t expect much from him in 2025.
Cam Miller, #215, Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders traded for Geno Smith this offseason and signed him to a two-year, $75 million extension. Waiting until the sixth round to draft a QB signifies that it’s Smith’s job at least for 2025. Miller is listed third behind Aidan O’Connell and ahead of Carter Bradley.
2025 Expectation: Miller played five years at North Dakota State, starting the final three. The FCS powerhouse hasn’t had much success with QB prospects, and Miller likely won’t buck that trend. If he ever starts and has a good game, expect the Tom Brady comparison, but it’s a stretch to think Miller will see the field next season.
Kurtis Rourke, #227, San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco’s top two QB spots are set with Brock Purdy and Mac Jones. Rourke will have to beat out Tanner Mordecai for the QB3 role, but the 49ers should be focused on paying Purdy rather than a seventh-round quarterback.
2025 Expectation: Rourke maximized his college experience playing five years at Ohio University before leading Indiana to an improbable CFP appearance on a torn ACL. He’s older, and his career-high in yards is just 3,256. Rourke is a great story, but won’t do much in 2025.
Quinn Ewers, #231, Miami Dolphins
Tua Tagovailoa runs the show in Miami, and the Dolphins signed Zach Wilson this offseason. Hopefully, Tua doesn’t suffer any more concussions, but Ewers has the best shot of any late-round QB to grab a backup role.
2025 Expectation: Should Ewers have stayed in school one more year? Probably. Falling to the seventh round is a tough look as he likely would have had a good NIL payday, but he has the tools to be a capable backup in year one. Wilson’s experience will be hard for Ewers to beat, but each guy’s playing time hinges on Tua’s health.
This article originally appeared on Draft Wire: Rookie season outlooks for the QBs in the 2025 NFL Draft class
