Grading the 2025 NFL Draft QB Class
Summary
The 2025 NFL Draft featured a weak quarterback class, with only two selected in the first round. The top pick, Cam Ward of the Tennessee Titans, has struggled with a 1-9 team and poor offensive support, earning a C- grade. In contrast, Jaxson Dart of the New York Giants has been the most promising rookie, showing significant promise with 10 touchdowns and only 3 interceptions before a concussion sidelined him.
Other notable rookies include Tyler Shough (Saints), who has played relatively well, and Dillon Gabriel (Browns), who has been unimpressive. Shedeur Sanders, a surprising fifth-round pick by the Browns, performed poorly in his debut. Quinn Ewers, the last quarterback drafted, has seen minimal action for the Dolphins. Overall, Dart emerged as the class standout before his injury.
The 2025 NFL Draft quarterback class was relatively weak compared to previous years. Only two signal callers were selected in the first round, and only five quarterbacks were picked in the first four rounds. Cam Ward was the No. 1 overall pick, but there’s no doubt that the best rookie quarterback to this point has been Jaxson Dart. The Ole Miss product was favored to be named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year prior to sustaining a concussion late in the third quarter against the Chicago Bears in Week 10.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at the rookie quarterbacks that have seen some real action this season.
Cam Ward – Tennessee Titans (No. 1 Overall) C-
It was never going to be an easy rookie campaign for Cam Ward. The first overall pick in April’s draft walked into one of the worst situations in recent memory as Tennessee is totally bereft of offensive talent. The Titans are currently 1-9, and they were very fortunate to pick up their one victory.
Ward has yet to throw for over 300 yards in a game. However, he probably has the worst receiving corps in the NFL. The leading receiver on the Titans through 10 games is tight end Chig Okonkwo who has 32 receptions for 337 yards. Calvin Ridley wasn’t very effective before his injury, and Van Jefferson has been a disappointment as well.
Tennessee has let Ward take his lumps, as he has completed 58.4% of his passes for 5.9 YPA with six touchdowns and six interceptions while being sacked 41 times. The Titans must provide him with some help in the offseason.
Jaxson Dart – New York Giants (No. 25 Overall) A-
Although the New York Giants are 2-9, they might have found a long-term answer at quarterback. Jaxson Dart has shown some real promise, and he has kept the Giants competitive despite not having top wide receiver Malik Nabors. Dart is completing 62.7% of his passes for 6.9 YPA with 10 touchdowns and three interceptions.
The Giants are urging Dart to be more careful as a runner following his concussion. He is a dangerous runner though, averaging 5.6 YPC and rushing for seven touchdowns. Dart is expected to return in Week 12 against Detroit, but the front office might have its star rookie take his time given Big Blue’s record and offensive injuries.
Tyler Shough – New Orleans Saints (No. 40 Overall) C+
New Orleans’ decision to draft Tyler Shough early in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft raised a lot of eyebrows. Shough turned 26 in September after spending seven years as a college quarterback at three different schools, and he didn’t acquit himself particularly well at any of his stops. However, the Saints drafted Shough despite taking Spencer Rattler in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Rattler was the Saints’ starting quarterback through their first eight games before being benched in favor of Shough against Tampa Bay. This was an interesting decision considering Rattler is actually a year younger than Shough, but the rookie has played relatively well even though New Orleans’ ground game is completely nonexistent. The Saints are averaging just 3.7 YPC and 92.8 YPG on the ground.
Shough looked very good in New Orleans’ 17-7 upset win over Carolina in Week 10. He completed 19 of 27 passes for 282 yards with two touchdowns and didn’t turn the ball over.
Dillon Gabriel – Cleveland Browns (No. 94 Overall) D
Cleveland’s front office decisions can be utterly perplexing. Despite having three quarterbacks on the roster ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft, the Browns selected Dillon Gabriel in the third round and Shedeur Sanders in the fifth round.
Gabriel became the Browns’ starter in Week 5 after Joe Flacco was traded to Cincinnati following a bad performance against the Detroit Lions. The good news is that Gabriel hasn’t turned the ball over too much with seven touchdown passes and two interceptions on the season. However, Gabriel is largely dinking and dunking underneath, and he hasn’t been too accurate. To this point, he has completed just 59.2% of his passes for 5.1 YPA.
Shedeur Sanders – Cleveland Browns (No. 144 Overall) D-
Mel Kiper Jr. and other draftniks were perplexed when Shedeur Sanders experienced the most memorable freefall we have ever seen at the NFL Draft. Sanders was a projected first round pick in most mock drafts, yet he was not drafted in Day 1 or Day 2. Cleveland finally grabbed him in the fifth round, but the Browns did him no favors by putting him in a crowded quarterback room.
Sanders saw his first game action against Baltimore in Week 11 after Dillon Gabriel suffered a concussion. Cleveland had a 16-10 lead when Sanders took the reins, but the offense was abysmal with him under center. Sanders completed just 4 of 16 passes for 47 yards, and he was sacked twice and threw an interception. The Browns had six possessions with Sanders leading the way, and the team accumulated just 54 yards on 28 plays. Cleveland’s last possession was an eight-play, 40-yard drive with under three minutes left, so the Browns had just 20 plays for 14 yards prior to that point in the second half.
Quinn Ewers – Miami Dolphins (No. 231 Overall) D+
The only other quarterback selected in the 2025 NFL Draft to have taken more than a handful of snaps has been Quinn Ewers. He was the last quarterback off the board, even though some pundits had a third-round grade on the Texas product.
Ewers replaced Tua Tagovailoa in the second half of Miami’s 31-6 loss to Cleveland in mid-October after Tagovailoa threw his third interception. The rookie led Miami for its last two series of the game against the Browns, and he completed 5 of 8 passes for 53 yards while being sacked twice. Ewers is the third-string quarterback behind Zach Wilson now, but he could see some more action in December with Miami likely outside the playoff picture.
