Cam Ward

NFL Draft Rumors: Dart, QBs, Hunter

February 15th, 2025 at 5:56pm CST by Ely Allen

As far back as November, we have been consistently reporting that only two quarterbacks are being viewed as first-round prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft: Miami’s Cam Ward and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders. At the same time, we’ve been allowing for the potential that the usual, annual desperation from NFL teams at the quarterback position could lead to Day 2 or 3 passers being pushed into the first round with Ward and Sanders.

We saw this happen last year. Early on in the pre-draft process in 2024, Caleb Williams and Drake Maye were viewed as the only first-round options, though Heisman-winner Jayden Daniels quickly forced his way into that conversation. Even after the conclusion of the College Football Playoff championship game, the two quarterbacks in that game, J.J. McCarthy and Michael Penix, were not generally being viewed as first-round prospects. Eventually, we ended up with six quarterbacks being selected in the first round — all in the first 12 picks — with Bo Nix joining the party, as well.

It’s not an uncommon occurrence, and this year, Jason La Canfora of The Washington Post has pegged Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart as the man to break into the first round with Ward and Sanders. “Book at least three quarterbacks to be taken in the first round of the draft,” La Canfora writes, citing that “too much demand” will overcome “not enough supply.” After watching the 21-year-old’s performance in the Senior Bowl, La Canfora quoted one general manager guaranteeing that Dart will hear his name on the first night of the draft. Another executive La Canfora talked to claimed that, while he himself wouldn’t select Dart that high, he believes Dart’s going Day 1.

Aside from his Senior Bowl performance, Dart had an impressive senior season for the Rebels, racking up the third-highest passing yards per game behind Ward (second) but ahead of Sanders (fourth). While Dart’s 29 passing touchdowns didn’t approach Ward (39) or Sanders (34), his six interceptions were fewer than both of his competitors.

Here are a couple other rumors surrounding common early conversations we’ve seen in the runup to the draft:

Yesterday, ESPN’s NFL Nation released the results of some polling their reporters — Turron Davenport, Jeff Legwold, Daniel Oyefusi, and Katherine Terrell — conducted with NFL executives, coaches, and scouts at the Senior and Shrine Bowls. One interesting vote showed that of nine people asked if the top draft pick will be a quarterback, three said yes, four said no, and two were undecided. A big deciding factor for this will be what the Titans decide to do with their No. 1 overall pick; another factor will be if the team decides to address the quarterback position through the free agent or trade market before the draft.
Another question NFL Nation posed was who the top quarterback in the draft is: Ward or Sanders? Of seven people asked, four sided with Ward while the remaining three went with Sanders. Oyefusi notes that the general consensus has Sanders as “a more refined pocket passer,” while “Ward’s arm talent and mobility give him the upper hand as a long-term prospect.” This goes along with most analyses we’ve seen that place Sanders just behind Ward with Dart as a distant third, if that.
We’ve addressed plenty of speculation already on where Colorado athlete and Heisman-winner Travis Hunter may find himself playing at the NFL-level. Agreeing with early reports that Hunter is being viewed more as an elite cornerback prospect with the potential to contribute in certain packages as a wide receiver, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports that Hunter is being listed as a defensive back at the NFL Scouting Combine. Mike Giardi of the Boston Sports Journal adds that, while Hunter is planning on working out with the defensive backs at the combine, the two-way athlete will run some drills with the wide receivers, as well.

Teams Picking In Top-Five May Look To Trade Back

February 12th, 2025 at 8:41pm CST by Ben Levine

While there’s some belief that the Titans will move the No. 1 pick, they may not be the only team atop the draft board looking to make moves. Albert Breer of SI.com believes every team in the top five will at least entertain the idea of trading back.

All of these squads (which includes the Browns (No. 2), Giants (No. 3), Patriots (No. 4), and Jaguars (No. 5)) have plenty of reasons to justify a trade. Each of these teams won’t suddenly vault into contention (or even mediocrity) with just their first-round selection, and picking up additional assets may help them fill out their respective rosters. While these organizations may not be able to get a haul, they could still snag a foundational piece while picking up additional draft picks.

However, Breer also notes that this is partly an indictment on the draft class. Abdul Carter and Travis Hunter are generally considered the draft’s only blue-chip prospects. Teams like the Patriots and Jaguars already have their answers at quarterback, and if those front offices believe they’re out of realistic range for Carter/Hunter, it may make sense to move back and pick up extra pieces.

Further, the draft’s QB depth may convince some teams to pivot. Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders appear to be in their own tier among prospects, but neither of the impending rookies are believed to be generational, can’t-miss players. Instead of reaching for a QB they’re not enamored with, it could make sense for a team like the Giants to target a different position (or maybe a different quarterback) via a trade down the board.

Of course, each of those concerns will work against the teams picking in the top-five. As Breer notes, rival teams may not be as eager to trade up for any of the non-blue-chip prospects. There will surely be suitors, but the offers may not be lucrative enough to convince any of those top-five squads to move on.

It’s pretty common to see at least one top-five squad move off of their original draft position, but we’ve also seen a recent trend of front offices holding on to their best draft assets. Between 2019 and 2022, we only saw one top-five pick change hands (with the 2021 third-overall pick being swapped a few times before landing with the 49ers, who took Trey Lance). A handful of top-five 2023 picks were traded, but even the 2024 draft only saw the first-overall pick stray from its original team (which was a product of a trade involving the 2023 first-overall pick).

Titans Doing Deep Dive On QB Prospects

February 1st, 2025 at 11:02pm CST by Ely Allen

The Titans hold the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming NFL draft. They also will enter the 2025 league year with only one quarterback under contract. Unfortunately, that quarterback, Will Levis, has accumulated a 5-16 record as a starter in his first two years of NFL play. These facts put together make it clear why Tennessee is doing their homework on the draft’s top quarterback prospects: Miami’s Cam Ward and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders.

The common refrain in the runup to the draft so far has been that neither Ward nor Sanders would rank ahead of the six quarterbacks who were taken in the first round last year. Fortunately for Ward and Sanders, they’re not competing with those passers; they’re only competing with each other and prospects from other positions.

Tennessee could certainly address other positions with their top overall pick. Penn State pass rusher Abdul Carter and Colorado two-way athlete Travis Hunter have been viewed as options that the Titans could roll with, but with the importance new general manager Mike Borgonzi puts on the quarterback position, a deep dive on the passers available is necessary.

Yesterday, Jeff Howe of The Athletic reported out of Mobile, AL, the site of the Senior Bowl, that Ward was seen as the favorite in Tennessee over Sanders. They did note an interesting fact that, though both quarterbacks were onsite for the East-West Shrine Bowl in Arlington, TX, the Titans had an extra-long interview with Sanders, sitting with him for about an hour last week.

There’s a chance the Titans are throwing up a smokescreen, making things difficult for teams hoping to trade up into the top draft slot to know what they’re thinking. There’s also a chance that Tennessee has a good idea of what their thoughts are on Ward, and the extended interview could be viewed as due diligence necessary for Sanders to make up ground.

There’s of course a chance that the Titans are just interested in Sanders, though. Per ESPN’s Turron Davenport, Borgonzi is counting on head coach Brian Callahan‘s experience evaluating options for a No. 1 overall pick in this process. While Borgonzi was present in Kansas City for the acquisition of Patrick Mahomes, Mahomes fell to the Chiefs all the way down at No. 10 overall. Callahan, though, was part of the team in Cincinnati that decided to take Joe Burrow No. 1 overall over other options like Justin Herbert and Tua Tagovailoa.

Callahan looks for attributes such as decision-making, timing, and accuracy when looking for a franchise passer. While arm strength is also an important baseline characteristic, Callahan notes that anticipatory throws can make up for a lack of arm strength.

“People had questions about Burrow’s arm strength in general coming out,” Callahan told ESPN. “One of the things that makes Joe so unique, and I think you can probably put Shedeur in the same conversation…they anticipate when they throw it. They have the timing and accuracy on top of it. That makes up for arm strength. Those things are how you make up for maybe not having the biggest arm. If you’re throwing on time and putting a ball when and where you’re supposed to go, you’re not going to have too many problems.”

Ward is going to take the cake for arm strength in comparison to Sanders. Ward excels in touch throws, ball placement, and the ability to throw from different arm angles. His decision making has come into question at times, but he still excelled in limiting turnovers, though the ones he committed were extremely questionable. Scouts haven’t necessarily been identifying many such attributes as elite in Sanders, but his ability to anticipate throws seems to make up for that in Callahan’s eyes.

Borgonzi is reportedly in line with Callahan’s list of core traits, but he adds an emphasis on leadership, character, and intelligence. While Sanders hasn’t had any complaints about his character or intelligence, his leadership has been called into question. It’s easy to see how it may have been difficult for Sanders’ leadership to shine under the shadow of his father in Boulder. Despite only playing one year in Miami, the Hurricane’s rallied around Ward because of his character and leadership, so he should check those boxes off for Borgonzi. For intelligence, Borgonzi may have to depend on the NFL’s controversial Wonderlic test, which has delivered mixed results over the years.

At this point, there’s still a lot of work to do for Ward, Sanders, and the Titans. Both quarterbacks have strong cases for convincing Tennessee to use that top pick on them, but the Titans could easily go another route and allow Ward and Sanders to fall to another team. The rest of the pre-draft process — the NFL Scouting Combine and each player’s pro day — could impact some decisions, but Sanders didn’t practice at last week’s Shrine Bowl after a request that he sit out by the Titans. The mind games may continue well up until the Titans are ultimately on the clock.

Cam Ward Trending Towards Being First QB Selected In Draft

January 28th, 2025 at 7:34pm CST by Ben Levine

As NFL teams gather at the Shrine Bowl for an extensive look at this year’s top prospects, the focus has naturally been at the top of the draft board. As scouts and executives have started to congregate, Tony Pauline of Sportskeeda.com says the “overwhelming belief” is that Cam Ward has emerged as the top quarterback prospect in the draft. In fact, Pauline spoke to some individuals who believe that if the draft happened today, Ward would go first-overall to the Titans.

Ward was somewhat on the NFL radar heading into the 2024 campaign, but he put himself firmly on the map following a strong showing at Miami. During his lone season with the Hurricanes, Ward connected on 67.2-percent of his passes for 4,313 yards, 39 touchdowns, and seven interceptions while guiding the school to a 10-3 record. For his efforts, he earned the Davey O’Brien Award and ACC Player of the Year honors, and he ultimately finished fourth in Heisman voting.

It’s a pretty rapid rise for the QB, who entered the 2024 season as a potential Day 3 selection in the 2025 draft. As Pauline notes, the player’s turnaround isn’t completely dissimilar to that of Jayden Daniels, who evolved from a fringe prospect into the eventual No. 2 pick.

While Ward will face plenty of competition to be the first-overall selection, he’s likely only competing with one individual to be QB1: Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders. Unfortunately, teams won’t get an in-person look at the Colorado quarterback during the Shrine Bowl, as Sanders is an interview-only participant, per ESPN’s Matt Miller. Interestingly, Sanders made that decision after speaking to a handful of NFL teams, as Charles McDonald of Yahoo Sports says the Titans, Browns, and Giants all asked Sanders not to practice this week.

Each of those organizations, of course, is armed with a top-three pick, and Robinson notes that all three squads are kicking the tires on a potential Sanders selection. The QB prospect met with those three teams Friday before practices started on Saturday.

While both Ward and Sanders could be trending towards top-three picks, there continues to be a sentiment that this year’s QB class is lacking. Notably, Senior Bowl director Jim Nagy seems to share that opinion, telling Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com that he’s unsure “if any of these guys would be in the top-six last year.” This isn’t the first time we’ve heard this viewpoint, especially after the likes of Daniels, Caleb Williams, Bo Nix, Drake Maye, and Michael Penix all showed promise as rookies.

Considering the underwhelming opinion of this year’s QB prospects, there was some thought that QB-needy teams could look to other positions atop the draft board (especially Colorado’s Travis Hunter). While some of these front offices could still avoid the top of the 2025 QB class, it sounds like at least Ward and Sanders will hear their names early during the first round.

2025 Draft QB Rumors: Ewers, Allar, Titans

January 12th, 2025 at 8:19pm CST by Ely Allen

The collegiate career of Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers appears to be over. While he has not officially released a statement, in a College GameDay interview with ESPN’s Pete Thamel, Ewers gave a blunt reply when asked if he expected to play college football next year, simply saying, “No, I don’t.”

Ewers started drawing attention in his second year as the starter for the Longhorns, completing 69 percent of his passes for 3,479 yards, 22 touchdowns, and six interceptions and rushing for five more scores. This year, the emergence of sophomore quarterback Arch Manning made it difficult for Ewers to stay on the field.

Manning’s presence combined with some in-season struggles resulted in a bit of a down year for Ewers. Despite the Longhorns reaching the College Football Playoff semifinals, Ewers (3,472 yards, 31 touchdowns, 12 interceptions) was never viewed as a strength on a team that many saw as balanced throughout the roster. At this point, it seems impossible to hold off the advancement of Manning. With the writing on the wall, Ewers doesn’t appear likely to remain in Austin or in college at all.

Following the assumption that Ewers will declare for the draft, it’s hard to determine in which round he’ll fall. The consensus seems to indicate that Miami’s Cam Ward and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders are the only two passers that are worthy of first-round picks. The importance of the position may push a few fringe players up, though. In rankings from ESPN analysts and The Athletic’s Dane Brugler, Ewers is viewed as a fringe top-five quarterback, making it hard to believe that there will be enough need to push him into the first round, though he could hear his name in the middle rounds.

Here are a few more rumors concerning quarterbacks potentially in the 2025 NFL Draft class:

Penn State’s Drew Allar has been an intriguing quarterback prospect in scouting circles. After being knocked out of the College Football Playoffs in the semifinals, reports seem to indicate that Allar will return to Happy Valley. Per Brugler, though, there were several in the NFL who believed Allar may enter the draft with a strong playoff run. While the Nittany Lions won two games, Allar only completed 54 percent of his passes for 433 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception in three games. There are certainly fans of Allar in the NFL, but it seems they’ll need to consider him for the 2026 NFL Draft as Allar has announced he’s returning for another year at Penn State, per Dane Brugler of The Athletic.
Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated recently gave us a bit of obvious insight in the Titans‘ upcoming decision with the No. 1 overall draft pick. There’s a clear sense that they can’t move forward with only Will Levis as the gameplan at quarterback. This means that Tennessee will be taking a long, hard look at Ward and Sanders. If they don’t like what they see, Colorado athlete Travis Hunter could fill holes on both sides of the ball, or the team may just trade back and make a pick that they believe matches the value of their draft slot.

John Mara: Giants Open To Resolving QB Issue With Draft Pick, Veteran

January 6th, 2025 at 5:27pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Giants saw their Daniel Jones plan implode this year, and after giving the Eli Manning successor six seasons, the team has no long-term option on its roster. As a result, John Mara stated the obvious by indicating quarterback is the Giants’ “No. 1 issue.”

Although the team’s Week 17 win bumped it out of the No. 1 overall draft slot, the Patriots’ Week 18 victory gave the Giants the No. 3 position. It figures to be much easier to acquire one of the preferred options in this draft compared to last year, when Joe Schoen‘s Drake Maye-based trade-up effort failed. Schoen and Brian Daboll are coming back, despite the steep decline that commenced this season, and Mara noted the Giants are open to upgrading at QB through the draft or via a veteran option.

“That’s obviously the No. 1 issue for us going into this offseason — to find our quarterback of the future,” Mara said, via the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy. “Whether that be draft or acquiring a veteran will be up to them to decide.”

The phrase “quarterback of the future” certainly points to the draft being the Giants’ preferred avenue, even with Mara adding (via SNY’s Connor Hughes) he is “just about out of patience” with his current setup. Like 2019, however, the Giants have a need in a draft that has long been viewed as rather shaky at the QB spot. Passing on Sam Darnold and Josh Allen to draft Saquon Barkley in 2018, the Giants could not realistically draft Tua Tagovailoa or Justin Herbert in 2020 thanks to having chosen Jones sixth overall in ’19. The team passed on Michael Penix Jr., J.J. McCarthy and Bo Nix last year, creating one of the NFL’s most glaring needs going into this offseason.

New York will bring back Tommy DeVito, per ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan. DeVito can be retained via an ERFA tender, but Drew Lock is set for free agency. The Giants still rostered Manning going into 2019, when Jones arrived. That separates the ’19 offseason from what lies ahead for Mara’s team, which went 1-for-6 in playoff berths during the Jones era.

Circling back to Darnold would be an interesting effort for Schoen, who is assuredly on a scorching-hot seat after being retained today, after predecessor Dave Gettleman passed. But the Vikings may well use the franchise tag following this Pro Bowl season. Russell Wilson would profile as a stopgap at best, while Justin Fields may be more appealing due to his age (25) — even though he has yet to prove a consistent passer. Beyond this crop, a host of backup-level options are on their way to free agency. It would stand to reason, given the Giants’ draft position, they would be more interested in a college arm.

Some members of the Giants’ personnel staff are intrigued by Miami’s Cam Ward, who is viewed — along with Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders — as one of this year’s top two QB prospects, Yahoo.com’s Charles Robinson notes. Considering the Giants are not making major staff changes, it would stand to reason they will carry their Ward interest toward the Combine. The Giants sent Schoen and player personnel director Tim McDonnell to the Pop-Tarts Bowl to watch Ward, who transferred from Incarnate Word and Washington State to close his career with the Hurricanes. The Giants also sent staffers to Boulder, Colo., to watch Sanders practices.

ESPN’s Scouts Inc. slots Sanders ninth and Ward 18th among 2025 prospects; it will be interesting to see how the pre-draft process ends up sorting them and then the rest of the QB crop. With a gap existing — as of now, at least — between the Ward-Sanders tier and the field, the Giants would have a good shot at one of them.

The team was closely tied to McCarthy and Maye last year and hosted Penix and Nix on “30” visits. It should be expected a thorough round of meetings are coming again regarding this position, only the Giants are now in a more desperate spot due to Schoen and Daboll’s statuses and the gaping hole atop the depth chart.

In other Giants news, both Jon Runyan Jr. and Tyler Nubin underwent tightrope surgeries to address high ankle sprains. Runyan also underwent a shoulder procedure, The Athletic’s Dan Duggan tweets. Bobby Okereke is rehabbing a herniated disk in his back, the New York Daily News’ Pat Leonard adds. Okereke should be recovered in time for OTAs. Two years remain on both Okereke and Runyan’s free agency deals.

2025 QB Class Generating More Skepticism

December 31st, 2024 at 9:58pm CST by Ely Allen

As the NFL regular season comes to a close and college prospects are making their final amateur appearances, focus for many NFL teams is shifting to the 2025 NFL Draft. While many sources seem to have narrowed the field of potential first-round quarterbacks to two players, there are reportedly some scouts who believe taking any quarterback on Day 1 “would be a mistake,” per Dane Brugler of The Athletic.

According to a post from Brugler, an AFC scout commented on the matter, saying, “Man, I feel bad for the teams trying to find one (quarterback) in this group.”

There are two obvious options for teams currently looking at a first-round quarterback: Miami’s Cam Ward and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders. After Ward and Sanders, there’s a big perceived dropoff in quarterback talent in this year’s draft class with other prospects like Alabama’s Jalen Milroe, Texas’ Quinn Ewers, and Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart all being projected as Day 2 or 3 picks. Georgia passer Carson Beck, who recently declared for the draft, forgoing one final year of eligibility (granted because of COVID-19), was at one point viewed as a first-round option, but after a disappointing redshirt season and UCL surgery, his draft stock took a considerable hit.

As for Ward and Sanders, it’s hard to imagine a world in which neither prospect hears their name called on the first night of the draft. The Giants sent general manager Joe Schoen and director of player personnel Tim McDonnell to the Pop-Tarts Bowl to watch Ward play in the first half this past weekend. According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, Raiders assistant general manager Champ Kelly was in attendance, as well. Schoen, along with scouts from his Giants and the Falcons, was also in attendance to watch Sanders take on the Utes about a month and a half ago.

The Giants (currently set to pick fourth overall) are one of six teams inside the projected top-10 picks of the draft with an interest in adding a quarterback. The Titans (No. 2), Browns (No. 3), Panthers (No. 6), Jets (No. 7), and Raiders (No. 8) have all been viewed as possibilities to go after a first-round passer, as well.

The need to fill such a crucial role as quarterback has a tendency to inflate some prospects’ draft stocks. In the 2024 NFL Draft, Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, and according to some sources, Drake Maye were all viewed as the likely first-round passers for most of the draft process. As the draft drew nearer and it became more obvious that some teams would need additional help at quarterback, prospects like Michael Penix, J.J. McCarthy, and Bo Nix all found their draft stock being bumped from Day 2 or 3 to Day 1.

Because this phenomenon is likely to take effect once again this year, even if Ward and Sanders were not considered first-round options — which, to be clear, many scouts do view them to be — they would still likely find themselves on stage at Lambeau Field on April 24. In order to simulate this effect, some have claimed that this year’s versions of Ward and Sanders would’ve ranked as QB4 and QB5, in any order, in last year’s quarterback crop, placing them firmly in the top ten draft picks for that class, as well. In fact, the often-desperate need for young quarterback talent may even bring players like Beck, Milroe, or Dart back into first-round consideration with Ward and Sanders.

There’s still plenty of time until we arrive at Day 1 of the draft. Between now and then, we will see College Football Playoff performances, the NFL Scouting Combine, and pro days around the country. Many quarterbacks and other prospects will see their draft stock rise and fall throughout the next few months. At this point, though, Ward and Sanders seem to have cemented themselves as top five picks, regardless of what some scouts believe their value to be.

First-Round QB Not Out Of Range For Raiders?

December 24th, 2024 at 7:44pm CST by Ely Allen

When last we looked at the updated order for the 2025 NFL Draft, the Raiders were in prime position, poised to have the No. 1 overall pick. They were tied for the league’s worst record at 2-12 with tie breakers over the Giants. However, with a win over the similarly lowly Jaguars this past Sunday, Las Vegas plummeted in the most recent draft order and now slots in at No. 6.

Many view the biggest need for Las Vegas to be a quarterback. Three different passers have started games for the Raiders this season, and none of Gardner Minshew (2-7), Aidan O’Connell (1-4), or Desmond Ridder (0-1) have a winning record. Likewise, none seem to have much in the way of promise, as all three seem to have been written off as considerable quarterbacks of the future. Therefore, the plan would likely be to draft one, a prospect that’s become much more difficult with their recent victory.

At No. 1 overall, the Raiders had their pick of the litter with the ability to choose whatever quarterback they desire. At No. 6, the choice is taken pretty far out of their hands, especially considering that only two passers, Miami’s Cam Ward and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, are currently receiving first-round grades. It will definitely take some maneuvering to land one of those two quarterbacks from their current slot, but according to Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, it’s not impossible.

Firstly, they stand to likely move up a spot. Two of the teams ahead of them, the Jaguars and Titans, play each other in the final two weeks of the season, guaranteeing that one of them will earn a victory. For reasons to be explored shortly, Las Vegas fans should be rooting for Tennessee to pull off the divisional victory.

This year’s draft doesn’t appear to be shaping up much like last year’s. If the current order holds, two of the top three teams likely won’t be looking for quarterbacks, unlike last year, which saw the Bears, Commanders, and Patriots select Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, and Drake Maye successively in the first three picks. While the Giants, current holders of the No. 1 overall pick, certainly have a need for a quarterback after releasing veteran Daniel Jones, the holders of pick Nos. 2 and 3 do not.

The No. 2 spot is currently held by the Patriots. Despite their disappointing record, the rookie Maye has shown promise at different points in the season, especially since he had to earn the starting job over veteran passer Jacoby Brissett and didn’t start until Week 6. He’ll have to figure out how to protect the ball a bit better — he’s thrown 10 picks in 10 starts — but New England likely has not given up on his potential, yet.

The No. 3 pick is owned by the Jaguars, who just recently signed a 25-year-old Trevor Lawrence to a five-year extension that made him the highest-paid player in the league at the time. This season saw Lawrence battling quite a few injury issues, but it’s hard to imagine that Jacksonville would be looking for anything other than an upgraded backup passer in this year’s draft.

Between those two and Las Vegas sit the Browns and Titans. If the abovementioned rooting interests pay dividends and Tennessee wins in Jacksonville, that problem should take care of itself. The Browns, though, have been thoroughly evaluating the 2025 quarterback draft class, per Chad Reuter of NFL.com, as they research potential successors to one of the worst quarterback contracts in NFL history.

So, in order to get into a position where they are one of the top two teams in position to draft a quarterback, Las Vegas would need to get ahead of Cleveland and Tennessee, another team with interest in a new, young passer. In order to do so, though, they’ll likely have to trade up into the spot. If the Titans lose to Jacksonville, Las Vegas will likely enter into a bidding war for New England’s No. 2 overall pick in order to leapfrog the Browns and Titans. If the Titans win, though, the Raiders’ route is a little cleaner as they’ll have options to trade up with either New England or Jacksonville, and they’ll only be looking to leapfrog one team, though they will have to fend off teams behind them, like Tennessee, from leapfrogging them.

In short, despite a situationally disappointing win this past weekend, the Raiders still have lanes open that lead to them obtaining Ward or Sanders. It may cost them some draft capital to make it happen, but Las Vegas could still end up in a top-three slot.

2025 NFL Draft Rumors: Sanders, Beck, Campbell

December 20th, 2024 at 8:29pm CST by Ely Allen

The 2025 NFL Draft is fast approaching as the college football season comes to an end and the pre-draft process begins. Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders has likely solidified himself as a first-round pick — even a top-five draft pick — but according to Jeff Howe of The Athletic, he isn’t currently projected to be the first quarterback off the board.

Per Howe, that honor currently belongs to Miami Hurricanes journeyman passer Cam Ward. Both had impressive seasons; Ward finished the year second in the nation with 4,123 passing yards while leading college football with 36 passing touchdowns to only seven interceptions, while Sanders was third in passing yards (3,926) and just a step behind Ward in touchdowns (35) and interceptions (8). Both received Heisman-buzz — an award Sanders’ teammate, Travis Hunter, won — but Ward was a finalist, finishing fourth in voting, while Sanders finished eighth in voting.

In order to overcome Ward as QB1 of the class, Howe posits that “Sanders will need to nail the interview process.” Both players have committed to participating in their respective bowl games, and it doesn’t appear that either will gain or lose much ground through the Scouting Combine or their respective pro days, having already had their play thoroughly evaluated throughout the season. If Sanders can establish in the interview process that he can be a stand-alone leader without his father on the coaching staff, he may be able to edge out Ward.

Here are a few other draft rumors in the aftermath of college football’s regular season:

After Ward and Sanders, there’s a big perceived dropoff in quarterback talent in this year’s draft class with other prospects like Alabama’s Jalen Milroe, Texas’ Quinn Ewers, and Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart all being projected as Day 2 or 3 picks. While Georgia passer Carson Beck is also projected to fall past the first round, that wasn’t the case last year, per Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated. Breer claims that scouts gave him the impression that Beck had a chance to be among the six other quarterbacks who were drafted in the first round of last year’s draft. Instead, Beck stayed in Athens, in hopes of perhaps bettering his chances and draft slot. A year later, three separate three-interception performances and an otherwise disappointing redshirt senior season for Beck has plummeted his draft stock. The injury to his throwing arm in the SEC championship game has a chance to hurt that draft stock even more.
The 2025 draft class is projected to be disappointing in its depth at left tackle with no elite options sticking out at this point in the process. LSU tackle Will Campbell has received a good amount of buzz as the class’s best prospect at the position, but according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, many believe Campbell is a bit overrated. Short arms and questions about his overall game have scouts doubting whether or not he can solidify the left tackle spot of an NFL team for the next five-plus years.

Giants Expected To Retain GM Joe Schoen; Brian Daboll On Steady Ground?

November 24th, 2024 at 10:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

The past few offseasons have featured momentous swing-and-miss transactions on quarterbacks. The Deshaun Watson and Russell Wilson moves proved the most costly, but they did not (as of yet, at least) lead to GM firings. A spotlight on how the Giants’ ill-fated Daniel Jones contract will impact their current regime is shining, but New York is still only expected to feature one GM vacancy this offseason.

With a third of the season to go, the Giants are still looking to stand pat with Joe Schoen. The third-year GM is not on track to follow Joe Douglas to the chopping block, according to CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones. Although a recent report pegged Brian Daboll as coaching for his job over the homestretch, Schoen may be on steadier ground.

Mara said in October he did not envision Schoen or Daboll being booted before season’s end or in 2025, but the Giants have not won a game since those comments. While momentum for a third Joe Judge year surfaced before his eventual firing, Jones adds Daboll is also still presumed safe due to the owner wanting more stability.

The quick hooks given to Ben McAdoo, Pat Shurmur and Judge are benefiting Daboll, who has gone 8-19 since his 2022 Coach of the Year season. That 2022 showing led the Giants to pay Jones (four years, $160MM), and the team is set to eat the remainder of the QB’s guarantees at signing this year and then $22.2MM in prorated bonus money come 2025. Tommy DeVito will have a significant say in whether Daboll is brought back, and Mara’s past at GM would suggest Schoen is safer than Daboll.

Jerry Reese received an extended chance to return the Giants to contender status, as the two-time Super Bowl-winning GM oversaw four seasons without a playoff berth before the 2016 slate — one coming after a free agency splurge for defensive help — led to a return. Mara canned Reese and McAdoo after an Eli Manning benching late in the 2017 season, but Reese’s extended run preceded Dave Gettleman being given four full seasons; none of those brought a postseason berth. Schoen being dropped after three years, the first of which being viewed as a rebuild, would seem hasty by comparison.

Additionally, Jonathan Jones notes Mara’s involvement in Giants day-to-day operations made the owner well aware why the Giants paid Jones in 2023. This well-chronicled sequence eventually led Saquon Barkley to Philadelphia, and while Hard Knocks portrayed Mara as somber once the running back bolted this offseason, the Giants had long held a Jones-over-Barkley stance in 2023. Mara also stumped for Jones in 2022, proclaiming he would remain the starter despite struggles in prior years. The owner cited an inability to build a team around Jones back then, and although Schoen authorized the QB’s second contract, the owner being onboard with that move points to Schoen having a chance to acquire his own quarterback.

Schoen passed on the Michael Penix Jr.–J.J. McCarthy–Bo Nix trio to draft Malik Nabers this year, doing so after the Patriots rebuffed his Drake Maye-centered trade offer for No. 3 overall. This proved risky, as the 2025 QB class is not held in the same regard as this year’s crop. But Schoen was in Miami for the Hurricanes’ Wake Forest matchup, per Jones; Miami, of course, rosters one of next year’s top prospects in QB Cam Ward. The team has already been tied to Shedeur Sanders as well. With Ward and Sanders viewed as next year’s top two QB prospects, connections to the Giants should persist.

The Giants chose their last QB1 in what was viewed as a down draft, having passed on both Sam Darnold and Josh Allen (to take Barkley) in 2018. Unless the team would be OK with a veteran replacing Jones, it appears another dive into a maligned draft pool at the position is on tap. As it stands, it will be Schoen making that call.

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