Well, here we go again.
New York Jets fans are no strangers to NFL draft content, especially when it comes before the end of November. With yet another season up in flames, the time has once again come to turn our attention away from the trainwreck that is the Jets’ season and get out in front of the coming rebuild. That means it’s time to start taking a look at the 2025 NFL draft class.
While the franchise is going to be facing some massive questions this offseason, one of the biggest among them will be who’s going to be playing quarterback going forward.
Whether or not you want Aaron Rodgers back, it’s at least worth acknowledging that there’s a strong chance he’s gone after this year – and to be honest, with how washed he’s looked, that’s probably the outcome this fanbase should be hoping for. In any case, it makes sense to prepare for life after Rodgers, and the Jets need a plan.
There’s no reason to sugar coat it: the 2025 NFL draft’s quarterback class is nowhere near as talented as last year’s special crop. There’s still first-round-caliber talent, just not as many “surefire” studs as last year.
Cam Ward, Miami (FL)
Not many people remember that Cam Ward actually declared for last year’s NFL draft following a relatively strong season at Washington State. Smartly, though, he quickly rescinded his name and transferred to Miami, where he’s absolutely dominated in 2024.
Now surrounded by the best supporting cast of his college career, the former no-star recruit out of high school has quickly played his way to the top of many analysts’ big boards.
At 6-foot-2, 223 pounds, Ward is big enough to be an NFL signal caller. His frame is a bit thin and lanky, but there’s room to add muscle. He’s got outstanding arm talent with that special flick-of-the-wrist throwing ability NFL teams covet, and he delivers accurately from all different arm angles.
Ward has turned lots of heads this season with his special off-script playmaking ability, which, as we know, can be a huge asset in today’s NFL. He’s already got several jaw-dropping plays on tape from this season alone where he makes multiple guys miss in the backfield before rolling out for an improbable downfield dot.
Another huge plus on Ward’s NFL projection is his calm demeanor. No matter the situation, he’s always visibly relaxed, never letting his internal clock get rattled. He’s already led Miami to several big second-half comebacks, thanks in large part to his unflappable personality and unwavering confidence in the game’s biggest moments. The pressure that comes with playing quarterback under the bright lights of New York City is no joke – just ask Zach Wilson, who taught us that having that unbreakable demeanor is an absolute must for a Jets signal caller. Ward has it. He’s cool, collected and always in complete control.
The concerns with Ward as a prospect start with his fundamentals. When it comes to a repeatable throwing motion, he really doesn’t have one. Every throw looks different, whether it be a standard over-the-top motion, sidearm, shovel pass, or anywhere in between. In short, Ward doesn’t have a “default” throwing motion. College ball lets guys get away with that sloppy playstyle, but whichever NFL team drafts Ward, they’ll have to get on him early about his fundamentals.
Ward also has the occasional play where he tries to do too much, leading to some disastrous, yet avoidable mistakes. To be fair, though, he’s cut back on those a great deal relative to last year, showing much more willingness to dump off to his checkdown. While far from being totally gone from his game, it at least inspires confidence to know that he’s trending in the right direction in that area.
Overall, Ward is my current leader in the clubhouse to be the first quarterback off the board in April’s draft. He’s the one QB who, at this very early stage, I feel confident saying I like as a prospect for the Jets. The College Football Playoff will go a long way in helping to evaluate him further against the very best competition.
Shedeur Sanders, Colorado
Shedeur Sanders, son of the great Deion Sanders, is just as polarizing as his dad. Whether it’s his famous wristwatch flex celebration, his apparent stat padding at the end of games, or just his overall cocky demeanor, there are plenty of people who don’t like the guy.
But like Deion, Shedeur is also a supremely talented football player, and easy to love when he’s on your side.
His biggest strength on tape is his accuracy. The young Sanders trains with Tom Brady in the offseason, and it’s easy to see how the sessions help him. Sanders’ ability to layer the ball between defenders and fit throws into tight windows is what helps set him apart in the class. When it comes to seeing the field and understanding the game in front of him, he’s very advanced.
Like Ward, Sanders also seems to have that unflappable personality that inspires confidence in his ability to handle adversity. He’s been an impressive leader for Colorado and has brought an undeniable swagger, toughness and identity to the program.
The concerns with Sanders start with his raw traits. Since he does have adequate speed and athleticism to escape college rushers, it hasn’t actually been much of an issue yet, but by NFL standards, he appears a step behind. With that being the case, he’ll likely need to lean a little heavier on his arm, with mobility as more of a secondary skill. But the issue is, his raw arm talent, while above average, is more “B-plus” territory than truly elite, so questioning his ceiling is certainly fair.
Another knock on Sanders is his pocket management and tendency to hold onto the ball for too long. While he’s certainly improved in these areas from last year, he still takes a great deal of avoidable sacks – and they aren’t all on the offensive line. The keys to taking the next step in his development will be learning to maneuver within the pocket and get the ball out quicker on a consistent basis.
It’s worth acknowledging that his dad will also likely be a major factor to consider in his draft evaluation. Deion has already openly said that he intends to make sure his son winds up on a team he himself feels is a stable situation. Would the Jets meet that criteria? Debatable. Would they even want Shedeur, if it means potentially acquiescing to Deion like they’ve done with Rodgers? All things to consider.
Quinn Ewers, Texas
The most intriguing thing about Quinn Ewers as a prospect is his arm talent.
Like Ward, there really isn’t a throw he can’t make. Outside the numbers? Between the hashes? Back shoulder? Between two defenders? He can do all of that at a high level.
A former five-star recruit, not only is Ewers capable of making any pass on the field, he can do it on the run, with or without his feet set, from different arm angles, and he knows how and when to adjust his throw velocity.
There’s also something to be said about the mental fortitude it takes to be ahead of Arch Manning (nephew of Peyton and Eli) on the QB depth chart and not let it affect your play. Teams wondering about Ewers’s toughness and overall makeup won’t have to look very hard to see how unaffected he is by outside noise.
With all of this raw talent, it’s fair to question why Ewers has failed to truly separate himself as a top-level prospect and dominate his competition. The concerns with Ewers start with his injury history. He’s been forced to miss multiple games in each of his three years at Texas, including two games this season with an abdominal strain. Texas has him listed at 6-foot-2, 210 pounds, but I don’t think he actually weighs that much yet – he was sub-200 last season, and looks only marginally bulkier, if at all. If he can add more muscle to his frame on an NFL strength and conditioning program, that will hopefully help him cut back on injuries.
Ewers also has some issues with consistent mechanics. While his arm talent allows him to make crazy off-platform throws, it also leads to him sailing a lot of passes and missing opportunities for big plays. Aside from that, he loves to throw sidearm – it’s his default throwing motion. I might sound nitpicky, but the issue with a consistently low release point like that is that it leads to a lot of passes being swatted down at the line of scrimmage – and that has very much been the case for Ewers. Whoever his quarterbacks coach winds up being in the NFL, helping him fix that will be among their very first assignments.
Overall, from a pure talent standpoint, Ewers is one of the very best quarterbacks in the country. If he can manage to stack big performances in the College Football Playoff to close out his Texas career, that would go a long way in propelling his draft stock comfortably into the first round.
Jalen Milroe, Alabama
Seeing as they’re both big, athletic running quarterbacks with a cannon, Anthony Richardson’s struggles in Indianapolis this season may be doing some indirect damage to Jalen Milroe’s draft stock.
Like Richardson, the biggest drawing point to Milroe as a prospect is his incredible athleticism at his size. Alabama has him listed at 6-foot-2, 225 pounds, but Milroe himself has said those numbers are from his freshman year, and that he’s actually much bigger than that now. Take one look at him and you know he’s telling the truth.
No, Milroe isn’t quite as physically imposing as the specimen Richardson, but he’s still far bigger than your average human. Being so athletic at that size gives quarterbacks a floor, as they’re always able to lean back on their ability to tuck it and run. It’s how guys like Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson were able to stick around long enough to actually develop as passers, and it’s how a guy as raw as Richardson was able to go fourth overall in the draft. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler describes Milroe as “a rocket-fueled version of Jalen Hurts,” which I like.
Pair Milroe’s elite rushing ability with a strong, visibly improving arm, and you’ve got a guy NFL teams could be willing to spend a very high draft pick on – particularly when he delivers strong performances against the best competition.
It’s also worth noting that Milroe is a finalist for the 2024 William V. Campbell Trophy, given to the college football player with the best combination of academics, community service, and on-field performance. When building a strong culture like the Jets’ new regime will aim to do, it’s talented high-character guys like this that can serve as strong building blocks.
The concerns with Milroe as a prospect start with how raw he is as a passer. While he has a cannon for an arm and has shown serious improvement this season making some big time throws like the one above, he’s still very much developing his ability to layer and fit balls into tight windows. He’s still learning how to read defenses and spot throwing windows before they open.
Another area he’s still improving in is his pocket presence. Since he has such high-end athletic traits to lean on when things get messy, he’s often too quick to bail from clean pockets and start running. If he can improve his pocket awareness and ability to hang in to make throws, his NFL projection suddenly looks a lot brighter.
Overall, while Milroe clearly has a lot of development left, I can easily see a team taking a shot on him early in the draft – even the first round.
Carson Beck, Georgia
Coming into the college football season, Carson Beck was the odds-on favorite to be the first quarterback taken in the 2025 draft. Things have changed since then, as Beck has gone through his fair share of adversity throughout this regular season.
His efficiency and decision-making against pressure have plummeted in 2024 and he’s shown a lot more hesitancy to test throwing windows he’s capable of making. On top of that, he’s already doubled his interception total from last year. While more mobile than he appears, Beck’s accuracy and throw velocity seem to suffer when he’s moved off his spot and forced to throw on the run.
To be fair, though, some of Beck’s struggles this year haven’t been entirely on him. For one, several of Georgia’s top receivers coming into the year are no longer with the team, thanks to various legal issues. That’s led to a lot of on-the-fly chemistry building between Beck and the less-experienced receivers who’ve stepped up in their place, and as a result, a fair amount of on-field miscommunication. Considering Beck went from being able to rely on Brock Bowers and Ladd McConkey last year, to the situation he’s in now, I cut him at least a little bit of slack.
Despite some lows, it hasn’t been all bad for Beck, who undoubtedly has the tools to be a high draft pick. At 6-foot-4, 220 pounds, he has the traditional height and weight of an NFL quarterback, and when given time in the pocket, he’s very capable of making full-field reads and delivering accurate balls with rhythm and timing. While he has the arm to attack outside as well, he’s at his best throwing over the middle.
In terms of playstyle, Beck reminds me a lot of Jared Goff, but with more athletic upside and “take what’s there” rushing ability.
Overall, while I don’t see him being drafted in the first round as of now, Beck is a point-guard-style quarterback with potential at the next level if inserted into the right offense. Seeing as the Jets coaching staff heading into next season is still a complete question mark, it’s impossible to project at this time whether Beck would be a good fit.
Garrett Nussmeier, LSU
Being the son of Philadelphia Eagles quarterbacks coach Doug Nussmeier, it makes a lot of sense that Garrett Nussmeier is a very fundamentally sound quarterback prospect. His footwork, throwing mechanics and ball placement are all great, especially for someone with as little college starting experience as him (this is his first season as a starter).
Nussmeier is also capable of making any throw asked of him. While he lacks the truly elite off-platform ability of someone like Cam Ward, he’s put plenty of examples on tape where he makes incredibly difficult throws look relatively routine in the midst of chaos.
Even despite the lack of experience under his belt to this point, the 6-foot-2, 200-pound Nussmeier plays with supreme confidence. Not only is he capable of making the tough throws referenced above, he actively looks for them. There are times where that cockiness costs him, but lessons like that come with more starting experience. It’s at least encouraging to see him put a lot of trust in his talented arm.
Another blue chip aspect of Nussmeier’s game is his feel for pocket management. There are examples in every game this season of him visibly stepping up in the pocket or working his way around blockers to negate pressure. He’s very deliberate with his subtle pocket movements, helping him to create just that little bit of extra space and time, which can often make all the difference.
Even with all of these positives, there are certainly very real concerns with Nussmeier as a prospect, and they start with his inexperience. One big thing I notice is his tendency to put the ball into harms’ way too often. While, like I said, the confidence he has in his arm is certainly a plus, it does also tend to get him into trouble at times.
Nussmeier’s sound fundamentals and impressive ball placement give him a relatively high floor as a prospect, but just how early he goes in the draft will be determined by his NFL ceiling. How much can he improvise out of structure? Does he have any rushing upside? Would he still look as good without a great offensive line? These are all questions that still need answering with Nussmeier, and that only comes with more reps.
Overall, I think Nussmeier has what it takes to be a high NFL draft pick, but he would benefit from another year at LSU before that time comes. With only 11 starts under his belt to this point, and already so much promise on tape, I can easily see Nussmeier being viewed as a projected-first-round pick as we head into next college football season. As of now, there are simply too many question marks to bet on him in the first round. It’ll be interesting to see if he declares.
