The top two quarterback prospects in this year’s draft — Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders — did not work out at the Senior Bowl. While both have generated scrutiny, especially when compared to last year’s crop, this duo has been viewed as the top tier among QBs in this draft for a while now.
A mystery exists behind those two passers, with the likes of Quinn Ewers, Jalen Milroe and Jaxson Dart being part of the next wave of QBs available. Each carries considerable questions into the draft and this second group may not see a player go in Round 1. However, the supply-and-demand issue at the position regularly leads to second-tier QB prospects being drafted earlier than they should be. That will be something to monitor.
The Senior Bowl workouts went well enough for Dart that he may be the clubhouse leader to be the third quarterback drafted. As Milroe struggled during a week that veteran ESPN analyst Louis Riddick described (h/t Paul Schwartz of the New York Post) as “uneven,” ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes Dart became more comfortable during the week of practices. An AFC scout told Fowler that Dart should not be viewed as a first-rounder, but with the maligned crop coming in, it certainly could happen.
Daniel Jeremiah’s first 2025 NFL.com big board lists only Ward and Sanders in its top 50. ESPN’s Matt Miller mocks Dart at 40th overall to the Saints, going two spots ahead of Ewers. Milroe is not in Miller’s top-64 offering. Beyond the host of QB-needy teams picking in the top six (Titans, Browns, Giants, Raiders), teams like the Jets, Saints, Steelers and Seahawks need long-term answers. This demand, along with what is not viewed as a strong free agent class would benefit Dart.
Playing under Lane Kiffin at Ole Miss, Dart follows Matt Corral as a second-tier QB prospect. Corral did not pan out, going in Round 3 and not currently on an NFL roster. Dart started for three-plus seasons and finished the 2024 campaign with a 29-6 TD-INT ratio and a 10.8-yard average per attempt. A 69.3 percent completion rate and 495 rushing yards came along with those impressive numbers. One NFC staffer told Fowler that the Kiffin offense is a “mess” in terms of translating to the NFL, however. That stands to be an issue Dart must navigate during the combine and predraft visits.
Some of the teams holding picks outside the top six will need to turn to free agent or trade options, but with starter hopefuls scarce, Dart impressing at the combine certainly could begin to generate first-round buzz. Even as Ward and Sanders are not locks to be this draft’s top two selections, Tennessee and Cleveland needs notwithstanding, their places near the top of the draft are fairly solidified. The next wave of passers, then, stand to be the more interesting part of the predraft process.
