2025 NFL Draft matchmaker: Most closely fits for Cam Ward, Jaxson Dart, different high QBs

Not less than past Cam Ward, there isn’t a consensus on the place every of this 12 months’s crop of quarterbacks could get drafted. After Ward presumably turns into a Tennessee Titan, the remainder of the group is a whole thriller. It’s simply as possible Ward is the one quarterback we see on Thursday night time as it’s that 4 quarterbacks go within the first spherical.

Fortunate for us, we’re going to chop by means of all that uncertainty and play quarterback matchmaker, putting all of this 12 months’s high quarterback prospects on the groups that take advantage of sense. In some instances, that has extra to do with what kind of quarterback the crew wants; in others, it’s about discovering the suitable setting for getting essentially the most out of a selected ability set.

Let’s get to the stunning new {couples}.

Cam Ward: Tennessee Titans

All indicators level to Ward being the Titans’ beginning quarterback subsequent 12 months. It’s not even price entertaining completely different prospects for both QB or crew at this level. Ward is each a great match for the core of Brian Callahan’s offense and would deliver components that Titans’ quarterbacks final season didn’t.

The Titans’ 2024 offense was all about maximizing play-action alternatives and attacking down the sphere. Ward has the arm expertise and fearlessness as a thrower to excel in that setting. Nonetheless, Ward additionally massively improved his quick-game operation in faculty, and he’s rather more snug taking part in from unfold and empty formations than Will Levis has ever been. Ward is leaps and bounds forward of Levis (or Mason Rudolph) as a creator outdoors of the pocket, too.

There are going to be rising pains with Ward’s overzealous play type early on, however they are going to be price it in the long term. Ward has each a flooring and ceiling worthy of being the No. 1 choose on this class.

Shedeur Sanders: New Orleans Saints

Discovering Sanders’ finest match was trickier than I anticipated. Kevin Stefanski’s downfield play-action offense in Cleveland will not be very best; Brian Daboll’s faster passing assault in New York may make sense, however that offensive line is a sieve and Sanders will not be athletic sufficient to faucet into a number of the finest components of Daboll’s playbook.

The concept of Sanders being Kellen Moore’s first crack at a quarterback is intriguing, although. Sanders is at his finest working unfold passing ideas, particularly within the beneath space. He’s a dependable short-area passer who makes use of the intermediate and deeper areas of the sphere to maintain defenses sincere, reasonably than making these his most popular areas of assault. That’s completely high quality for a West Coast-inspired offense.

In fact, falling to ninth general isn’t any assure. The Browns or the Giants could really feel the itch of desperation and draft Sanders within the high three. If Sanders does slide somewhat bit, nevertheless, it wouldn’t be a shock to see the Saints cease that fall.

Jaxson Dart: Seattle Seahawks

It might be gorgeous if the Seahawks left the primary two days of the draft with no quarterback. The deal Sam Darnold signed in March is successfully a one-year contract with crew choices from then on out — if that doesn’t scream “a developmental quarterback is coming,” I don’t know what does.

Seattle may go in just a few instructions, however Dart is sensible for his or her new offense below Klint Kubiak, and vice versa.

Dart jogs my memory quite a lot of Jimmy Garoppolo as a passer. The 2 are fairly related in construct, arm expertise and skill on throws over the center of the sphere. A majority of Dart’s finest throws on movie are slants, quick posts and crossers. The identical was true of Garoppolo at his finest in San Francisco. Neither Dart nor Garoppolo is a quarterback you need studying out a full development fairly often.

In concept, Kubiak’s offense performs into all of that. It’s constructed off the run recreation, which is then parlayed into a robust play-action assault. Not solely does that simplify reads for the quarterback, it additionally calls for the QB usually makes tight throws over the center of the sphere, which is the place Dart shines.

With a 12 months on the bench to study the tempo of the league, perhaps Dart could make it work with the Seahawks.

Tyler Shough: Cleveland Browns

The Browns’ finest path to a quarterback is to take the Day 2 participant most prepared to begin instantly. For my cash, that’s Shough.

Exterior of Ward, Shough is essentially the most proficient thrower within the class. He has a versatile but explosive launch that works nicely from all platforms, out and in of the pocket. Although he’s extra of a straight-line thrower than somebody with improbable contact, he nonetheless will get the job completed from an accuracy perspective.

Shough is a top quality processor, as nicely. Just like Ryan Tannehill, he generally is a hair sluggish coming off of reads early within the down however usually doesn’t make weird errors, and he protects the ball nicely.

When it comes to professional readiness and arm expertise, Shough simply makes essentially the most sense for Kevin Stefanski’s offense proper now.

Jalen Milroe: Los Angeles Rams

If Sean McVay needs to maintain the offense roughly the identical in an eventual post-Matthew Stafford world, Milroe will not be the reply — he’s truly the furthest factor from Stafford on this draft class (except for the 2 or three weird misfires every QB has each recreation).

McVay has lengthy flirted with the concept of a cell quarterback, although. He was keen to provide John Wolford an opportunity on the finish of the Jared Goff saga, then held onto him because the crew’s backup by means of the 2022 season. McVay additionally gave Bryce Perkins a begin in 2022, a recreation during which Perkins carried the ball 19 instances for 90 yards.

Milroe will stroll into the league as among the best athletes on the place. As a passer, he’ll want no less than a 12 months to repair his footwork and adapt to the velocity of protection on the NFL stage, however that’s okay. There could be no strain on Milroe to compete with Stafford for the job.

This may be an extended play. No matter it being a great or practical concept, I simply so badly wish to see the world during which McVay will get to re-unlock the boot-action recreation and dabble in a quarterback-centric dashing assault.

Brian Daboll’s finest work through the years — outdoors of his time with Josh Allen — was at Alabama in 2017, with Jalen Hurts, and in 2022, with Daniel Jones.

Although completely different high quality gamers, Hurts and Jones can each usually be described as sturdy, athletic quarterbacks with the arm expertise to push the ball down the sphere somewhat bit. Each gamers added one thing to the offense through their mobility, and Daboll took benefit.

Other than perhaps Milroe, Leonard is Daboll’s finest swing at that type of athlete. Leonard is 6-foot-4, 218 kilos with severe wheels. He’s pretty explosive briefly areas and excels when he actually will get to stride out, much like Jones. He’s clearly a weapon within the designed-run recreation and the purple zone.

Leonard nonetheless has lots to show as a passer, however his athletic potential and toughness provides him a flooring to work with whereas he figures it out.

Kyle McCord: Dallas Cowboys

It’s exhausting to search out and maintain onto good backup quarterbacks — the Cowboys had been fortunate to draft and retain Cooper Rush for so long as that they did. Boring as he’s to observe, Rush was a wonderfully competent quarterback when it got here to operating the offense and never taking part in outdoors of his means.

With Rush now in Baltimore, the Cowboys are in the hunt for the subsequent man to fill that function. McCord is their finest guess.

McCord will not be an amazing expertise. His arm is simply okay, and he’s not going to scare anybody on the transfer. Like every good NFL backup, nevertheless, McCord can run an offense effectively and persistently. He actually realized to play inside himself at Syracuse, displaying good rhythm and decision-making as a thrower.

It’s unlikely he ever ascends to something above an excellent backup, however that’s fairly alright for a Cowboys crew searching for that actual type of participant.

Will Howard: Pittsburgh Steelers

They need to draft any person, proper? Even below the idea Aaron Rodgers lastly drops the charade and indicators, the Steelers must make some kind of effort to safe a younger quarterback.

Howard, if nothing else, matches Arthur Smith’s offense. He’s not somebody who must be a high-volume passer, which already leans into Smith’s run-first method. Moreover, Howard’s finest traits are his measurement and arm expertise, which permits him to comfortably throw down the sphere, in addition to ample athletic potential for a participant his measurement. Smith’s total play-action and boot menu could be open with Howard at quarterback.

It’s exhausting to think about Howard creating the down-to-down accuracy and play velocity to actually thrive as an NFL starter, however Smith’s offense in Pittsburgh no less than would give Howard an opportunity to cover his weaknesses and lean into his strengths.

Dillon Gabriel: Miami Dolphins

Placing the quick lefty quarterback prospect as a backup to the quick lefty NFL quarterback seems like a bit, but it surely’s not. It is sensible when you think about every participant’s strengths and the dynamics of being a left-handed vs. right-handed thrower.

Firstly, pass-catchers usually discuss in regards to the flight and spin of the ball being completely different from lefty quarterbacks — the ball rotates in the wrong way of 99 p.c of quarterbacks, so it appears to be like completely different coming right into a receiver’s imaginative and prescient.

Gabriel, like Tua Tagovailoa, additionally thrives with RPOs and throws over the center. He has a versatile and explosive launch, making him completely geared up to handle these RPOs at a excessive stage. And he thrives on in-breaking throws, even providing extra velocity than Tagovailoa does.

The Dolphins desperately must spend money on a backup quarterback in some way. Gabriel matches.

Quinn Ewers: Buffalo Payments

Not each participant or crew will get their very best match in an train like this. Generally, groups need to accept whoever is left on the dance flooring.

From the Payments’ perspective, a younger backup quarterback must be on the desk, as a result of Mitchell Trubisky has only one 12 months left on his deal. It makes some sense for the Payments to get forward of issues early and get a developmental participant within the pipeline.

Ewers would deliver useful athleticism and arm expertise for Joe Brady. He nonetheless struggles with pocket presence and contact accuracy, particularly down the sphere, however there’s sufficient expertise there to mildew a useful backup.

(Prime photograph of Jaxson Dart:  Justin Ford / Getty Photos)