What a wild 2025 NFL Draft! It was full of drama, risers, fallers, prank calls, and many surprises. Now we can say Dynasty rookie draft season is officially open, and it’s time to assess where all these players landed.
This is not a draft class with many big expectations for QBs, at least when compared with the previous one. This year, only two QBs were drafted in the first round. But the NFL is always full of surprises, and you never know when the next Tom Brady or Brock Purdy will rise from the later rounds. That’s why we’ll take a look at each and every one of the 15 QBs selected.
Before diving in and as a disclaimer, I would like to make a callback to this excellent article from last season by Sam DiSorbo, in which he explains how rookie QBs are usually risky picks, especially in redraft leagues. They rarely outperform their ADP to the point of high reward. Last season was an outlier with two rookie QBs finishing inside the top 10, but over the last five seasons, only five QBs have accomplished this. So let’s keep that in mind when drafting this year’s rookies.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at the 2025 draft class QB landing spots and their fantasy outlook.
Cam Ward – Tennessee Titans
Round 1, Pick 1
This QB draft class might not be as exceptionally bright as last year’s, but the Titans were desperate for a QB, and they picked the best prospect from this class with the first overall pick. At the time of writing, the latest news is that Titans general manager Mike Borgonzi is not naming Cam Ward the starter, but there is still time for this to change. The Titans’ passing game was one of the worst in the league last season under Will Levis, even though he had some pretty decent weapons in Calvin Ridley, Treylon Burks, Tony Pollard, Tyjae Spears, and Chigoziem Okonkwo (DeAndre Hopkins left in October to join the Kansas City Chiefs). This cast is now joined by Tyler Lockett, who will provide some additional experience to the receiving corps.
So, what can we expect from Cam Ward in his first season? He might not be more than a fantasy QB2 in 2025, but he is a very talented passer who knows how to move under pressure in and out of the pocket. He has also shown great accuracy, arm talent, and a willingness to push the ball downfield. He had a 9.4-yard average depth of target in 2024, which should make us at least a little excited about Calvin Ridley, who ran a ton of long routes last season, but caught only 29% of his deep targets (20+ yards) due to Levis’ poor accuracy.
The jury is still out on how Cam Ward’s skillset might impact RBs Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears’ fantasy value. Last season, neither of them was significantly involved in the passing game. I’m a little more intrigued by Chig Okonkwo as a sleeper this season, since experienced TEs are usually the perfect security blanket for rookie QBs.
Jaxson Dart – New York Giants
Round 1, Pick 25
After missing out on Jayden Daniels last season (even though Joe Schoen’s son told his dad he should draft him), the Giants drafted Jaxson Dart, hoping he will become their next franchise QB. It’s been six years since they selected Daniel Jones with the sixth overall pick, and fans must be praying this time it’ll work out. But make no mistake, Jaxson Dart is a much better prospect than Danny Dimes. During his last season at Ole Miss, Dart had a 69.3% completion rate (vs Daniel Jones’ 59.9%), averaged 10.2 yards per attempt, and rushed for 495 yards. He is also a very good scrambler.
But Dart is young and still needs to develop his skills as a drop-back pocket passer, so we might not see him get a lot of playing time this season. With Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston as New York’s latest free agency signings at QB, Jaxson Dart will have to wait patiently in line for an opportunity. The good news is that when he gets it, he will have one of the league’s best young WRs in Malik Nabers as his primary weapon. When will that opportunity arrive? It will all depend on how the Giants’ season goes. If they fall out of playoff contention at some point, we might see Dart get some action later in the year.
Jaxson Dart has Legitimate NFL Traits
77.7% Adjusted Completion Percentage
ALL of these Advanced Analytics were BETTER than Cam Wards..
Future 1st Round Pick in the 2025 NFL Draft pic.twitter.com/7RcgeOSLjl
— Austin Abbott (@AustinAbbottFF) March 16, 2025
Tyler Shough – New Orleans Saints
Round 2, Pick 40
With all the uncertainty around Derek Carr’s injury, the Saints needed to draft a QB. And they selected one that is as old as Trevor Lawrence (Shough will be 26 when the season starts). Tyler Shough played seven seasons of college football, moving from Oregon to Texas Tech to Louisville, where he finally played a full season as a starter in his seventh year.
He is a mobile QB with good arm talent who might be able to become a decent NFL starter. The Saints value his experience and his ability to process football maturely. They consider him ready for the NFL, and they better hope he is, in case Carr isn’t ready in September. Shough also has a long list of collarbone and fibula injuries, but he is healthy now. If he does a decent job during training camp and preseason, don’t be surprised if he becomes the Saints’ starting QB as soon as Week 1. Considering all this, I wouldn’t mind stashing him in Dynasty leagues.
Jalen Milroe – Seattle Seahawks
Round 3, Pick 92
A mobile QB in Seattle is an exciting proposition for fantasy football. Jalen Milroe’s ground production in college was impressive, as he ran for 726 yards during his last season. He has a strong arm, but his college passing numbers weren’t that great. He only threw for 2,849 yards and 16 TDs in his best season, but his 64.3% completion rate was not bad at all.
The obvious question is: Will Milroe play in 2025? My hunch is he might get the opportunity to show his talent at some point – he will start as a backup to Sam Darnold, but I’m still skeptical about Darnold’s resurgence last year in Minnesota. I don’t know if he will be able to perform at a high level without Kevin O’Connell’s pocket-passer-friendly scheme and the protection of a top-10 offensive line. Seattle’s O-line was among the league’s bottom three last season, and a scrambling QB like Jalen Milroe might work better in this scenario. Once he gets an opportunity, he will provide fantasy value through his feet. But he will need to work on his passing game if he wants to stay on the field and avoid another Anthony Richardson-esque fiasco.
NOT ONE, NOT TWO, NOT THREE BUT FOUR RUSHING TDS FOR JALEN MILROE
ABSOLUTELY TERRORIZING THE LSU DEFENSE
pic.twitter.com/XuXOsCkLLC
— ESPN (@espn) November 10, 2024
Dillon Gabriel – Cleveland Browns
Round 3, Pick 94
and
Shedeur Sanders – Cleveland Browns
Round 5, Pick 144
We gotta talk about these two together, since they obviously impact each other’s outlook. With Shedeur Sanders still on the board, the Browns decided to pick the Oregon prospect Dillon Gabriel. Then two whole rounds later, they finally pulled the trigger on the name everyone was talking about. It almost felt like a fantasy draft gone wrong. We’ve all been there, you’re on the clock, and there’s that mid-round QB you like and you fear you’ll miss on having a good one. Then, a couple of rounds later, there’s that other hyped-up late-round QB, and you feel the urge to take him as well. Then you end up with two QBs, and your draft is ruined.
Let’s break down the Brown’s messy QB situation: Right now, Cleveland has Deshaun Watson, Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel, and Shedeur Sanders under contract. They have to cut someone. The Browns’ owner, Jimmy Haslam, recently admitted they made a mistake with Deshaun Watson, but he still has a fully guaranteed contract, so cutting him would result in a massive dead cap hit. They spent a bunch of draft picks on acquiring Watson, and now they spent two more on getting a couple of rookies. There’s a lot of draft capital invested in the room. Back in January, Watson had a setback in his Achilles injury recovery, so he won’t be playing this season.
Flacco and Pickett are both under one-year deals, while Sanders and Gabriel should be signing standard four-year rookie contracts. At least one of the two veterans should be cut at some point. But I wouldn’t be surprised if they also end up cutting Sanders, given the Deshaun Watson situation, so the Shedeur Sanders drama might not be over yet.
Given all this, I really think that Dillon Gabriel has a chance to play as soon as this 2025 season. The Browns need to turn the negative momentum around as soon as possible, and the dual-threat rookie from Oregon might help them do that. There are several reasons why the Browns chose Gabriel over Sanders. Gabriel comes with 155 passing TDs and four 3500+ passing-yard college seasons under his belt. He had a 72.9% completion rate in 2024. Despite the terribly crowded QB room, if I were to stash any of these QBs on my Dynasty bench, Dillon Gabriel would be my choice.
Instead of wondering why the Browns passed on Shedeur Sanders to get him two rounds later, watch this and learn why Stefanski prioritized Dillon Gabriel.pic.twitter.com/p1SCBMZgxu
— Javier Manzanera (@elmantis) April 30, 2025
Kyle McCord – Philadelphia Eagles
Round 6, Pick 181
Kyle McCord was the first of many QBs picked in the sixth round, but will we see one of them succeed in the NFL and fantasy football? Time will tell. McCord will be competing for a backup role behind Jalen Hurts in Philly. He went from Ohio State to Syracuse, where he played a solid final college season, throwing for almost 4,800 yards and 34 TDs. With Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Tanner McKee as competition, Kyle McCord should secure the backup job easily.
Will Howard – Pittsburgh Steelers
Round 6, Pick 185
Many mock drafters and analysts expected the Steelers to go for one of the big names at QB in this NFL Draft, but they waited until the sixth round and picked Will Howard. Howard had a very good 2024 season at Ohio State, throwing for over 4,000 yards and 35 TDs with a 73% completion rate. His competition for the starting job is Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson, so he should become the starter, right? RIGHT??? Well, I wouldn’t be so sure. Don’t forget Aaron Rodgers and Kirk Cousins are still lurking in the shadows of free agency.
Riley Leonard – Indianapolis Colts
Round 6, Pick 189
After being really close to winning a National Championship with Notre Dame last year, Riley Leonard will compete for a backup role in Indianapolis, while Daniel Jones and Anthony Richardson fight for the starting job. Leonard shouldn’t be on your fantasy radar at the moment.
Graham Mertz – Houston Texans
Round 6, Pick 197
Another depth addition, this prospect from Florida will likely compete for a third-string spot on the roster at best, behind C.J. Stroud and Davis Mills. It will be hard for him to become fantasy-relevant.
Tommy Mellott – Las Vegas Raiders
Round 6, Pick 213
Las Vegas got creative in the sixth round. Influenced by Tom Brady, who was quite fond of this prospect, the Raiders selected the Montana State prospect with the idea of turning him into a WR, just like happened to Brady’s buddy Julian Edelman back in the day. Mellott’s QB numbers are not bad, though, in 2024, he threw for 31 TDs and rushed for over 1,000 yards and 15 TDs. This athletic ability is what caught the Raiders’ front office’s eye as a potential WR. Their current WR room is not exactly booming with talent right now, so let’s wait and see how this pans out.
Cam Miller – Las Vegas Raiders
Round 6, Pick 215
Taking another random lottery ticket two picks later, the Raiders doubled up on the position and picked Cam Miller, this time with the idea of keeping him as a QB. There’s not much to expect here, fantasy-wise, at least not this year. But the Raiders know Geno Smith is not a long-term solution, and it’s wise to have a rookie competing for a spot with Aidan O’Connell in the depth chart.
Kurtis Rourke – San Francisco 49ers
Round 7, Pick 227
The 49ers have Mac Jones as Brock Purdy’s backup, but Kyle Shanahan said he loved how Kurtis Rourke plays the position. He is still recovering from a torn ACL but hopes to be ready for training camp. It’s very unlikely Rourke will become fantasy-relevant anytime soon.
Quinn Ewers – Miami Dolphins
Round 7, Pick 231
This is not a bad last-round pick. Knowing Tua Tagovailoa’s injury history, the Dolphins should have addressed their backup QB situation a couple of months ago with a top free agent, but they took Zach Wilson, which is not exactly ideal. The Dolphins knew they needed a viable potential starter as their third-stringer in the draft. Many scouts and draft analysts projected Ewers as a second-round pick, throwing for over 3,400 yards in his last two seasons in Texas. Considering all the variables in the Dolphins’ QB room, Quinn Ewers is not a bad stash in 2-QB leagues.
from Fantasy Footballers Podcast https://ift.tt/Eq1bTsU
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