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When it comes to the NFL Draft, all eyes are going to be on one position when the first round kicks off on Thursday night, and that position is quarterback.
The Tennessee Titans are expected to take Cam Ward with the first overall pick, but after that, no one seems to have any idea what's going to happen with this year's quarterback class. Shedeur Sanders could be the second QB to go off the board or not. Jaxson Dart could be a first-round pick or not. And Jalen Milroe, don't even get me started on Jalen Milroe. Just here at CBS Sports, we have writers predicting that he'll go in the first round, we have writers who have him going in the second round and we even have a writer who has Milroe going in the third round.
If I've learned one thing about this QB class over the past few weeks, it's that no one seems to actually know anything about where anyone after Ward is going to go. That's why we've decided to do a QB mock draft.
One reason there's so much confusion is because there are so many teams that could potentially take a QB this week from the Browns to the Giants to the Steelers to the Saints. And let's not forget about teams like the Raiders, Seahawks and Jets, who all added a QB this offseason, but they might still be willing to take one in the draft. Also, there are plenty of teams that could end up taking a QB even though they don't need one. The Packers and Ravens both selected a quarterback in 2024 even though they were set at the position.
This will be like a normal mock draft, except we're only doing quarterbacks here. We're going to take a look at the top 10 quarterbacks in the draft and predict their landing spot. Our top 10 list is based our QB prospect rankings here at CBS Sports, so here are the 10 quarterbacks who will be in our QB mock draft: Cam Ward, Shedeur Sanders, Jaxson Dart, Jalen Milroe, Will Howard, Quinn Ewers, Kyle McCord, Tyler Shough, Dillon Gabriel and Riley Leonard.
Over the past 25 years, there have been at least 10 quarterbacks taken in 23 drafts, so there's a good chance that we'll see at least 10 get selected this year.
Let's get to our QB mock draft.
QB mock draft
Round 1, Pick 1
Of all the quarterback moves that might happen in the draft, Cam Ward going to Tennessee feels like the only one that's an absolute lock. If the Titans end up not taking Ward, it would be one of the biggest surprises in NFL Draft history.
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Round 1, Pick 9
With Derek Carr's availability in question for 2025 due to a shoulder injury, the Saints are in desperate need of a QB this year and due to Carr's contract, it would help if they could get a talented guy for cheap. The best way to do that is in the draft and if Shedeur Sanders falls to them at nine, the Saints should sprint to the podium to turn in their draft card. With Sanders on a rookie contract, the sting of Carr's potentially $60 million dead cap hit in 2026 won't hurt quite as bad.
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Round 1, Pick 21
Heading into the draft, the Steelers QB plan for 2025 seems to be "Pray that Aaron Rodgers signs with us." If Rodgers hasn't signed a contract by the time the draft starts on Thursday, that will put the Steelers in a precarious position: They'll need a QB and they'll likely need to take one in this spot since they won't make their next pick until the third round. If the Steelers take Dart, that shouldn't impact what they're trying to do with Rodgers. If the four-time MVP ends up in Pittsburgh, then Dart can sit behind him for a year, but if Rodgers doesn't sign with the Steelers, then Dart can potentially start in 2025.
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Round 2, Pick 33
With seven years spent at the college level, Shough was basically the Van Wilder of college football, so there's certainly some risk involved for any team that drafts him. However, spending some extra time in college can be a good thing and we learned that last year with Bo Nix thriving in Denver after spending five years at the collegiate level. Although I have the Browns taking Shough at 33rd overall, it wouldn't be surprising if they traded up to the bottom of the first round to make this pick since all first-round rookie contracts come with a fifth-year option.
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Round 2, Pick 42
Milroe is a raw talent who might not be quite ready to start during his rookie year, which makes him the perfect QB for the Jets to take here. Milroe has a similar skillset to Fields, which could make him an attractive option to serve as the backup QB to Fields for 2025. The Jets gave Fields a two-year deal, but they could easily get out of the contract after one year if Milroe proves that he has what it takes to be the starter in New York.
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Round 3, Pick 80
When it comes to the quarterback position, Indianapolis seems like a dark horse team to grab a QB in the first two days of the draft, which is why we have them taking Howard here. The Colts don't know who their starting QB is going to be in 2025. Right now, the plan is to have an open competition between Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones, so why not throw one more competitor into the fray?
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Round 3, Pick 101
Matthew Stafford just turned 37, which means the Rams need to start thinking about what life is going to be like after Stafford. There's been some speculation that the Rams could take a QB in the first round, but with Jimmy Garoppolo serving as the backup, the Rams actually have a solid 1-2 punch at QB for the 2025 season, so it seems like it would make a lot more sense to grab a QB in the third round, a round where the Rams have two picks.
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Round 4, Pick 108
Pete Carroll hand-picked his starting quarterback in Las Vegas by making a trade for Geno Smith and if he wants to hand-pick his backup QB, he'll have the chance to that in the draft. Right now, Aidan O'Connell is the No. 2 guy, but it won't be surprising at all if the Raiders try to replace him at some point in the draft and we have them doing that here with Ewers. The Texas QB has said he'd love to play for Pete Carroll and the Raiders would likely love if they were able to get Ewers on Day 3 of the draft.
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Round 4, Pick 135
The Oregon QB set the college record for passing touchdowns (155) and total touchdowns (189) during an impressive college career, but if there's one big knock on him, it's the fact that he's only 5-foot-11. In college, he thrived by making quick decisions, which is something that Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel loves to see in a quarterback. If there's any NFL offense where Gabriel could succeed, it's likely the one that McDaniel is running in Miami.
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Round 5, Pick 154
With Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston on the roster, the Giants have put themselves in a spot where they don't need to take a QB early in the draft, which is why we have them waiting until the fifth round to grab Leonard. Brian Daboll has a creative offensive mind and getting a mobile QB like Leonard would give the Giants something they don't have at QB right now (Wilson has lost mobility with age and Winston might be one of the three most immobile quarterbacks in the NFL).
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The 2025 NFL Draft is to take place from April 24-26 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. More draft coverage can be found at CBSSports.com, including the weekly mock drafts and a regularly available look at the eligible prospects.
