Quarterbacks In The NFL Draft: Boom Or Bust?

With NFL teams placing a high priority on quarterbacks, the league’s annual draft always raises questions about which ones will be taken early—and whether they’ll contribute to a team’s success or be a bust.

This season’s draft begins Thursday (April 24) and ends Saturday.

Some NFL draft experts have suggested the 2025 quarterback pool is less than exceptional, while others note that high-value quarterbacks exist in the draft. Teams weighing their options also look for the best available player and focus on team needs, quarterback or not.

The Tennessee Titans, selecting first overall, are expected to take University of Miami quarterback Cam Ward.

In a recent episode of “The Edge,” Gambling .com’s Shannon Lane, formerly of NFL.com, analyzes the 2025 draft, including which three players are likely to go first.

QB Draft Picks Don't Always Work Out 

According to ESPN.com, here are the top quarterbacks available in the 2025 draft.

1. Cam Ward, Miami
2. Shedeur Sanders, Colorado
3. Jaxson Dart, Mississippi
4. Tyler Shough, Louisville
5. Jalen Milroe, Alabama

Sometimes, teams take quarterbacks who turn out be sleepers, compiling solid careers. As profootballhof.com notes, the New England Patriots in the 2000 draft took Tom Brady of the University of Michigan in the 6th round. Brady was the 199th overall selection. Now regarded as one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks ever, if not the best, Brady won seven Super Bowl rings in his years with the Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

One example of a successful quarterback top pick is Joe Burrow of the Cincinnati Bengals. In the 2020 draft, the Bengals took Burrow first overall after he led LSU to a national title and won the Heisman Trophy. In the 2024-’25 season, Burrow led all quarterbacks in total passing yards with 4,918.

Some quarterback picks don’t turn out as well as the Brady and Burrow selections. In a recent story on its website, USA Today, highlighting the “50 biggest NFL draft busts of last 50 years,” named quarterbacks among seven of the first eight draft busts: Ryan Leaf, JaMarcus Russell, Trey Lance, Zach Wilson, Mac Jones, Justin Fields and Jeff George. The only non-quarterback in the first eight players is offensive lineman Tony Mandarich at No. 2. Leaf is No. 1.

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