Matthew Freedman dives deep into the 2025 NFL Draft, projecting 5 ideal Quarterback landing spots.

With the 2024 NFL regular season over, we're about to turn our 2025 NFL Draft content up to 11 a la Spın̈al Tap, and let me tell you something: It's harder than you'd think to find an "n" with an umlaut above it and an "i" without a dot.

In this article—the first in a series—I'm highlighting my tentative ideal landing spots for the top 5 QBs on my prospect big board.

If you're looking for mock drafts, we've got you covered. You can check out Thor Nystrom's most recent mock as well as my growing catalogue of mock iterations.

Over the past six years (since I started submitting mocks in competitions), I’m the No. 2 mocker for accuracy, and I'm a lifetime 484-424 (+102.6 units) betting on the draft.

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In 2024 I was a terrible 38-49 (-10.4 units) thanks largely to a heavy fade of QB Michael Penix, but I was at least the No. 5 mocker.

I plan to do more draft content moving forward, so be sure regularly to check out our Fantasy Life NFL Draft Hub, where you can see my NFL prospect big board and Thor's early thoughts on the top of the draft board at each skill position.

2025 QB Prospects

I currently have three QBs with Round 1 grades (ranked in this order on my big board).

  • No. 15: Shedeur Sanders (Colorado)
  • No. 17: Cameron Ward (Miami)
  • No. 25: Jalen Milroe (Alabama)

After them, I have one QB with a solid Round 2 grade and then one QB on the borderline of Rounds 2-3.

  • No. 46: Carson Beck (Georgia)
  • No. 59: Jaxson Dart (Mississippi)

Note: I am currently assuming that QBs Drew Allar (Penn State) and Garrett Nussmeier (LSU) will not declare for the draft.

There's still lots of time for my evaluation of these QBs to change, but right now this is how I rank them—and here's where I'd like to see my top 5 go in the draft (in the general range where I think they'll be selected).

1.03—Giants: Shedeur Sanders (Colorado)

Let's say that the Titans sign a veteran QB in free agency—someone like Sam Darnold—and then say to themselves, "Let's get the guy in this class who has a chance to turn into the NFL's version of Shohei Ohtani." So they take WR/CB Travis Hunter (Colorado) at No. 1.

And then let's say that the Browns—because they've invested so much into QB Deshaun Watson—decide to give him one more year to prove himself and also decide to help him out by drafting an offensive playmaker. So they take WR Tetairoa McMillan.

In that case, Sanders would fall down to No. 3, where the Giants—with new HC Deion Sanders—would take the No. 1 QB in the class.

Is this a good landing spot for Sanders?

I have no idea.

But it would unquestionably be entertaining, and that's what I care about the most with this player-to-team match.

For the past two years, Sanders has been one of the most hyped players in College Football, and this season he led the nation with a 74.0% completion rate and the Big 12 with 4,134 yards and 37 TDs passing.

However this experiment turned out, Sanders in the Big Apple (paired with Coach Prime) would be glorious for football fans to behold.

1.06—Raiders: Cameron Ward (Miami)

I like Ward a lot and go back and forth between him and Sanders as the No. 1 QB in the class. Right now, he's actually the frontrunner to be the No. 1 pick (-125, FanDuel).

Since now-former HC Antonio Pierce is no longer with the Raiders, I'd prefer if the Raiders had an innovative offensive playcaller as the coach. My desire to see Ward with the Raiders has less to do about what the team can do for him and more about what he can do for the team.

The Raiders were once one of the great franchises in the league—but it has been years since they felt truly relevant.

Maybe Ward could change that for them.

I was early on Jayden Daniels. When he entered the league, I saw him as not just a future NFL starter but as someone who would've been worthy of the No. 1 pick and had a good chance to improve the fortunes of the moribund Commanders.

I view Ward in a similar light.

Unlike Daniels, he didn't win the Heisman Trophy in his final college campaign, but he did win the Davey O'Brien Award as College Football's top quarterback, and he did earn a first-team All-American designation with an outstanding 4,313 yards and 39 TDs passing (with just 7 INTs).

Additionally, he's also a competent runner with 60-204-4 rushing (including sacks) in his final season.

I'd like to see the Raiders get a decent QB. For Ward's sake, I hope that they don't ruin him. 

Back Half of Round 1—Steelers: Jalen Milroe (Alabama)

I love the idea of pairing Milroe with HC Mike Tomlin … and, I guess, maybe OC Arthur Smith.

Smith's specialty is the running game, and I can imagine Milroe putting up great fantasy numbers in Smith's system, given his high-end dual-threat skill set (9.1 AY/A for his college career, 168-726-20 rushing in his final season).

Milroe is still raw, but he'd have the opportunity to develop on the bench for 1-2 years behind a veteran—maybe Russell Wilson, if the Steelers re-sign him—or he could start right away if the Steelers have a plan in place to support him with surrounding talent and bring him along in a measured manner.

And after the organization's failure with 2022 first-rounder Kenny Pickett, I think the Steelers will be more intentional with how they develop their next QB of the future.

Middle of Round 2—Seahawks: Carson Beck (Georgia)

Starter Geno Smith is 34 years old and entering the final season of his contract. The Seahawks could decide to extend him this offseason … but they could just as easily choose to draft his replacement, let him learn from the sideline as a rookie, and then allow Smith to walk in free agency in 2026.

As of writing, the Seahawks lack an offensive playcaller after parting ways with OC Ryan Grubb after just one season—but there's a decent chance that they could upgrade with a new hire, and the Seahawks have WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba in place to help a young QB out.

Back Half of Round 2—Rams: Jaxson Dart (Mississippi)

Dart led the nation this past season with an outrageous 11.5 AY/A, and he had 371-1,498-12 rushing (including sacks) in his three years at Mississippi.

The Rams might lose QB Matthew Stafford to retirement in the next 1-2 years.

Let's put Dart with HC Sean McVay, let him learn from him and Stafford to open his career, and then see what he can do in the NFL after sufficient seasoning.