Buying or Selling the Latest Quarterback Buzz Entering 2025 NFL Draft Week

Barring a fairly significant surprise, Miami quarterback Cam Ward will be the first quarterback selected in the 2025 NFL draft—most likely by the Tennessee Titans at No. 1 overall.

After Ward, though, the quarterback picture appears murky at best. Colorado's Shedeur Sanders is the second-ranked QB prospect on the Bleacher Report Scouting Department's big board, but there's no guarantee he'll be the next signal-caller drafted.

With draft week officially underway, plenty of uncertainty surrounds Sanders, Mississippi's Jaxson Dart, Alabama's Jalen Milroe and other top QB prospects. Where they could be picked, by whom and in what order remains a mystery.

Of course, there's no shortage of rumors with the draft only days away. Here, we'll dive into some of the latest buzz and try to separate fact from fiction regarding the top quarterbacks in the 2025 class.

Buy: Sanders' Workout with Giants Went 'Well'

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Shedeur Sanders

Sanders may or may not be the second quarterback off the board on Thursday, and it's currently impossible to know where he'll be drafted. In terms of Round 1 range, however, the third overall pick feels like his ceiling.

The Cleveland Browns hold the second pick and need a quarterback, but they appear to be leaning toward Colorado WR/CB Travis Hunter.

"I believe Travis Hunter is the more likely pick at [No.] 2 today," ESPN's Adam Schefter said on The Adam Schefter Podcast.

The New York Giants hold the third pick and also need a long-term quarterback plan that goes beyond Russell Wilson and/or Jameis Winston. That plan could involve Sanders, even if taking Penn State pass-rusher Abdul Carter at No. 3 would be perfectly logical.

The Giants recently held a private workout with Sanders, and things went "well," according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.

"I'm told that head coach Brian Daboll likes to put those quarterbacks in private workouts in adverse situations, different situations, get them out of their comfort zone of a normal pro day setting. So, all of that was good," Fowler said on SportsCenter (h/t Bleacher Report's Joseph Zucker.

Now, a private workout isn't likely to change New York's mind if Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen believe that Carter would provide better value at No. 3. The reality, though, is that we don't know what the Giants plan to do, and there's little reason to believe that a report of a good workout is some sort of smokescreen.

Sell: Saints Still Like Spencer Rattler 'A Lot'

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Spencer Rattler

Sanders' floor might lie with the New Orleans Saints at No. 9. The Saints head into the draft without a clear-cut 2025 starter because of Derek Carr's shoulder injury.

"Carr is now dealing with a shoulder injury that threatens his availability for this season, sources say," NFL Media's Ian Rapoport posted to X on April 11.

The Bleacher Report Scouting Department believes that the Saints will target Sanders heavily and projected a trade up to No. 6 to land the Colorado product in its latest mock draft.

Not everyone believes that New Orleans will be in on Sanders that highly, though. ESPN's Matt Miller recently sold the idea of the Saints coveting Sanders, in part, because they drafted Spencer Rattler a year ago.

"This is the same front office that drafted Spencer Rattler in the fifth round last year, and a source told me that they still like his ability and upside a lot," Miller wrote.

On one hand, the Saints probably do like Rattler's ability and upside. The 24-year-old was consistently productive at both Oklahoma and South Carolina and may have fallen in the draft because of his lack of archetypal size (6'0", 211 lbs).

It's hard to believe, however, that the Saints like Rattler enough to potentially pass on a franchise-caliber quarterback in the top 10. Rattler made six starts last season, went winless and posted an underwhelming 70.4 passer rating.

No part of Rattler's NFL resume suggests that New Orleans can afford to pass on a QB with a legitimate first-round grade.

Sell: Browns 'Have Love' for Sanders

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The Browns probably won't take Sanders over Hunter and Carter at No. 2. If he falls past the Saints at No. 9, though, could Cleveland consider trading back into the first round to grab him?

It's certainly possible, and, according to Fowler, Cleveland does love Sanders.

"I know the Browns do have love for Shedeur Sanders, probably not at No. 2 overall at this point, but they like his sort of computer-mind processing ability at the line of scrimmage," Fowler said on SportsCenter (h/t Bleacher Report's Jack Murray).

"Love" is a strong word, and it probably doesn't fit here. If the Browns truly loved Sanders and believed he could solve their long-standing quarterback quandary, they wouldn't even be considering other players at No. 2.

Does Cleveland like Sanders enough to consider drafting him after first landing Hunter or Carter? Probably. If the team has leaked that it loves the quarterback, though, it probably did so as a smokescreen.

Cleveland may be trying to entice the Giants into moving up one spot for Sanders, which would give the Browns added draft capital to go with their preferred prospect. They could also be trying to coax a team like New Orleans into making a massive jump up the first-round board.

Hunter and Carter may be blue-chip prospects, but Cleveland has several needs and might find more value in selling off the No. 2 selection for multiple early draft picks.

Buy: Steelers Have First-Round Grade on Jaxson Dart

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Jaxson Dart

Sanders is widely expected to come off the board at some point in Round 1. One of the big questions heading into Thursday night is whether any other signal-callers will be taken in the first round.

While the Browns, Giants and Saints are the most logical landing spots for Sanders early in Round 1, teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers and Los Angeles Rams could be looking for a quarterback later in the round.

Pittsburgh is still waiting on Aaron Rodgers to make a decision and currently has Mason Rudolph as its QB1. Los Angeles has Matthew Stafford back in the fold following a revised contract agreement, but, at some point, the Rams need to find Stafford's successor.

The question is whether Dart, Milroe, Louisville's Tyler Shough or any other quarterback is actually worth a first-round pick. Ward and Sanders were the only QBs to receive a Round 1 grade from the Bleacher Report Scouting Department, and there may be a sizeable gap between Sanders and the Scouting Department's QB3, Dart.

Dart is the 57th-ranked prospect on the B/R board.

At least one team, however, reportedly has a first-round grade on the Mississippi product, though. That team is the Steelers, according to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

"I will tell you Rich that they have a first-round grade on Jaxson Dart, and they really like Shedeur Sanders," Dulac told the Rich Eisen Show (h/t Ross McCorkle of Steelers Depot).

This one's believable largely because each team evaluates prospects differently, and many teams' opinions differ from those in the media.

"Regardless of how highly rated a QB is on our own boards, the order they are taken is going to be decided by a small group of QB-needy teams that see each of them differently," ESPN's Field Yates recently wrote.

Should the Steelers use the 21st overall pick on Dart, some will view it as a reach. That doesn't mean, however, that Pittsburgh will believe it made a mistake.

Buy: Other Teams Could Target Dart Despite Having a Lower Grade on Him

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Jaxson Dart

On Sunday, Fowler also noted that the Steelers have a high grade on Dart—though some other teams do not. Regardless, the first-team All-SEC quarterback has reportedly generated enough buzz to earn first-round consideration from multiple teams.

"There's a lot of intrigue and buzz around Jaxson Dart," Fowler said on SportsCenter (h/t Bleacher Report's Joseph Zucker). "The Saints have done a lot of homework on this quarterback in particular. And the Steelers have a strong grade on him as well. So, somebody could make a move on Dart even though a lot of teams do have a second-round or third-round grade on the quarterback."

If the Saints pass on Sanders, it may have more to do with Dart than Ridder. And if the Steelers are hoping to land Dart late in Round 1, they will likely have competition.

In the Bleacher Report Scouting Department's three-round mock draft, for example, the Browns are projected to trade into the No. 24 slot (with the Minnesota Vikings) to grab Dart. It's not a stretch to think that teams may move a little higher to get in front of Pittsburgh, given the team's reported interest.

Teams with a higher grade on the 21-year-old, like Pittsburgh, are likely to be the most aggressive. However, a team with a second-round grade could still look to land him in Round 1. Why? Because the NFL has a serious supply-and-demand issue at the quarterback position.

Let's also consider the fact that teams rarely enter the draft with first-round grades on 32 players—the B/R Scouting Department only has first-round grades on 24 players. Players with second-round grades are going to go at the bottom of Round 1, even if they aren't quarterbacks.

So, yes, Dart has generated enough interest to potentially hear his name called on opening night, even if some don't view him as a first-round talent.

Sell: Giants Have Milroe High on Their List

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Alabama QB prospect Jalen Milroe

Like the Browns, the Giants could take a talented skill player in the top three and look to trade back into Round 1 for a quarterback—if they don't sell themselves on Sanders by Thursday night.

According to ESPN's Jordan Raanan, Milroe is high on New York's list of QB options.

"Milroe, by the way, is really high on that list. I heard he has his supporters inside the Giants' building," Raanan said on the Breaking Big Blue podcast (h/t Anthony Licciardi of Athlon Sports). "...does that mean they’ll trade up and take him at pick 15? I don’t think so, that would be very costly. But a slight move up at the end of Round 1, early Round 2?"

There are reasons to believe the Giants have interest in Milroe. Head coach Brian Daboll spent time under former Alabama head coach Nick Saban and has ties to the program. Milroe's upside as a dual-threat quarterback is tremendous.

However, Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen could both be on the hot seat this season, and if they draft a quarterback, they'll want one who can start sooner than later. Milroe is expected to be a long-term project.

"Milroe projects as a quarterback prospect that should sit instead of being a Day 1 starter in the NFL," Dame Parson of the B/R Scouting Department wrote.

Expect Daboll and Schoen to favor prospects who can help them win now over a quarterback who might need multiple years of pro development.

Buy: Tyler Shough Could Be Taken in Round 1

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Louisville QB prospect Tyler Shough

Shough appears to be the draft's biggest wild card heading into opening night. The Louisville product has plenty of intriguing traits and is a fairly polished prospect. However, he'll also turn 26 in September, has played for three different programs and has sustained multiple injuries—including a broken collarbone and broken fibula.

Though Shough is only the seventh-ranked quarterback on the B/R board, his stock has been rising in recent weeks. Now, he might be a borderline first-round pick.

"He is a name I’m hearing in league circles way more now than I was just three weeks ago in terms of a QB on the board that could be taken in the first round," The Athletic's Dianna Russini said on the Scoop City podcast.

Could Shough really go from being a relative unknown to a first-round prospect in a matter of months? Absolutely. We see prospects rise rapidly all the time. We saw Michael Penix Jr. make a considerable pre-draft jump just last season.

Penix, a five-year college player, was the seventh-ranked QB on B/R's final 2024 draft board. He ended up going eighth overall. While Shough isn't likely to go that high, his experience could draw significant first-round interest—as it did for Penix and Bo Nix last year.

And, as previously mentioned, not every team views prospects similarly. It only takes one team to fall in love with a prospect for him to go higher than most expected, and it's not hard to envision a team taking an early chance on Shough later this week.