Grading the Top Quarterback Prospects Entering the NFL

*Quarterbacks are put in order from best to worst

**Grades are a reflection of how good the player is at the spot they were drafted

1. Cam Ward - Titans (A-)

The Titans, with the first overall pick in this draft, had their pick of the latest QB crop and opted to go with Cam Ward out of Miami. Now, everyone has acknowledged this draft class is a weaker quarterback class, but Cam Ward may be the lone shining star who stands out from the rest. When evaluating Cam Ward, I saw a lot of skills that should translate well into the NFL. Firstly, he is an excellent pocket passer. Although he has solid mobility and can create plays when they break down, he is at his best when he can push the ball downfield from the pocket. He has calm footwork and doesn’t rush his process, which keeps accuracy and decision-making amazingly precise. He places the ball extremely well and puts receivers in a good spot to make plays after the catch. His best ability may be to read the field before the snap and find ideal matchups, especially against man coverage. The drawback for Cam Ward is seen when he doesn’t have a clean pocket. When he gets hit a few times throughout a game, he gets more frantic, and this can lead to rushed decision-making, which can result in interceptions. Overall, I hope to see Cam Ward become similar to Jared Goff or vintage Russell Wilson, as he starts his young career in Nashville.

2. Dillon Gabriel - Browns (A)

Dillon Gabriel may be the most accurate quarterback in this entire draft. At Oregon, he lit up opposing defenses, posting 30 touchdowns, 6 interceptions, and over 3800 passing yards. He isn’t the biggest nor the most athletic quarterback in this draft, but at the end of the day, every team is looking for a quarterback who can throw it with timing and accuracy, which is exactly what Gabriel delivers. Since he is smaller at only 6 feet tall, he does get the ball batted at the line of scrimmage more than some other guys, but in a depleted class, Gabriel certainly stands out to me. Gabriel does the fundamental things well and I classify him as a steal where the Browns got him in the third round. My NFL comparison to him is a smaller Bo Nix, which is ironic, given they both played at Oregon a year apart from each other.

3. Jaxson Dart - Giants (C-)

The Giants have not had a franchise quarterback since Eli Manning. With the Daniel Jones experiment seemingly to have failed in New York, the Giants were prepared to bring in a new quarterback to hopefully lead this team into a bright future. Unfortunately, Jaxson Dart is not going to be the answer to the Giants’ hopes and prayers. Now, let’s start with his upsides. Dart has played against stiff competition in the SEC, and over his years in college, he has improved his touchdown-to-interception ratio, passing yardage, and completion percentage each year. He has solid athleticism that can allow him to scramble when needed, and he gets rid of the ball quickly while still going through several progressions. However, he was very dependent on short passes at Ole Miss and struggled to throw the ball past 15 yards down the field with good accuracy. Occasionally, he throws up a deep ball regardless of the coverage, which nearly results in an interception each time it's thrown. His footwork in the pocket can be frantic, and when pressured, he can’t throw the ball with accuracy. My fear with Dart is that no trait makes him stand out. When NFL corners challenge him to make a great throw on nearly every play, I doubt he will be able to do it. I expect Dart to become similar to Daniel Jones, as difficult as that may be for a Giants fan to hear.

4. Shedeur Sanders - Browns (B+)

Shedeur Sanders was certainly the headline of this most recent draft as he fell all the way to the fifth round. Clearly, his ego and other baggage were unappealing to many NFL franchises as they settled for less talented quarterbacks, but let’s evaluate his actual on-field skill. On the positive side, he does have a clean throwing motion, and he can make just about any throw needed. My real problem with Sanders is what most troubles me about his ability to play at the next level, which is mental. It is evident by how he holds the ball for so long that he reacts to what the defense is doing instead of anticipating it. It appears that he enjoys it when a play breaks down because of his ability to hit a big play downfield. Unfortunately, that play style doesn’t work in the NFL. My NFL comparison for him is a less talented Caleb Williams. During Caleb Williams' last collegiate year, he was sacked a ground-breaking 35 times because he held the ball too long and tried to play hero ball. Sure enough, once he made it to the NFL, he was sacked 68 times, which was the most in the NFL! This constantly set the Bears' offense backward and dramatically hurt their offensive output throughout the year. With this in mind, what do we think Shedeur Sanders is going to look like if, during his most recent collegiate year, he got sacked 42 times! Sanders is less talented than Williams, but possesses many of the same debilitating qualities. Expect him to look a lot like Zach Wilson during his NFL career.

5. Jalen Milroe - Seahawks (C-)

Typically, at least once per draft, you see a team take a project quarterback that they hope they can refine into a capable NFL quarterback. Jalen Milroe is that developmental quarterback. He certainly has the frame and arm strength to be an NFL quarterback, but many of his other traits put him far behind other people on this list. Firstly, I do like that he attacks down the field. I believe that his play style opens up things underneath and makes the defense defend all three levels of the field. Now this comes with the caveat that he does have amazing weapons at Alabama, so maybe he won't be able to attack downfield with such success in the NFL. However, Milroe does have a lot of problems. His accuracy on just about every throw is nearly unbearable to watch. He can make the correct read on a play, but then he places the ball behind his receivers, which prevents them from getting upfield, on the plays when he occasionally connects with his receivers. The reason I don’t hate this pick for the Seahawks is that if he can fix his accuracy problem, he could actually become an eventual starter. With Milroe, the upside is there, unlike just about every other quarterback on this list outside of Cam Ward, but I don’t believe he will end up achieving his potential. I expect him to become like a less talented Anthony Richardson.

6. Tyler Shough - Saints (D)

In a bad quarterback class, the Saints opted to take Tyler Shough in the second round. Tyler Shough finally completed his first complete collegiate season after 7 seasons in the collegiate system. He is routinely injured, but this most recent season, he was able to put up some good stats with 3200 passing yards, 23 TDs, and 6 Ints. However, these stats inflate his actual skill. Firstly, he played against bad ACC competition, and he didn’t even shine against those defenses. His throwing mechanics make his accuracy inconsistent, but it is hidden because he checks the ball down so much. When he tries throwing the ball downfield under pressure, that is where his inaccuracy is really seen. His favorite routes to throw are slants and short out routes, which can work as long as you are also pushing the ball down the field. I just don’t see his skills translating to the NFL. He will likely become similar to Mason Rudolph.