The 2025 NFL Draft is on everyone’s mind now that the NFL and College Football seasons are officially over. For those who have been diving deep into this class for several months, the quarterback talk has already reached an unbelievable level. It’s been insufferable, and April is a long ways away.

NFL Draft analyst Dane Brugler of The Athletic, who is considered to be one of the top voices in the space, released his updated Top 100 big board on Tuesday. There were six quarterbacks who made the cut, and a couple of surprises arose. The order could shock some.

It wasn’t much of a surprise to see Brugler have Miami standout Cameron Ward ranked at No. 15 on the list. Ward just put together a tremendous season in 2024, throwing for 4,313 yards and 39 touchdowns. He also added another four scores on the ground, while completing over 67 percent of his passes.

Here is what Brugler had to say about Ward:

It became clear pretty early in the 2024 season that if an NFL team was to bet on a quarterback in this draft class, Ward would be the guy. There is a looseness to his game that is both worrisome and exciting, but it allows him to buy time and create explosive plays.

After playing in a Wing-T offense in high school, Ward has made noticeable improvements each season in college, which creates optimism for his NFL future.

Next on the list was Colorado star Shedeur Sanders, coming in at No. 25 overall. He has become a very divisive prospect in this class. Some believe he’s the top overall signal caller, while others think Sanders is very, very overrated.

Sanders is smart, tough and accurate, which makes a great foundation for an NFL quarterback. I have no doubts that he can start at the next level. My concerns are more about his overall ceiling, because of his average physical traits and mismanagement of the pocket.

The draft opinions on Sanders are wide-ranging throughout the league — and my evaluation of him seems to be somewhere in the middle.

Even with a debate that could happen between Ward and Sanders, those are the near-consensus top guys, but there is some argument about what the order should be. After Sanders, the surprises began.

Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart sits as Brugler’s third-ranked quarterback in the class, coming in at No. 57 overall. Dart has been climbing boards recently with a solid process so far, and it appears he has solidified himself somewhere on Day Two (Rounds 2-3) of the draft.

After transferring out of USC once Caleb Williams arrived, Dart found a home with Lane Kiffin. He leaves Oxford, Miss., with numerous season and career records, including the Rebels’ all-time lead in wins (28), passing yards (10,617) and total offense (12,117).

He needs time to develop his progression-based reads and anticipation (things he wasn’t asked to regularly do in college), but Dart is a natural thrower of the football with promising mobility and high-level competitive intangibles.

It’s a slight surprise for some that Dart propelled Alabama star Jalen Milroe, but not entirely. Now here’s where things get weird. Milroe isn’t the fourth-ranked quarterback. Brugler actually has Tyler Shough (Louisville) rated ahead of him, sitting at No. 59 overall.

I understand why some are caught up on Shough’s age (he will be 25 on draft weekend), but that should be less of a concern for the quarterback position — especially outside of the first round.

A good-sized athlete, Shough engineered an offense that averaged 36.6 points per game in 2024. As long as team doctors sign off on his medicals, he has tools worthy of a Day Two dice roll.

Shough was impressive in 2024, but that valuation feels pretty rich. Regardless, there must be some conversations around it in the league. He is just ahead of Milroe, who comes in at No. 61.

Here is what Brugler said about the former Alabama signal caller:

There might not be a prospect whose ranking will fluctuate more during the draft process than Milroe's does.

As an athlete and person, he belongs in the first round. But can he develop the passing consistency needed to grow into an NFL starter? Milroe will be worth the chance at some point on Day Two, but where is that sweet spot?

The last quarterback who made the top 100 was Ohio State’s Will Howard, currently pegged at No. 84 on the list. That ends a chaotic quarterback ranking for Brugler. It was a wild ride to say the least.

The draft process is not over, and there is plenty of time until April is here. If we have learned anything, there are a lot of varying opinions about this quarterback class around the league. The hierarchy behind Ward and Sanders is going to be especially interesting to follow. 

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