Riley Leonard, QB

Height: 6'4"
Weight: 215 pounds
Age: 21 years old (March 15th, 2003)

Notre Dame

Year	Completion %	Yards	TDs	INTs
2024	66.4%	2,606	19	8

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Duke

Year	Completion %	Yards	TDs	INTs
2021	59.7%	381	1	1
2022	63.8%	2,967	20	6
2023	57.6%	1,102	3	3

Pros

• Athleticism
  A dangerous dual-threat presence with good speed and running vision, Leonard threatens defenses the moment he tucks the ball in. He's extremely effective at getting into space and finding gaps to extend drives. His ability to duck pressure and get upfield strains defenses horizontally, opening new passing lanes. His pressure-to-sack rate is the best in class, largely because of Leonard's athleticism.
  
  
• Playing in structure
  Even when Leonard was at Duke, the key to his success was keeping him clean and getting the ball out quickly. He has decent accuracy and arm strength, which is on display whether he's upright in the pocket or on the move. But his most efficient games are when he's not dealing with defenders at his feet. The passing splits throughout his career clearly confirm the tape that Leonard is a trusted game manager who can occasionally hunt bigger plays when he has time. 
  
  
• Downfield designs off play-action
  One might think that someone with a good but not special arm would do his dirty work on short passes, but Leonard's low average depth of target has more to do with Notre Dame's team than Leonard's strengths. In fact, Leonard is most competent working off intermediate and deep passing concepts off play-action, boding well for modern NFL offenses. His touch and willingness to attack single-covered receivers is his greatest asset, and he avoids turnovers across the middle of the field unusually well.

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Cons

• Play under pressure
  The NFL will tolerate a lot of flaws from quarterbacks, but being wholly unreliable against pressure is a huge issue. Unfortunately, Leonard's fatal flaw is his penchant for putting the ball in harm's way when pressured, and struggling to create impact plays against blitzes. While Leonard completed almost 69% of passes when blitzed, just 41% of pressured throws were completed, resulting in two big-time-throws and six turnover-worthy throws. Leonard will hold the ball when pressured or dump it off to a back, allowing defenses to dictate the result of plays far too easily. At best, they force a turnover. At worst, they allow a short gain. 

• Accuracy
  61% of Notre Dame's throws were nine yards or less, and the passing splits reveal that while Leonard was most effective going downfield, those were often calculated shots by the offense. Leonard averaged only two passes over 20 yards a game and less than five between 10 and 19 yards. He completed only 54/110 attempts over 10 yards. Some of Leonard's accuracy issues stem from an average arm that will go rogue on him during his passing motion, and others are from an inconsistent base and weight transfer. There's plenty that can go wrong as a long-limbed thrower, and his scattershot placement greatly affects how impactful and consistent his offenses can be.
  
  
• Aggressiveness
  I mentioned Leonard's troublesome splits above, and expanding on that is important. Leonard is a capable chunk play producer, but the mix of the offense's design, talent, and Leonard's play style don't mesh with his strengths. Enabling Leonard to forgo check downs and quick passes to search for second-layer options would benefit Leonard and help overcome his inconsistencies. He's a volume passer who needs big plays to overcome his low yards per attempt and accuracy issues.

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Player Evaluation

Riley Leonard looks the part of an NFL quarterback, and that will be enough to at least earn him a camp invite and practice squad spot. He could be selected in the 2025 NFL Draft, as Leonard was once viewed as a potential early-round prospect before injuries and inconsistencies plagued his 2023 and 2024 seasons. With an average arm but mobile body, he's a qualified backup candidate at the next level.

Player Comp: Dorian Robinson-Thompson

Unlike some of his peers, Leonard's improvement could be stark. His passing motion must be tightened and more repeatable to fix his accuracy. His footwork and aggressiveness are also addressable. But its his reaction to pressure and internal clock that gives me worry about his ability to stick long-term and help a team. 

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A to Z Rankings:

A to Z Big Board Ranking: #8 quarterback

A to Z Draft Grade: 6.78

Draft projection: Late Day 3/UDFA