Noted Draft Analyst Has Concerning Opinion About 2025 Quarterback Class

This appears to be a bad year for a team to need a franchise quarterback.

Feb 6, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; Shedeur Sanders on the red carpet before Super Bowl LIX NFL Honors at Saenger Theatre. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The 2025 NFL draft is a bad year for quarterback-needy teams like the New York Giants to be looking for a franchise signal caller.  

That’s the opinion of ESPN’s Matt Miller, who broke down the 12 players in this year’s class at all the positions for whom he has a true first-round draft grade.  

Miller paints a grim picture of the class as a whole, opining that the 12 players for whom he has a true first-round grade are the lowest number he’s ever awarded (12). He notes that in 2024, he had 18 players, and in 2023, he had 20.

But as far as the quarterbacks go, that’s where it gets concerning. In Miller’s opinion, none of the quarterbacks in this year’s class have a true first-round grade.

That includes Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders and Miami’s Cam Ward, both projected by numerous mock drafts to be among the first three to five players taken off the board. 

But as far as Miller is concerned, both quarterbacks would have easily ranked behind Caleb Williams (Bears), Jayden Daniels (Commanders), Drake Maye (Patriots), and J.J. McCarthy (Vikings) of the Class of 2024 had Sanders and Ward been in that class.  

Dec 28, 2024; Orlando, FL, USA; Miami Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward (1) warms up prior to the game against the Iowa State Cyclones at Camping World Stadium. | Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

That said, Miller acknowledged that Sanders and Ward will be first-round draft picks just because quarterbacks usually go early in a draft. 

He added, “Both Sanders and Ward are talented and have the potential to rise in the predraft process, but I wouldn't be comfortable calling them first-round prospects based on this past season's tape.” 

The general consensus among mock drafts is that the Giants will take one of Sanders or Ward.

But if Giants general manager Joe Schoen agrees with Miller about the quarterback, there are plenty of other players whom Miller considers a true first-rounder who could instantly help the Giants with some of their more pressing needs.

These include Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter, whom Miller has as a receiver and compares to former Giant Odell Beckham, Jr.; Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter, who was compared to Cowboys star Micah Parsons; Michigan cornerback Will Johnson, who was compared to Patrick Surtain II of the Broncos; and Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham, who was compared to Ravens star Nnamdi Madubuike. 

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