Riley Leonard NFL Draft Scouting Report & Fantasy Football Outlook

Riley Leonard revived his college career at Notre Dame after a quiet stint at Duke, leading the Fighting Irish to a 14-2 record and a National Championship appearance. Known more for his dynamic rushing ability than his passing polish, Leonard enters the NFL as a raw, developmental quarterback prospect with intriguing athletic upside.

Riley Leonard Fantasy Football Outlook

After a dull career over three seasons at Duke (382-for-619 for 4,450 passing yards, 24 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions), the Fighting Irish gave Leonard the keys to the offense last year. He responded by setting career highs in completions (269), passing attempts (403, and completion rate (66.7) but gained only 7.3 yards per pass attempt. On the positive side, Leonard went 14-2 while losing in the National Championship game.

Notre Dame rode his legs (184/906/17) last year, an area Leonard also excelled in 2022 (124/699/13). He scored two or more rushing touchdowns in four matches and gained over 100 yards on the ground twice (11/100/3 and 12/143/2). The Fighting Irish gave him double-digit rushing attempts in 13 games. Last year, Leonard had ankle surgery before and after the season.

All 38 of Riley Leonard’s Irish touchdowns

The best of Riley Leonard ➡️ https://t.co/u6lNUXoqU8 #GoIrish☘️ | @rileyleonard13_ pic.twitter.com/41w14wzVCp
— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) March 16, 2025

In the passing game, he is a first-read quarterback with low game-manager value. He looks the part in size (6’4” and 215 lbs.), but Leonard doesn’t have enough experience or sway to handle a high-volume passing attack at the next level despite some improvement last year.

Leonard played behind an excellent offensive line that allowed him to be sacked 20 times. He threw the ball well off play-action passes in close due to defenses gearing up to stop the run. His vision and shake as a runner were favorable, but Leonard will face tighter running lanes in the NFL. There were many plays where he was already on the move to run the ball after his third step back from center hit the ground.

At best, Leonard is a project at quarterback in the NFL. Leonard must improve defense reads and gain experience working through his pass progression before being considered for a starting opportunity.