It’s been an interesting year for quarterbacks when it comes to the 2025 NFL Draft, with quite a good deal more fluctuation in performances than you might typically expect from the top signal-callers.

ESPN has ranked its Top 12 quarterbacks on the 2025 NFL Draft Hot Board, giving you an idea what to expect.

Today On3 goes through ESPN’s rankings and pulls out some of the highlights for each player, as well as some of the chief concerns heading to the next level. Let’s dive in below.

The talented transfer quarterback for Miami has been excellent all season long, clearly elevating the talent on the Miami roster and turning it into a playoff-contending outfit. Ward has been a dynamic playmaker from the start, and he seems to excel in crunch time late in games.

The question marks around Ward tend to center around his propensity to turn the ball over trying to do a little too much. He has occasionally forced things, and the throws across his body will have to be cut out at the next level. Still, he’s got incredible skill and will be one of the top players off the board in the 2025 NFL Draft.

When it comes to elevating the team, few have done that as well as Sanders, who has had Colorado in Big 12 title contention down the stretch. Sanders’ ability has been on display all year, with one of his chief weapons the ability to elude pressure in the pocket.

One of his biggest weaknesses is also part and parcel to that ability, according to ESPN. Sanders has to get the ball out quicker to excel at the next level, the Worldwide Leader reports. In any case, Sanders has thrown for 3,488 yards and 30 touchdowns, production up there with anyone else in the country.

The Alabama quarterback might be the most dynamic pure athlete in the 2025 NFL Draft, though knowing when and where to use that athleticism has at times been an issue. Milroe has proven arguably a more effective runner than passer, which means his throwing still needs some work.

Milroe has thrown for 2,396 yards and 15 touchdowns, against nine interceptions. Those numbers certainly don’t jump off the page. On the flip side, he has run for 615 yards and 17 touchdowns. Those certainly do.

Beck might have the widest variance between his best and his worst, at least during the 2024 season. When he’s on and dealing he is almost impossible to stop, capable of hitting any area of the field with his arm and doing so with surprising accuracy. When he’s not, he’s been quite mediocre.

The Georgia gunslinger has likely shown enough to be taken high in the 2025 NFL Draft, but he’s also probably shown enough that it’ll be after a few other quarterbacks. ESPN wants to see Beck operate a little more smoothly under pressure in the pocket.

Few prospects look as NFL-ready as Allar, simply from a size and frame standpoint. He checks in at 6 foot 5, 238 pounds and he occasionally uses his size to his advantage as a runner. But mostly Allar has grown comfortable operating from the pocket.

One thing that Allar needs to work on his his touch passing. He has a tendency to overly rely on his arm strength, which sometimes has the pass arriving at a velocity that isn’t the most conducive to catching and running. Still, Allar has grown considerably during the 2024 season and is a plus prospect at this point.

Ewers dealt with an abdominal injury earlier in the season and you could argue he still hasn’t quite kicked it into top gear now that he’s back. He’s just been a touch off when it comes to passes deeper down the field. But scouts reportedly like his toughness in coming back from the injury so quickly.

And there’s little doubt Ewers has considerable experience at this point. He’s played as much high-level football as anyone else in the 2025 NFL Draft class. That matters. In any case, Ewers could show a little more consistency, especially when throwing downfield.

One of the best qualities for Dart is his ability to hit all areas of the field with his arm. He’s got great arm strength, and he’s also learned how to work with a top-notch talent like Tre Harris, the exact kind of receivers he’ll have at his disposal at the next level.

Dart doesn’t run a ton but is effective when he does, even playing on an ankle injury later in the season. There are some concerns that Lane Kiffin‘s scheme gets receivers open and thus Dart doesn’t make as many high-degree-of-difficulty throws as some of his peers. At least, that’s a concern ESPN noted.

ESPN quoted a scouting director wondering why Rourke isn’t getting more love in NFL circles, noting that all he’s done is produce at two different levels now, with no drop-off since he went up a level to Indiana. And, again, having the Hoosiers at 10-1 is a remarkably impressive feat in and of itself.

So where does the Indiana gunslinger need work? According to ESPN he locks into his first and second read a little too frequently, and he needs to develop more comfort going through lengthier progressions. That usually comes with more time.

The biggest knock on Gabriel is always going to be his size and arm strength. At just 6 feet, 200 pounds, he’s one of the smaller prospects in the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft. That’s not to say he hasn’t been productive, though. He gets the job done.

The one real positive is his completion percentage keeps creeping up each year. The negative is that his upside may be capped due to the physical limitations that many scouts have noticed, even despite the productivity.

There are a handful of things that NFL scouts really like about Nussmeier, not the least of which is his background as the son of a high-level college and NFL coordinator. He also plays quite tough, a very hard guy to knock out of games. That kind of thing absolutely plays in a locker room.

On the flip side, he’s been a little turnover-prone this year and has proven susceptible to getting rattled a touch. ESPN notes he’s likely to return to school at this point to improve his draft stock, passing on the 2025 NFL Draft.

When McCord transferred from Ohio State to Syracuse, many figured he was looking for a slightly lower level of football where he could ply his trade. If anything, he has elevated Syracuse a huge deal this season with a remarkably impressive campaign. Forget the stint at Ohio State, he’s shown what he can do in a better situation for him.

The biggest downside to McCord is that his ball placement often leaves a lot to be desired. He has to do a better job throwing receivers open and into yards-after-the-catch situations. That’s a must in the NFL, where the windows are naturally much smaller.

McCord’s replacement at Ohio State, Howard has been quite good across his time in college. He has picked up where he left off at Kansas State, guiding Ohio State to a likely playoff berth and doing what he’s supposed to to highlight the talent at the skill positions.

His weakness is under pressure, where he can sometimes be hurried off his spot into making poor throws. Ohio State also provides the same kind of concerns as Ole Miss with Dart; most of his throws are wide open. Can he hit smaller windows when necessary?