• Cameron Ward: The projected No. 1 overall pick is both a gunslinger and an improviser.
• Shedeur Sanders: The projected top-10 pick fits as a field general and an improviser.
• 2025 NFL Draft season is here: Try PFF’s best-in-class Mock Draft Simulator and learn about 2025’s top prospects while trading and drafting for your favorite NFL team.

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

There are many ways to win at quarterback in today’s NFL. You can thrive from within the pocket like Joe Burrow, beat defenses with your legs like Lamar Jackson, or do some combination of the two like reigning MVP Josh Allen.

Let’s take a look at the top-10 quarterback prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft and see what archetypes they fit into. Please note that some quarterbacks fit into multiple categories. 

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Pocket Passer

A pocket passer describes a quarterback who likes to throw from behind the offensive line and doesn’t really have the mobility to extend plays as a runner. Shough, Ewers and McCord fit that billing because they each had fewer than 200 rushing yards this past season. They’re each at their best when allowed to sit in the pocket, set their feet and drive the ball as they all have above-average arms. Shough’s 91.0 passing grade from within the pocket was third among FBS quarterbacks while McCord was eighth with an 88.0 mark. A total of 89% of Ewers’ dropbacks this past season came from within the pocket as well.

Dual threat

• Riley Leonard, Notre Dame

A dual-threat quarterback is essentially the opposite of a pocket passer, these are signal-callers who scare defenses with their legs. 

Perhaps nobody fits that better than Milroe in this draft, as he should immediately be one of the top rushing threats at the quarterback position in the draft. He ran a 4.40-second 40-yard dash at Alabama’s pro day, which would be tied for second all-time behind only Michael Vick’s time of 4.33 seconds. Milroe’s 65 explosive runs since 2023 also led all Power Four quarterbacks.

While Dart and Leonard don’t quite have game-breaking speed like Milroe, they were each very effective runners in their own right. Leonard has a bruising style of running and led all Power Four signal-callers with 982 rushing yards this past season. Dart’s 47 explosive runs in 2024 were fifth among that same group as well.

Gunslinger

There’s a high degree of variance with gunslingers, as they can wow you on one throw and leave you scratching your head on the next. 

Ward is projected to be picked first next week by the Tennessee Titans, but there are still issues with his decision-making. While his 55 big-time throws since 2023 are the most among Power Four quarterbacks, his 39 turnover-worthy plays in that span are also tied for the most in that same group.

The player he’s tied with in that statistic is none other than McCord. He radically altered his playstyle after transferring to Syracuse from Ohio State. With the Buckeyes, he was mostly a conservative quarterback who played not to lose. In 2024, he let it rip with the Orange. His 4,760 passing yards and 36 big-time throws were each the most in the country. However, McCord also led the Power Four with 24 turnover-worthy plays. 

Ewers had 20 turnover-worthy plays last season, which were the second-most in the Power Four. His 55 career big-time throws were also sixth among Power Four quarterbacks since 2022 as well.

Field general

• Shedeur Sanders, Colorado

Unlike gunslingers, field generals are safe with the football and instead win off their decision-making and accuracy. 

Sanders had just a 1.3% turnover-worthy play rate across his two years at Colorado, the best PFF has ever seen from a Power Five quarterback. He’s also second among FBS quarterbacks since 2023 with a 14% uncatchable pass rate, trailing only Bo Nix. 

Gabriel is fifth in that metric with just a 14.7% uncatchable pass rate since 2023. His 1.6% turnover-worthy play rate this past season was seventh among all signal-callers in the nation.

Toolsy project

These are quarterbacks with intriguing physical tools but need plenty of refinement before they can become viable NFL starters. 

While Dart led the nation with a 91.9 passing grade in 2024, there are questions about how he looks outside of Lane Kiffin’s quarterback-friendly offense. There are hardly any progressions in the system and it’s very predicated on vertical throws. Dart’s 71.1 passing grade when moved off his first read was just 44th in the FBS. 

Milroe has the best physical tools of any quarterback in the draft, but still struggles with his accuracy, pocket presence and footwork. 

Shough has an NFL-caliber arm, but still struggles with setting his feet and delivering an accurate ball despite the fact that he’s played in college for seven years.

Like Shough, Ewers has good arm talent but has inconsistent mechanics and throws off his back foot too much. He also has significant pocket presence issues as 14 of his sacks were charged as his fault (tied for second-most in the nation).

Improviser

• Shedeur Sanders, Colorado

These are quarterbacks who often break the pocket and go off-script. While they can run if needed, they are also capable of delivering a throw on the move. 

Ward was second among FBS quarterbacks with 510 passing yards outside of structure this past season. He has supreme confidence and is Ben Roethlisberger-esque at avoiding sacks and finding a receiver downfield.

Sanders isn’t as much of an escape artist as Ward, but he still can make plays outside of the original play design. His six big-time throws outside of structure were the second-most in the nation.

Dart and Howard didn’t live outside of the pocket as often as Ward and Sanders, but they’re still athletic enough to throw on the move or take off and run. Howard in particular earned a 76.8 passing grade outside the pocket, ninth among Power Four quarterbacks.