NFL Analysis

6/17/24

6 min read

2025 NFL Draft QB Study: Quinn Ewers Enters Unique Boom-Or-Bust Year

By Ian Valentino

NFL/NFL Draft Analyst

We continue to look at the top 2025 quarterback class names throughout our summer scouting series.

With the 2025 quarterback class looking less defined at the top than a tremendous 2024 crop that produced six first-rounders, there's room for familiar names and newcomers to make waves this fall. One of the highest-profile quarterback prospects in the nation is Quinn Ewers of the Texas Longhorns.

Will Ewers continue to improve this season, or will Arch Manning's presence throw a wrench into his development? 

>> Other QB Breakdowns: Sanders | Beck

Quinn Ewers 2025 NFL Draft Outlook

In 2023, Ewers was considered one of the more unpredictable potential quarterback prospects in the 2024 class. A year later, not much has changed.

He is still young, having turned 21 in March. He had limited playing time before Arch Manning joined the Texas program and missed three games in 2022 due to a non-throwing shoulder injury. This has made it difficult to form a clear picture of Ewers as a player.

Although Ewers showed improvement and increased efficiency and production, he has not fully emerged as a star. Despite his team's success, Ewers decided to return to Austin.

Ewers has a strong pedigree and impressive skills, but his performance has been inconsistent. While he demonstrated the ability to excel with precise short and intermediate passes and avoid turnovers, he also encountered struggles, especially with a porous offensive line and limitations as a creator and deep passer.

At his best, Ewers resembled a cerebral pocket passer with quick release and accuracy, but his inconsistent footwork, limited arm strength when off-platform and relatively restricted athleticism outside the pocket were also evident.

Facing competition from Manning in 2023, Ewers needed to elevate his game to secure his path to the NFL or consider transferring again. He became a star, earning a spot on the cover of College Football 25, but he was not dominant enough to guarantee there’s no way Manning can’t overtake him.

Texas lost a lot of talent to the 2024 NFL Draft, and if Ewers can’t elevate a brand-new supporting cast, coach Steve Sarkisian will hear the jeers every time a pass hits the ground, as he did during their recent spring game.

Maybe we’re getting ahead of ourselves, but it’s something to consider with Ewers’ evaluation. They say pressure creates diamonds, and Ewers walked back into the lion’s den to face it head-on. 

The quarterbacks who have defeated Nick Saban during his time at Alabama have typically been dual-threat players who can challenge his renowned defense horizontally and vertically. This group includes well-known names like Johnny Manziel, Cardale Jones, and Joe Burrow.

Ewers, however, differs from Jones in terms of playing style. Jones was a powerful thrower who excelled at the right moment to help lead Ohio State to a national championship. Nevertheless, we can draw a comparison between Burrow and Ewers.

Though Ewers hasn't yet reached the level of success Burrow achieved in his senior season at LSU, the two share similarities as pocket passers. Burrow is the only genuine pocket passer among the NFL's elite quarterbacks. No other NFL quarterback finds as much success staying stationary in the pocket. 

At his best, Ewers excels in similar areas. He is particularly effective at reading and executing RPO plays and demonstrates adeptness in identifying defensive reads. When his deep passes connect, it becomes challenging for the defense to contain Ewers by loading the box. 

Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers (3) throws a pass during the fourth quarter against the Washington Huskies in the 2024 Sugar Bowl. John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports.

Can Ewers Be The No. 1 Pick in 2025?

However, his deep passing is objectively poor. In 2023, he completed only 16 of 47 passes beyond 20 yards despite having Xavier Worthy and Adonai Mitchell to target. His 2022 marks weren't better, completing 16 of 52 attempts. He tends to overshoot deep attempts and fades onto his back foot, losing control of the ball's arc.

His touch is otherwise stellar on intermediate attempts. He can layer passes between defenders and maximize his target's ability to get yards after the catch. Like a great point guard, Ewers knows where to go and usually executes with impressive precision.

Ewers' struggles while under pressure and his inability to connect on big plays downfield are troublesome. He took a sack while under pressure at an alarming 30.6 percent rate, though he completed 76 percent of his passes when he did get a throw-off. He's athletic but not a quick athlete, so he's dead in the water when a rusher comes free. 

Everything needs to move quicker for Ewers to take the next step. He'll take fewer pressures and sacks as he relies less on RPOs to reveal coverages. His reaction to rushers has to be more decisive, and knowing his hot read would lead to growth.

The consistency of his mechanics must also improve. He's still prone to short-stepping his passing stride and will rely too much on his arm. Ewers isn't Josh Allen, though, so he has to be like a robot with the repeatability of his footwork process but not decision-making. 

Growth against pressure, including creating some off-platform throws, would be Ewers' biggest single point of improvement. Another year of stagnation would leave him in the Day 2 mix, which is likely the feedback he heard before deciding to return to Texas after 2023.

Tags: NFL Draft

Ian Valentino

NFL/NFL Draft Analyst

Ian Valentino is an NFL and NFL draft contributor for The 33rd Team. He has covered all aspects of the NFL since 2013. He's previously provided scouting services to the NFL, XFL and CFL. He also has written for Bleacher Report, Complex Sports and Pro Football Network.

RELATED