NFL Draft
3/13/25
5 min read
Riley Leonard 2025 NFL Draft: Scouting Report For Notre Dame Fighting Irish QB
Height: 6040 (verified)
Weight: 216lbs (verified)
Year: Senior
Pro Comparison: Sean Clifford
Scouting Overview
Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Riley Leonard helped push the program to the brink of a national championship in 2024, and his intangibles appear to be a big part of the reason why.
Leonard draws positive reviews for his leadership and approach — he pairs that with a good dual-threat skill set and multiple years of experience as a starter. But his baseline physical ability as a passer leaves you wanting more, and as a result, he should be regarded as a developmental quarterback at the NFL level.
2025 NFL Combine Results
TBD
Positives
- Has good athleticism to tuck and run when pressure flushes him from the pocket
- Plays with an edge and toughness that is easy to appreciate and energizing from a quarterback
- Showcases good jurisdiction with decision-making to avoid unnecessary risk
Negatives
- Accuracy wanes significantly when pushing the ball down the field
- Does not appear to have a lot of reactive quickness as a passer to quickly zip the football
- Lean frame that may not hold up well when contrasted to his dual-threat tendencies
Background
Leonard was born in Mount Pleasant, SC, and played high school football for Fairhope HS in Alabama. There, he was a two-sport athlete who competed in football and basketball. Leonard received offers for both sports — schools such as Missouri State offered him in basketball, but his prominent attention came on the gridiron. As a 3-star recruit (247 Sports), Leonard committed to Duke in favor of programs like Ole Miss and Nebraska.
As a true freshman in 2021, Leonard played in seven games with one start for Duke before assuming a starting role with the Blue Devils entering his sophomore season. He started all 13 games that year and passed for nearly 3,000 yards. Injuries derailed his season in 2023, and he played in just more than half of Duke’s games before entering into the transfer portal as a 4-star transfer (247 Sports) after the season.
With his final year of eligibility, Leonard enrolled at Notre Dame and was named the team’s starting quarterback entering the 2024 season. Leonard went 14-2 as a starter while leading the Irish to the National Championship Game. He rushed for nearly 1,000 yards in addition to his passing production.
Leonard accepted an invitation to the 2025 Reese’s Senior Bowl.
Tale Of The Tape
Leonard is a gamer with good stature and athleticism for the NFL. He’s a well-tenured player with significant starting experience between his time at Duke and his one-season run at Notre Dame. Leonard feels like the quintessential college quarterback. He’s got enough outside-of-structure ability to be an impact starter at that level, but he is missing the finer details of his game that will allow him to similarly assimilate into the pros.
As a passer, Leonard offers sufficient arm strength and good decision-making. He’s judicious with tight-window throws, particularly in the scoring area, and will avoid critical errors that lead to an inefficient offensive showing. But he’s not particularly accurate, especially when he pushes the ball down the field. Across his three seasons as a starter since 2022, Leonard has a sub-50 percent completion percentage on throws that travel 10+ air yards downfield. His vertical shots too often pull receivers back into coverage.
Some of Leonard’s consistency issues as a passer seem to stem from irregularities with his base and mechanics. He’s a long-limbed quarterback who does not have a quick delivery. As such, prolonged progression reads, or tight pockets can negatively impact his form. When trying to execute ball handling out of the mesh point with play-action or on RPOs, he lacks the fluidity and quick twitch to yank the ball out and quickly dish the football.
He’s a tough quarterback, though. He isn’t afraid of potential contact, and he is willing to run around or through defenders. He offers good speed to break the pocket when forced to tuck the ball and run for daylight.
Leonard is a sufficient operator at the line of scrimmage. His intelligence as a quarterback enrolled at academic institutions such as Duke and Notre Dame is obvious — particularly in the early portions of a play.
Still, when the instinctive element of the position needs to take over, he appears to be missing the rapid decision-making and wide-lens view of the game that allows the top quarterbacks to process relevant leverage and positioning simultaneously. As he’s forced deeper into a play, the more inconsistent the results get.
Ideal Scheme Fit, Role
Leonard projects as a developmental quarterback in the NFL. He has the raw athletic ability to play outside of structure, but his overall lack of arm talent and need for development as a processor leave him as a probable practice squad quarterback unless a team wants to roster three passers throughout the season.
Grade: 68.50/100.00, Seventh Round Value
Big Board Rank: TBD
Position Rank: TBD
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