NFL draft QB predictions: Jaxson Dart lands top in 10, five passers taken in Round 1
Tax season is about to give way to NFL draft season, but it's set to leave an important lesson behind.
While you can skip paying those taxes, the penalties of not doing so are quite severe. The same is true of the quarterback position in the NFL.
Sure, you don't need to have a capable quarterback, but you're not winning a lot of games without one.
That's the spot plenty of teams find themselves in as the 2025 NFL Draft approaches. It's been well-documented how this class doesn't rise to the level that we've come to expect – especially in the shadows of last year's stellar rookies.
With the clock about to start on the 32 teams, there will be plenty of debates about the draft class and whether it's worth taking a quarterback this year. If history is any indication, they'll come off the board early and often in the hopes that it'll solidify the most important position in sports.
Here are some predictions for the quarterback class in this year's draft.
NFL draft predictions: Quarterbacks
Jaxson Dart is drafted in the top 10
The injury to Derek Carr has created an interesting draft dilemma for the New Orleans Saints. They are a team in need of a rebuild, but refuse to commit to one. The Carr injury is a perfect excuse to bottom out in 2025, with the goal of finding their franchise quarterback in a much better 2026 draft class. However, new head coach Kellen Moore might like the idea of fixing that problem this year with a player like Dart.
Moore was front and center at Dart's pro day, looking on as the Ole Miss quarterback turned in a solid performance. His draft stock has seemingly continued to rise all offseason long and the Saints seem like a great fit to take a chance on him with the ninth pick.
Shedeur Sanders slides to the Steelers
It wasn't long ago that Sanders and Cam Ward were thought of a QB-1A and QB-1B, but that doesn't seem to be the reality now. Ward appears to be a lock for the top pick, while Sanders can seemingly land anywhere between No. 2 and No. 21.
That 21st pick is owned by the Pittsburgh Steelers, who are at the mercy of Aaron Rodgers right now. Without a starting quarterback, things are getting interesting for a Steelers team that clearly wants to compete. Sanders is far from a slam-dunk prospect, but he might just fit in the Steel City. Pittsburgh has a talented defense and added to the offense, which would take the pressure off a rookie like Sanders to be a savior.
Five quarterbacks are drafted in Round 1
If you're keeping score at home, Ward is going No. 1, Dart is going No. 9 and Sanders is going No. 21. That leaves just 11 picks for two more quarterbacks to sneak into the opening round. Why would a perceived-weak quarterback class be featured in five of the first 32 picks? The answer lies in the almighty fifth-year option.
Rookie quarterback contracts are arguably the biggest financial advantage in the sport, but it's only available to first-round picks. With the likes of Jalen Milroe and Tyler Shough being mentioned as Day 2 picks, there is a good chance that a couple of teams look to pounce late on the first night.
Milroe has the tools, but hasn't put it together yet. Shough also has the tools, but comes with age and injury concerns. However, teams will always be convinced they can develop raw talent like Milroe's and Bo Nix might've quieted some of age issues for Shough. Ultimately, it comes down to winning games and if either player can do that for a fraction of the cost, someone will come calling. It'll be late in the first round when that happens.