One notable NFL event will take place between Super Bowl LIX and free agency. Though it may not hold a marquee spot on the calendar of casual football fans, the scouting combine will take place between February 27 and March 2, and it will play a big role in the pre-draft process.

Little may actually be settled during the combine since fewer and fewer top prospects have chosen to work out in recent years. However, teams will get to interview players, share notes and gather other valuable intel about NFL hopefuls. By early March, we should have a clearer idea of who the top quarterback prospect in 2025 will be.

As previously mentioned, the 2025 quarterback class isn’t viewed as a deep one. However, Sanders and Ward are both expected to be early first-round selections. This is both because of the NFL’s need for starting-caliber signal-callers and due to the early draft order.

Of the top nine teams in the draft order, six—the Tennessee Titans, Browns, New York Giants, Las Vegas Raiders, Jets and Saints—are in need of a long-term quarterback plan. Right now, though, neither Ward nor Sanders has solidified himself as the clear-cut top quarterback.

Ward is the top QB on the B/R Scouting Department’s board and could be gaining momentum as Tennessee’s preferred choice at No. 1.

“In a draft that projects to be defined by the Cam Ward vs. Shedeur Sanders debate for QB1, the building sentiment from scouts and executives this week was Ward is likely to be the No. 1 pick,” ESPN’s Pete Thamel during the Senior Bowl.

Others, including ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr., have Sanders as the draft’s QB1.

If a top quarterback prospect does emerge before March 10, it could heavily impact how teams like the Titans, Browns and Giants approach the free-agent and trade markets. It could also affect other quarterback-needy teams who no longer believe they have a shot at landing a starting-caliber signal-caller in the draft.

Of course, there’s always a chance that the quarterback intrigue will last all the way until the draft’s opening night on April 24.