The Triple Take crew of Dale Lolley, Matt Williamson and Mike Prisuta take a look at the top prospects in the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft, which will be held in April. Today, they delve into the quarterback position.

The opinions expressed here are their own and not those of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The 2024 NFL Draft quarterback class could turn out to be one of the better ones the league has seen in a while.

Second-overall pick Jayden Daniels was a runaway winner of the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year award after turning the Commanders around, while Chicago’s Caleb Williams, Drake Maye with the Patriots, Denver’s Bo Nix and Michael Penix with the Falcons all had good moments or seasons in 2024. And that group doesn’t include Minnesota’s J.J. McCarthy, who missed his entire rookie season with an injury.

All told, six quarterbacks were selected in the first round of the 2024 draft. This year’s class won’t see nearly that many.

Miami (Fla.) quarterback Cam Ward should be the top quarterback selected in this draft after a record-breaking career, but if he is compared to last year’s group, he would struggle to break into the top 5. It’s that kind of year.

That doesn’t mean, however, there aren’t some interesting prospects. Beyond Ward, Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders seems like he has a reasonably high floor without perhaps not as much upside. He and Ward could be the only quarterbacks selected in the first round this year.

But there could be some interesting Day 2 and 3 players at the position who have plenty of upside for the teams willing to allow them to develop, including Tanner Shough of Louisville, Indiana’s Kurtis Rourke, Jalen Milroe of Alabama, Jaxson Dart of Ole Miss and Ohio State’s Will Howard.

All have plenty of experience, something we’ll continue to see more of, particularly at this position, as more quarterbacks are staying in school longer because of NIL money.

1. Cam Ward, Miami (Fla.), 6-1 5/8, 219 lbs. – Ward has a plus-arm and can make all the throws. But he sometimes misses with his accuracy when he lets his footwork get away from him. Ward isn’t a runner, per se, but he can create extra time to throw with his mobility. He’s not a statue. His upside isn’t outstanding, but he should develop into a solid starter. He’s a clear choice as the top quarterback in this draft.

2. Shedeur Sanders, Colorado, 6-1 1/2, 212 lbs. – Sanders is a good prospect but doesn’t excel at any one thing. He’s a pocket passer with above-average ball placement and what looks to be an average-level NFL arm. But he’s also tough and will stand in the pocket to deliver the ball. That willingness to hold the ball also led to a bunch of sacks, but there’s enough there to believe he could develop into an average NFL starter.

3. Tanner Shough, Louisville, 6-4 7/8, 219 lbs. – A seven-year college player, Shough will be 26 in September. So the question is whether his development in 2024 was because he had gotten better or was it because he was a 25-year-old playing against much younger players? But his arm talent is excellent and he makes “Wow!” throws. If his game can be refined, he could be a steal. Shough was in college so long, he picked up four degrees.

4. Jaxson Dart, Mississippi, 6-2 1/4, 223 lbs. – Dart is coming from an offense that generally schemed receivers wide open leads to the question of how his skillset will transfer to the NFL level. The Senior Bowl alleviated some of those concerns. He has good size and arm strength, while he’s a better runner than perhaps given credit. Dart has a lot of tools in his box. But he might take some time to develop at the NFL level because he wasn’t asked to read defenses a lot in college.

5. Will Howard, Ohio State, 6-4 1/4, 236 lbs. – After transferring from Kansas State, Howard took some time to adjust to playing at Ohio State. But he was great down the stretch in the college playoffs and has some scrambling ability. He won’t be throwing to wide receivers, however, who are simply better than the defenders against which they are playing at the NFL level. But there are some definite tools with which to work.

Sleeper: Kurtis Rourke, Indiana, 6-4 1/4, 220 lbs. – A transfer from Ohio, Rourke helped transform Indiana from an also-ran to a college playoff team. He won at Ohio and he won at Indiana. His play tailed off at the end of the season when the Hoosiers faced stiffer challenges, but as we learned at the conclusion of the season, he played the entire year with a torn ACL. Nobody is going to question his toughness.

Not only did three quarterbacks go in the top three picks in last year’s draft, but six were selected in the top 12. And for the most part, last year’s crop acclimated extremely well during their rookie seasons in the NFL. This year’s class will not rival the one from a year ago. That being said, there are plenty of intriguing signal callers in this group that will be drafted outside of the first round that could make their new teams very happy. As always, landing spot and situation will go a long way in dictating these young men’s future, but don’t make the mistake that this class of quarterbacks won’t bear fruit over the next several years.

After an exceptional playoff run that resulted in an Ohio State National Championship, Will Howard narrowly missed my top five.

Despite major concerns with Jalen Milroe’s short and intermediate accuracy, his intelligence and extreme athletic ability-particularly Milroe’s speed and acceleration-are salivating if nurtured properly. Milroe could really put on a show at the NFL Scouting Combine.

Several other names to know from this class are Texas’ Quinn Ewers, Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel, Indiana’s Kurtis Rourke, and Syracuse’s Kyle McCord. One of these four could end up in the top five by the time the draft rolls around in late April and don’t be surprised if down the line, one emerges as an NFL starting quarterback.

Also, believe it or not, my gap between Sanders and Shough is extremely narrow. That was a coin flip for me for No. 2.

1. Cam Ward, Miami (Fla.), 6-1 5/8, 219 lbs. – Ward has all the playmaking traits you look for in a modern-day quarterback and really shined this past year at Miami after transferring from Washington State. His confidence is obvious, and he inspires those around him. Ward has an excellent arm and can easily change arm slots, a strong build and excellent overall athletic ability.

2. Tyler Shough, Louisville, 6-4 7/8, 219 lbs. – Louisville is Shough’s third college over seven years and he will turn 26 in September. Injuries have contributed to Shough’s length stay at the college level. But it is easy to see why Shough was heavily recruited by Oregon to be Justin Herbert’s successor, and he has some similarities to the Chargers current signal caller. Shough had an excellent final season and stood out at the Senior Bowl. He could be an NFL starting quarterback.

3. Shedeur Sanders, Colorado, 6-1 1/2, 212 lbs. – Not nearly the athlete that is father is, Sanders is pretty much a pure passer with some improvisational skills. He can hold the ball too long and take too many sacks, but Sanders passing skills to all levels of the field are outstanding.

4. Jaxson Dart, Mississippi, 6-2 1/4, 223 lbs. – Dart is well-built with plus athleticism and a strong arm. He plays with an aggressive mentality that usually works in his favor. The concerns with Dart center around the offensive system at Mississippi. Rarely was Dart asked to be a progression reader and many of his reads were made for him with scheme. There is plenty with which to work with here, though.

5. Jalen Milroe, Alabama, 6-1 7/8, 217 lbs. – Milroe is an elite athlete and runner. He has incredible speed. Milroe is a fine deep passer with a strong frame and is considered to be a very intelligent young man. That being said, Milroe’s short and intermediate accuracy currently leave an awful lot to be desired and his hand measurement at the Senior Bowl is also quite concerning.

Sleeper: Taylor Elgersma, Laurier (Canada), 6-4, 216 lbs.- Elgersma put himself on the map at the Senior Bowl. He has good size, an NFL arm and enough athletic ability. Like all quarterbacks in this draft class, Elgersma must adjust to am NFL football – the Canadian football is much different than the one used in college in the United States. Not only that, but Elgersma also must adjust to a narrower field than what is played on in Canada. There also are 11 players on the field at a time instead of 12 in Canada! But Elgersma didn’t look out of place in Mobile and might just stick at the next level.

The 2024 NFL Draft will be remembered for quarterbacks, for three taken on the first three selections, for six summoned within the first 12 picks and for the rapid transitions from prized prospects to promising starters as rookies of the five who were healthy enough to eventually play (Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, Michael Penix and Bo Nix).

But that was then and this is now.

“It’s certainly not last year,” Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy said in late January, prior to the NFL’s annual takeover of Mobile, Ala. “I don’t know if any of these guys would be in the top six last year.”

There’s still plenty of time for perceptions to change.

But this year, it seems, there are more questions than projections.

1. Cam Ward, Miami, Fla. 6-1 5/8, 219 lbs. – He has more life in his arm,” NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah said of Ward vs. Sanders during coverage of Senior Bowl week. “He’s a little more explosive as an athlete. I just think he can expand your playbook a little more. He’s just a bigger, sturdier, stronger dude.”

2. Jaxson Dart, Mississippi, 6-2 1/4, 223 lbs. – Jaxson Dart is of the opinion being a quarterback at Ole Miss requires the mastering of “fine details. “There’s a big misconception about it,” maintained Dart, citing the quality of coaching he’s received at Mississippi from, among others, Lane Kiffin, Joe Judge and Charlie Weiss. It’s a theory that has some merit.

3. Jalen Milroe, Alabama, 6-1 7/8, 217 lbs. – NFL Network analyst Charles Davis has compared Milroe’s physical skill set to the Colts’ Anthony Richardson. “When (Milroe) takes off and runs, defenses have issues,” Davis maintained.

4. Shedeur Sanders, Colorado, 6-1 1/2, 212 lbs. – Potential questions regarding Sanders’ arm strength won’t be answered until Colorado’s Pro Day in the wake of Sanders’ decision not to throw at the NFL Scouting Combine.

5. Tyler Shough, Louisville, 6-4 7/8, 219 lbs. – Tyler Shough has a big body, big hands and a big arm. He’ll also be a 26-year-old rookie after a seven-year college career that included stints at Oregon, Texas Tech and Louisville.

Sleeper: Dillon Gabriel, Oregon, 5-11 1/8, 205 lbs. – The only thing sleepy about Gabriel is his lack of prototypical size, which is a legitimate concern but not a trait that can’t be overcome. The argument for Gabriel is he was tall enough in college to start more games (63) and produce more touchdowns (188) than any quarterback in FBS history. In interviews he exudes the traits he’s said he prides himself on, confidence and authenticity. And his Oregon teammate, wide receiver Tez Johnson, has said Gabriel possesses “the heart of a lion.” Size matters, but there are exceptions to every metric. Don’t bet against Gabriel becoming one for somebody.