2025 NFL Draft: Mel Kiper makes huge changes to Top 10 quarterback rankings before NFL Combine

It’s officially NFL Scouting Combine week in Indianapolis as roughly 330 NFL hopefuls descend on the Hoosier State for the league’s annual dog-and-pony show.

And amid all the will-he or won’t-he regarding which quarterbacks will ultimately throw on Saturday, ESPN icon Mel Kiper Jr. has completely overhauled his latest Top 10 ranking of the best available QBs in the 2025 NFL Draft ahead of the weeklong circus in Indy.

Kiper remains higher than most on Shedeur Sanders, keeping the Colorado QB ahead of Miami‘s Cam Ward for the No. 1 spot, and then boosted the standing of two well-traveled veterans with Syracuse‘s Kyle McCord leapfroggin Alabama‘s Jalen Milroe as the No. 4 QB and Oregon‘s Dillon Gabriel jumping from ninth to sixth in his latest ranking. Kiper seems far less confident in Ohio State‘s Will Howard and Texas‘ Quinn Ewers, dropping the national champion-winning quarterback three spots to No. 7 and the Longhorns signal-caller to No. 9, respectively.

Check out Mel Kiper’s full Top 10 quarterback ranking ahead of this week’s NFL Combine below:

1. Shedeur Sanders, Colorado

Mel Kiper isn’t backing off his love for the son of NFL legend Deion Sanders as his No. 1 quarterback in the 2025 NFL Draft class. Kiper remains a fan of Shedeur Sanders’ toughness and resilience after being sacked 99 times over the past two seasons in Boulder.

Sanders’ elite accuracy is unmatched among his peers after leading the entire FBS with a 74-percent completion rate along with 4,134 passing yards and 37 touchdowns to just 10 interceptions. “When his mechanics and footwork are sound, he can pick apart a defense,” Kiper wrote.

2. Cam Ward, Miami

While Ward is generally considered the top-rated quarterback in the class by most NFL evaluators, he stands firm at No. 2 in Kiper’s latest ranking. Similarly to Sanders, Kiper appreciates Ward’s “toughness, swagger and confidence” as well as his “solid game management traits” after elevating the Hurricanes’ FBS-leading offense in his lone season in Coral Gables.

Ward led the nation with 39 passing touchdowns and ranked in the Top 5 in nearly every passing metric, including finishing second nationally with 4,313 yards on 67.2-percent passing. Kiper acknowledged Ward’s “unorthodox delivery” but also praised his “accuracy and velocity from different arm angles” in his evaluation.

3. Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss

The Rebels’ all-time leading passer holds steady as Kiper’s No. 3 quarterback after climbing draft boards everywhere following an impressive showing at the Senior Bowl earlier this month in Mobile.

Dart eclipsed Rebels legend Eli Manning as Ole Miss’ career leader in passing yards (10,617) and total offense (12,117 yards) following a school record-breaking 2024 campaign in which he posted a SEC-leading 4,279 passing yards and 29 touchdowns this past season.

4. Kyle McCord, Syracuse (+2)

Here’s where Kiper’s recent changes start making an impact as the ESPN expert elevated the Orange QB back into the Top 5 ahead of this week’s NFL Combine, where McCord could certainly help his draft stock with a strong showing in Indianapolis.

The 6-foot-3, 220-pound McCord bet on himself last offseason and transferred away from eventual national champion Ohio State for Syracuse, where he led the entire FBS with 4,779 passing yards — 466 yards more than Ward — to go along with 34 touchdowns to 12 interceptions in 2024.

5. Jalen Milroe, Alabama

The dual-threat Crimson Tide quarterback keeps his hold on the No. 5 spot in Kiper’s Top 10 ranking despite a less-than-encouraging experience down in Mobile. Of course, Milroe has a second opportunity to impress scouts this week in Indianapolis should he throw as expected.

Nevertheless, Milroe’s elite athleticism and stellar traits have NFL personnel intrigued after the playmaking Alabama QB racked up 36 total touchdowns and 3,570 total yards in his second season as Alabama’s starter, including 20 rushing scores.

6. Dillon Gabriel, Oregon (+3)

The biggest climber on Kiper’s QB board is also the most experienced and well-traveled after establishing himself as one of college football’s most productive quarterbacks ever with 18,722 career passing yards and 72 touchdowns over six collegiate seasons at Oregon, Oklahoma and UCF.

Despite his elevated age — Gabriel will turn 25 as a rookie — the Ducks QB continues to impress after finishing third in the Heisman voting with his best statistical season to date with 3,857 yards and 30 touchdowns on 72.9-percent passing in 2024.

7. Will Howard, Ohio State (-3)

Right behind the biggest climber is Kiper’s biggest faller as the ESPN expert dings the Buckeyes’ National Championship-winning quarterback ahead of this week’s Combine. The timing is interesting, but the 6-foot-4, 235-pound Howard has a chance to turn heads and open eyes with a strong performance in Indianapolis.

Another former transfer QB who bet on himself, Howard capped his stellar five-year collegiate career by leading the Big Ten with 42 total touchdowns, including seven rushing scores, and 4,010 yards on 73-percent passing during his 2024 championship push.

8. Tyler Shough, Louisville

Another well-traveled quarterback, the 25-year-old Shough remains at No. 8 in Kiper’s ranking after setting career-highs in both passing yards (3,195) and touchdowns (23) in his lone season at Louisville following multi-year stints at both Oregon and Texas Tech.

After battling through three injury-plagued seasons in Lubbock, Shough proved he can stay healthy by appearing in a career-high 12 regular-season games in 2024 and is quickly climbing draft boards with his impressive game tape.

9. Quinn Ewers, Texas (-2)

The former Longhorns signal-caller continues his freefall down Kiper’s QB ranking, but could be primed for a resurgence with an impressive week in Indianapolis. Ewers’ experience within Texas’ NFL-ready offense under Steve Sarkisian should go a long way with NFL personnel during team interviews.

Still, Ewers needs to show he’s fully recovered after battling various nagging injuries over his three seasons in Austin, where he threw for 9,128 passing yards and 68 touchdowns to 28 interceptions with a 64.9-percent career completion percentage in 36 career games.

T-10. Riley Leonard, Notre Dame

Kiper is clearly split at No. 10, enough to bump the Fighting Irish quarterback into a two-way tie for the final spot in his Top 10 ranking with Indiana’s Kurtis Rourke. Leonard might not be the biggest quarterback at 6-foot-3 and 210-pounds, but don’t tell Notre Dame’s dual-threat playmaker.

Leonard might not have the passing stats of his contemporaries, but he more than made up for it on the ground, rushing for 17 touchdowns — which ranked tied for 12th nationally among all rushers in 2024. He’s another candidate who could certainly turn heads in Indianapolis this week.

T-10. Kurtis Rourke, Indiana

Last but certainly not least on Kiper’s QB ranking is the 6-foot-5 Hoosiers quarterback, who proved to be the model of consistency during his lone season in Bloomington, leading the Big Ten with a 176.01 passer rating in 2024.

After admitting to playing much of the 2024 season with a partially torn ACL, the 24-year-old Rourke will have to prove he’s healthy and a strong showing in Indianapolis could certainly help in that endeavor.