2025 NFL Draft: Mel Kiper makes big changes to Top 10 QB rankings

Week after week quarterbacks at the college level seem to continue stepping up on the biggest stages and deliver impressive performances. Strong showings that don’t just captivate of the college football landscape, but have captured the attention NFL scouts and evaluators at the next level.

The 2025 NFL Draft is still a long way away in April, but the incoming quarterback class has already found a way to elevate their respective draft stocks and shake up their perception from evaluators. Which ESPN NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. has taken notice of.

Following several standout individual performances last weekend, Kiper decided to update his Top 10 quarterback rankings for the 2025 NFL Draft. A list that features several movers after Week 5 and can be seen below.

1. Shedeur Sanders — Colorado

Sanders remains at the top of Kiper’s quarterback rankings for a second straight week after jumping up three spots earlier this season. Fresh off of leading Colorado to an impressive 48-21 win over UCF that surprised many and keeps the Buffaloes undefeated in Big 12 play.

On the first possession of the game, Sanders threw his third interception of the season. Quickly bouncing back with 290 yards and three touchdowns to bring his season totals up to 1,630 yards and 14 touchdowns for one of the most intriguing prospects of the 2025 NFL Draft.

2. Jalen Milroe — Alabama (+3)

Jalen Milroe skyrockets up Kiper’s ranking after throwing for 374 yards and two touchdowns and also rushing for 117 yards and two scores on the ground in a 41-34 win over Georgia that was an early candidate for game of the year. A tremendous athlete who’s established himself as the best dual-threat quarterback in the country with 1,237 total yards and 18 total touchdowns through four games.

“He’s always been a great deep ball thrower, great deep ball accuracy,” Kiper said Tuesday morning on Get Up. “The progression has been short, intermediate precise passing, accurate passing there. Operations, the details, the pre-snap, he’s getting better at that.”

3. Carson Beck — Georgia (-1)

On the flip side of Alabama’s win was the performance of Georgia quarterback Carson Beck. Who drops one spot in Kiper’s ranking following two straight slow starts against the Bulldogs’ last two SEC opponents.

Against the Crimson Tide last weekend, Beck turned the ball over four total times in Georgia’s loss. But he did also bring his team back into the game by erasing a 28-point deficit and the Bulldogs the lead with under three minutes remaining. Throwing for a career-high 439 yards and three touchdowns, showing why he was the top-ranked QB entering the season.

4. Cam Ward — Miami

Miami transfer Cam Ward continues to dazzle in his lone season with the Hurricanes. Ranked at the very top of On3’s Impact Top 10 QB Rankings but at the No. 4 on Kiper’s list of NFL prospect quarterbacks after his strong showing against Virginia Tech.

Ward generated 400 total yards of offense and four touchdowns against the Hokies and continues to do it with a unique play style that’s cool, calm, and collected. Currently ranking first in the nation with 18 touchdown passes and second with 1,782 passing yards.

5. Quinn Ewers — Texas

Ewers remains in the top five despite missing another week due to injury. Getting some much-needed rest this week during the Longhorns’ bye after suffering an abdominal injury in in Week 3 against UTSA.

This season marks his third straight missing multiple games due to an injury, which will definitely come with concerns from NFL evaluators. But his undeniable talent and body of work will always keep him in the mix, throwing for 6,347 yards and 45 touchdowns in his 25 starts.

6. Drew Allar — Penn State

Drew Allar has all the physical tools of an NFL quarterback, a strong-armed passer standing at 6-foot-5 and weighing 243 pounds. And so far this season he’s looked the part in his second full season as a starter who’s led the Nittany Lions to an undefeated start.

Allar managed Penn State’s most recent game against Illinois, completing 71.4% of his passes for just 135 yards and no scores. But on the season he’s thrived in new offense coordinator Andy Kotelnicki‘s scheme with 956 total yards and 10 total touchdowns.

7. Jaxson Dart — Ole Miss

Like Allar, Jaxson Dart is coming off his most underwhelming performance of the season. Not moving in Kiper’s rankings but still staying firmly in the Top 10 following Kentucky‘s 20-17 upset win at Ole Miss on Saturday.

Dart threw for a season-low 261 yards and a touchdown last weekend, but still leads the country with 1,815 passing yards. An experienced player who’s also gotten the job done with his legs this year after rushing for touchdowns in his first three games of the season.

8. Garrett Nussmeier — LSU

Garrett Nussmeier has only started in a handful of games in his college career. But in his short time as LSU’s starter, he’s been impressionable on Kiper and other NFL scouts and evaluators.

His 1,656 yards and 15 touchdowns this season both rank within the top five currently in the FBS. Playing with a fearless, gunslinger style that has fit the Tigers’ offense perfectly following the departure of Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels.

9. Will Howard — Ohio State (+1)

Howard jumps up one spot on Kiper’s rankings following his first Big Ten conference game with the Buckeyes since joining the team this offseason. Throwing for 244 yards and scoring three total touchdowns in Ohio State’s 38-7 win over Michigan State.

The former Kansas State signal-caller has thrown for 1,039 yards and eight touchdowns so far this season. Surrounded by a litany of weapons and not even scratching the surface of his ability as a rushing threat this season with just 36 yards on the ground.

10. Miller Moss — USC (-1)

Miller Moss drops one spot and switches places with Howard despite throwing for three touchdown passes for a second straight week. Also throwing for 308 yards and rushing for a touchdown in USC’s first Big Ten win ever as new members of the conference over Wisconsin.

Like Nussmeier, Moss also had big, Heisman shoes to fill this season as a first-year starter after sitting behind Caleb Williams. Already showing off his talent, understanding of Lincoln Riley‘s offense, and NFL potential with 1,198 and eight touchdowns.