Ranking top QB prospects in 2025 NFL Draft by QBR

Quarterback is the most important position on the football field, and more often than not the top of the NFL draft is proof of this long-held belief. Whether teams are using the No. 1 pick on a Heisman Trophy winner or selecting a signal caller earlier than expected, the search for a franchise quarterback is always going to be a focal point.

This past April, six quarterbacks were chosen within the first 12 picks of the 2024 NFL draft, including the top three selections (USC's Caleb Williams, LSU's Jayden Daniels and UNC's Drake Maye). Three of the top four picks in the 2023 draft were also quarterbacks.

Whether that trend continues in 2025 will be determined during the 2024 college football season, which begins in full with the start of Week 1 starting Thursday. If there are good options under center coming from the college ranks, NFL teams will pounce.

For now, the best way to quantify the best potential draft prospects at quarterback this season is through last year’s advanced metrics. Here’s how the top signal callers in the country stack up according to ESPN’s QBR – and interestingly enough, Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders isn’t among the top 25 despite his status as one of the top prospects in this year's draft class:

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ESPN's QBR explained

Every week, ESPN gives each quarterback a QBR (quarterback rating) for their latest performance. According to ESPN, the rating is intended to "incorporate all of a quarterback’s contributions to winning, including how he impacts the game on passes, rushes, turnovers and penalties."

QBR measures each play's degree of success and how much credit the quarterback deserves for the play. The statistic also takes into account the strength of opposing defenses faced. The final result is an efficiency rating as a number on a 0-to-100 point scale. The cumulative rating is averaged out on a per-play basis across the course of the season.

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Ranking top quarterback prospects by QBR

QBR rating is from 2023 stats as we enter Week 1's full schedule.

1. Dillon Gabriel, Oregon (87.3)

2. Kaidon Salter, Liberty (86.2)

3. Noah Fifita, Arizona (85.6)

4. Carson Beck, Georgia (85.2)

5. Kyle McCord, Syracuse (83.7)

6. Jalen Milroe, Alabama (83.6)

7. DJ Uiagalelei, Florida State (80.8)

8. Quinn Ewers, Texas (78.7)

9. Brady Cook, Missouri (77.2)

10. Josh Hoover, TCU (77.1)

11. Garrett Greene, West Virginia (76.7)

12. Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss (76.7)

13. Will Howard, Ohio State (75.3)

14. Joey Aguilar, Appalachian State (73.2)

15. Chandler Morris, North Texas (73.1)

16. Drew Allar, Penn State (72.7)

17. Haynes King, Georgia Tech (72.3)

18. Riley Leonard, Notre Dame (72.1)

19. Jordan McCloud, Texas State (71.9)

20. Preston Stone, SMU (71.3)

21. Tyler Van Dyke, Wisconsin (71.0)

22. Zeon Chriss, Houston (69.3)

23. Graham Mertz, Florida (68.5)

24. Rocco Becht, Iowa State (67.9)

25. Seth Henigan, Memphis (67.9)

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2025 NFL Draft: Ranking top QB prospects by 2023 QBR