Not Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward: This is the top quarterback participating in the 2025 NFL Combine

The 2025 NFL Draft is now just two months away and the field is much less clear than it has been in previous years. The Tennessee Titans currently hold the No. 1 spot and, with no real need to draft a QB, they could trade down their pick to another team.

There is no stand-out quarterback from the class of 2025, although there are two names that will rank highly in most lists. Cam Ward (Miami) and Shedeur Sanders (Colorado) both have a real claim to be the best QB in this year’s draft but both have announced that they will not take part in the on-field work at the NFL Combine this week.

With those two absent, there’s a chance for a less fancied name to emerge from the pack. Step forward, Jaxson Dart. The 21-year-old quarterback has been a starter for three seasons now at Ole Miss and has shown improvement throughout his college career.

His 2024 completion percentage of 69.3% was the highest to date and he threw 4,279 yards for 29 touchdowns, giving up just six interceptions. He was named MVP at the 2025 Gator Bowl and could be a useful pick-up for teams looking to bolster their QB depth.

When will Jaxson Dart be drafted?

Despite their Combine no-shows Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward will almost certainly be the first two QBs to go in the Draft, with both expected to be taken in the first round. Dart’s prospects could be more based on his showing at the NFL Combine, although we would expected him to be drafted in the second half of Day 2.

Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports has tipped Dart to impress at the Combine, adding that he could benefit from the slightly more sparse field of QBs this year: “Dart should test reasonably well for the quarterback position and part of a class without a passer with ridiculous arm strength, Dart should be impressive in the throwing drills relative to his contemporaries in Indianapolis.”

Dart’s lower billing in the NFL Draft could actually open up more options for the player and he could find himself at a team looking to hedge their bets in the QB position. The LA Rams will surely be thinking about a Matthew Stafford replacement, whether the 37-year-old leaves this offseason or opts for retirement in the near future.

In a similar vein, the San Francisco 49ers may be having some doubts about the long-term fitness of Brock Purdy. The former Mr Irrelevant has made a meteoric rise in the NFL but has missed games every season for the 49ers, leaving the team open to investing in an insurance option to develop alongside Purdy.

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