The golden-armed kid from Southlake, Texas took an unprecedented path to the NFL draft. After receiving his first D1 offer in sixth grade from North Texas, Ewers blossomed into the nation's top-ranked recruit at Carroll Senior High School, where he amassed 6,445 passing yards and 73 touchdowns in just 22 games. His pursuit of NIL opportunities led him to reclassify and enroll early at Ohio State, where he took just two snaps before transferring back home to Texas. Ewers' three-year reign as the Longhorns' starter produced 7,378 passing yards and 56 touchdowns while leading Texas to consecutive College Football Playoff appearances. His junior campaign featured a record-breaking 452-yard performance in the Big 12 Championship and a five-touchdown showcase against Florida. Most impressively, he led Texas to eight straight road wins, including statement victories at Michigan and Alabama. The 2024 season saw Ewers earn Maxwell Award and Walter Camp semifinalist honors while maintaining a 20-game touchdown streak, second only to Colt McCoy in program history. Despite a controversial mid-season benching against Georgia, he bounced back to lead Texas to the SEC Championship game and ultimately finished with 27 career wins, surpassing McCoy for the most in school history. Scouting Report: Strengths Shows exceptional touch and timing on intermediate throws when working from a clean pocket - consistently hits receivers in stride between the numbers Masterful ball-handler who sells play-action fakes with rare authenticity - freezes second-level defenders and creates throwing windows Natural rhythm passer who thrives in the 10-20 yard range - displays surgical accuracy when footwork aligns with throwing platform Road warrior mentality shows up in the stats - eight straight wins in hostile environments with a 15:1 TD/INT ratio Creates throwing lanes with diverse arm angles - shows craftiness working around pressure when maintaining composure Quick-twitch release allows him to beat defensive backs to spots - ball comes out hot on timing routes Demonstrates bounce-back ability after adversity - responded to Georgia benching with three straight multi-touchdown games Commands respect in the huddle - teammates consistently praise his competitive fire and leadership presence Scouting Report: Weaknesses Lacks consistency and touch in the short passing game - simple screens and dump-offs become adventures too often Limited mobility and rushing ability severely restrict offensive flexibility - cannot threaten defenses with his legs Field vision deteriorates rapidly under pressure - fails to process through progressions when pocket gets muddy Concerning injury history with multiple upper body issues - durability questions dating back to high school Decision-making regressed significantly in 2024 - forces too many throws into coverage trying to create explosive plays Scouting Report: Summary The painful truth about Quinn Ewers' 2024 campaign is that it likely cost him millions. A potential first-round pick entering the season, his stock tumbled as the same tantalizing arm talent that made him special was overshadowed by persistent inconsistency in the short game and questionable decision-making under duress. His ideal landing spot will be with a vertical passing attack that can maximize his exceptional deep ball accuracy and quick release while minimizing his exposure in the short game. A team like the Raiders or Saints could view him as an intriguing developmental prospect - the rare Day 2 quarterback who already possesses elite traits in specific areas. The boom-or-bust nature of Ewers' game makes him a fascinating prospect in the middle rounds. While his ceiling remains sky-high thanks to special arm talent, his floor is concerningly low given his limitations. A team betting on his upside will need patience and a scheme tailored to emphasize downfield passing while protecting him from his weaknesses. Written By: Eli Cooper (Big 12)
How much money did Quinn Ewers lose by not returning for NIL in college football, sliding in 2025 NFL Draft? Had Ewers returned to college football, his payout would have been much more lucrative By Richard Johnson Apr 26, 2025 at 7:10 pm ET After a long wait, Quinn Ewers was drafted at pick No. 231 by the Miami Dolphins in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft. It was clear that with heir apparent Arch Manning waiting in the wings, he'd have to play somewhere else in 2025. Ewers entered this draft class with concerns over his arm strength and some worries about a nagging injury that hampered him in the 2024 season for Texas. Throughout the NIL era, there's an interesting theme running through Day 3 of every NFL Draft, and that's whether a player could have earned more by staying in school. There are myriad reasons why a player goes to the draft beyond money, but it is something to factor into any player's decision. Some players who are borderline draftable opt to return to school to at least get something, but the calculus is a little different for quarterbacks. The estimated slot value of pick No. 231 in the draft is around $4.3 million over four years. But, as a starting quarterback with SEC experience, had he gone into the transfer portal, Ewers could have fetched easily over $3 million, and maybe even as much as $4 million with the right suitors in the mix considering Carson Beck's deal. Ewers could have gotten in the mix at Miami, Notre Dame or many other bluebloods in search of a signal-caller last winter had he entered the portal. The fact is that it was never really in question as to whether Ewers would actually turn pro at the end of this season. And the fact that he has turned pro starts his clock to getting a lucrative second contract if Ewers is able to prove he belongs in the league. https://www.cbssports.com/college-f...n-college-football-sliding-in-2025-nfl-draft/
I like the pick. I hope he has the humility to be coached out of his areas of opportunity. We have a QB who has intangibles but has an arm that some still question. Now, we drafted a QB with a live arm and questionable intangibles. Ewers needs to keep his nose to the grindstone and get better every practice and he'll be fine as a backup or eventual successor to #1.
For what it's worth, Dez Bryant said that Ewers is already better than Tua and he's going to be Dan Marino 2.0. Don't shoot the messenger!
They definitely needed to draft at least a developmental quarterback this draft. Surely, he has a higher pedigree than Skylar Thompson. I hope he can develop into a more than serviceable backup.
The two main concerns I keep reading and hearing about Ewers are his history of soft-tissue injury and a case of deer-in-the-headlight responses to pressure. I've seen plenty of Texas games and didn't notice him being skittish, but I normally rooted against them so I might have been celebrating when it happened. But with our nO line, we can't have someone freaking out when the heat comes. Hopefully, the trainers can put him on a program that will prevent injury. But he has a cannon for an arm, which should make some here happy. Some say he has an affinity for trying to lay passes in on his target that should be rifled. McD might be able to help him (and Wilson) fix that, too. Regardless, I'm glad we took a flyer on him instead of relying on Skylar 2.0.
MIAMI DOLPHINS Seven analysts and Texas coach weigh in on new Dolphins rookie quarterback Quinn Ewers By Barry Jackson Updated May 1, 2025 1:50 PM What seven national analysts (and Texas’ head coach) are saying about new Dolphins quarterback Quinn Ewers, who was selected in the seventh round on Saturday: ▪ ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr.: He has a “27-9 career record. You’ve got to give him credit for being tough and gutting it out when he’s not 100 percent. He had some good games this year. Go back to the game against Michigan at Michigan. Completed 67 percent of his passes, three touchdowns, no picks. “But in the SEC Championship and three playoff games thereafter, seven touchdowns, five picks. So inconsistency was there in big spots. He has the touch, can throw off platform, has toughness. “Decision-making under pressure is questionable. I want to see him throw the 99 mph fastball once in a while. We didn’t see it. We saw the touch. We saw the accuracy. I saw him in the Alabama game where he bowled me over. He didn’t build on that. Did injuries play a factor? Maybe. “Can he be a backup in the NFL? Yes. Is he a starter? That’s the debate. There can be a chip [on his shoulder]. Make them pay” for not drafting him sooner. ▪ ESPN’s Matt Miller: “He has proven he can be a point guard. This is a very good fit for him. What he’s able to do is stand in the pocket, play on time, play in rhythm. That’s what Mike McDaniel wants. “McDaniel is going to tell you where to go with the ball. He will be getting coaching, getting the development. Miami is a really good landing spot for him. Injuries held him back from being what he could be. He would have games like the Oklahoma game, where he would throw it away with a bad decision.” ▪ ESPN’s Louis Riddick: “I don’t ever see him being a starter in the NFL quite honestly. It never seemed like he was able to put any juice on it. The play style seemed so lethargic, like in the NFL they would eat him up if it wasn’t open for him immediately. A little Chad Penningtonesque, but Chad was an effective quarterback. [Ewers] didn’t do it for me.” ▪ NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah: “With Ewers, I watched him over the summer and was excited about him coming into the year. I felt like I was higher on him than a lot of people, but I saw some good things from his tape. I saw someone who I thought had some twitch to him, quick eyes, quick release. “I was hoping he would take that next step. Because he didn’t play as well, he wasn’t as urgent and quick, … but then he had the oblique that bothered him and he had a high ankle sprain. So how much did that impact him? He didn’t play as well as me and some others had hoped he would based off where he was last year.” Ewers battled multiple injuries throughout his college career, missing at least two games in each of his three seasons in Austin. Last season, Ewers ranked fourth in the SEC with 3,472 yards on 65.8-percent passing but also had an SEC-worst 12 interceptions. ▪ NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein: Miami “is one of the best places he could go in the seventh round. Ewers’ arm talent and game flashes are enticing, but he hasn’t learned to play the game with a high enough level of consistency. The tape of road wins over Alabama and Michigan over the last two seasons showed the clearest picture of Ewers’ ceiling. “He spins it with a sudden release and good touch over the first two levels and makes it look easy when he finds a rhythm. He won a high percentage of his career starts but struggled to put points on the board in most big games in 2024. Ewers rarely operates as a smooth, full-field reader. “He often predetermines his target and throws into coverage instead of taking what the defense is offering. A lack of escapability will require him to process quickly enough to stay ahead of NFL blitz packages. The raw talent and upside will be alluring for pro-style passing attacks, but it’s fair to wonder if he will ever be able to rise above the talent on his roster and the ability of his play-caller to create favorable terms.” ▪ NFL.com’s Chad Reuter loved the pick: “Ewers might be likened to [Dolphins backup QB] Zach Wilson in unflattering ways, but the fact is, Miami found a potential NFL starting quarterback in the seventh round. If nothing else, a few strong preseason and injury fill-in efforts by Ewers could turn him into a future trade asset.” ▪ NFL Network’s Bucky Brooks: The Dolphins drafting him in the seventh round “works for me because of how quickly he gets the ball out of his hands. That offense fits his skill set.” Can he anticipate like Tua Tagovailoa? No, says Zierlein and Brooks. “He has to see it before he believes it,” Brooks said. “He has been maddeningly inconsistent.” Sarkisian weighs in: Texas coach Steve Sarkisian offered these comments on Ewers on Monday: “I think all of us wish he would have gotten drafted higher, but at the end of the day if I could have picked a place that I think is a great fit for him, I think Miami is a great fit. Systematically, what Coach McDaniel does is if not exactly the same very similar to what we do. There’s going to be a level of comfort for him in style of play. He’s got a lot of great weapons on the outside. It’s a warm weather place. In the end, I think it’s a good fit for him. Now it’s about taking advantage about the opportunity that presents itself.” On Ewers falling in the draft, the coach said: “I feel for Quinn. “He was a great player for us. I think about a lot of the people who have come into this program over the past four years that have impacted the growth and the trajectory of our program, and he’s right there near the top if not at the top with the impact that he’s had not only on the field but off the field. His ability to help recruit other players to come be part of our program. “Through all this talk about collective and the things that were going on in the world of NIL. He never took money from our collective. All of what he did through NIL was his true name, image, and likeness. The intent of the rule. On that front, I’m very grateful for what he did for our program.” Read more at: https://www.miamiherald.com/sports/nfl/miami-dolphins/article302589184.html#storylink=cpy
