Texas QB Quinn Ewers: Textbook Boom or Bust

First Round Mock’s Rajvir Bal has put a high pre-season grade on Texas quarterback (QB) Quinn Ewers.

We are a ways out from the 2025 NFL Draft, and the race for QB1 is still wide open. Currently, three quarterbacks seem to be “consensus” front runners for the top spot.

These are Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders (grossly overrated), Georgia QB Carson Beck (my personal QB1), and the man we’re looking at in this evaluation, Ewers.

Background

He became the sixth 247Sports high school prospect to receive a 1.0000 composite ranking. He ranked as a highly coveted 5-star prospect in high school before committing to Ohio State and then transferring to Texas.

Needless to say, he’s been surrounded by high expectations.

College stats:

2022:

172/296 (58.1%)

2,177 yards

15 touchdowns

Six interceptions

2023:

272/394 (69.0%)

3,479 yards

22 touchdowns

Six interceptions

Ewers measures in the 33% percentile for height and one percentile for weight in the QB position (per NFLDraftBuzz.com).

#3 Quinn Ewers 6-foot-2, 195 pounds
Rajvir Bal’s 2025 NFL Draft Grade: Late First-Round (I would select him)
Projected by 72.3% of the NFL Draft Community to be a first-round pick as of June 30, 2024 (nflmockdraftdatabase.com)

2023 game film reviewed: Oklahoma, Kansas, Washington, Oklahoma State, and
Alabama (click to view games watched to form this evaluation)

The Good

There are plays where his ball placement (specifically deep) is off the charts, and his arm strength is impressive. Along with this, he demonstrates a nice read through his progressions. Ewers has a killer pump fake that reminds me of former Steelers’ QB Big Ben Roethlisberger. The hero ball is a good thing some of the time. He’s an aggressive downfield thrower. One of my favorite traits in a QB is being a leader and a flashy one at that. If you can walk the walk, you should undoubtedly talk the talk. Ewers talked, but he also led Texas to a CFP semifinal (vs. Washington 37-31 loss). I love the earned cockiness he possesses.

The Bad

Ewers’ hero ball is not always such a positive asset. The tendency he has to swing for the fences will result in misfires on what should be easy throws. It’s a double-edged sword. At times it makes him look like the second coming of Hall of Fame QB Brett Favre, and then at other times…it doesn’t. Ewers has so many “what are you doing” moments on film. This is in large part due to his mediocre anticipation skills and poor footwork. If these continue through his professional career, defenses will eat him alive. Another potential setback for him is that the Texas offense does not allow him to showcase much of his arm talent. The offense is largely dink and dunk and favors the screen/check-down rather than the deep ball. Ewers is a QB who thrives with downfield attack, but this is not the offensive philosophy that Texas uses. This will cause Ewers to look underwhelming. Along with this, he allows the defense to speed him up too much. This is in part because he lacks pro-level mechanics.

Final thoughts for now

Ewers 2023 game film warrants a high grade, but it also warrants a 75% bust probability. Yes, I would select Ewers on day one, but I would be prepared for a wild ride. He needs development and needs strong coaching and people around him.

If Ewers is put in the correct situation, he could flourish. If he is not, it won’t be pretty.

Rajvir Bal is a high school student from the Virginia area. He grew up a rabid Washington Redskins fan, attending more than 30 games, and has enjoyed the team’s high points and low points throughout his life. He plays varsity football and basketball. Rajvir has taken an interest in the NFL Draft since middle school when his team picked Montez Sweat and Dwayne Haskins in the first round. His favorite NFL player ever flips between Rob Gronkowski and Brett Favre, and his favorite athlete is LeBron James. He has been writing his own scouting reports since 2020, and is excited for the opportunities FirstRoundMock provides.