Quinn Ewers, Texas: 2025 NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report

Ewers was a five-star recruit from Southlake Carroll High School in Southlake, Texas in the class of 2021

Texas Longhorns prospect Quinn Ewers is one of several controversial quarterbacks in the 2025 NFL Draft class. He appears in first round mocks regularly, but there are enough holes in his game to push him down draft boards.

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Quinn Ewers, QB Texas: 2025 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Redshirt junior quarterback from Southlake, Texas

Background: Ewers was a five-star recruit from Southlake Carroll High School in Southlake, Texas in the class of 2021. He was the No. 1 recruit according to 247Sports, No. 1 for Rivals, and No. 3 for On3.com. ESPN ranked him 2nd in the nation with a 95 grade out of 100. Ewers reclassified to join Ohio State for the 2021 season. He transferred to Texas for the 2022 season. During his 22-game high school career, he completed 450 of 643 pass attempts for 6,445 yards passing, 73 passing touchdowns, and eight interceptions. He also rushed for 701 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns on 115 carries. As a high school junior, Ewers missed six of 14 games with a core injury but still completed 159 of 241 pass attempts for 2,442 yards, 28 touchdowns, and five interceptions while rushing for 133 yards and three scores. He led Southlake Carroll to a 12-2 overall record and an undefeated 6-0 mark in the district. He received Second Team 6A All-State honors from the Texas Sports Writers Association and was the unanimous MVP of District 5-6A. As a sophomore, Ewers completed 291 of 402 passes for 4,003 yards with 45 touchdowns and three interceptions to accompany 83 carries for 568 yards and nine touchdowns. He led a Southlake Carroll offense that averaged 49.3 points per game. The team finished with a 13-1 record and a 7-0 mark in the district. Ewers averaged 45.3 yards per punt on seven attempts as a freshman in 2018. He also played on the school’s baseball team.

Injuries & Off-Field: Missed six high school games in 2020 with a core injury, a shoulder sprain cost him three games in 2022, missed two games in 2023 with a grade 2 AC joint sprain in his right shoulder

Awards: 2022 Honorable Mention Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year, 2023 Honorable Mention All-Big 12, 2023 Second Team All-Big 12 (Associated Press)

Pros: Rebuilt frame in 2023, steps up in the pocket to avoid the rush, pump fakes to move second level defenders, quick to flip and reset feet for throws, delivers throws in the face of pressure, less prone to catastrophic mistakes vs. pressure in 2023, changes arm slots to meet throwing windows, speeds up release under pressure, ball pops off hands when he drives it with velocity, throws tight spirals, throws with soft touch at all levels, layers the ball well, very predictable and catch-able pass for receivers, impressive placement along the sideline on fades, hits fades in the 20-40 yard range hit targets in stride, touch and air on red zone fades give WRs plenty to work with, threw a 50+ air-yard touchdown vs. Alabama (2023), enough mobility to roll out and extend plays, comfortable throwing on the move, speed looked better in 2023 than 2022, hurts defenses for leaving him alone in space, upside as a runner and second play creator showed up vs. Washington (2023) and Kansas (2023), some nice weaving through defenses on runs

Cons: Pressure to sack conversion rate of 25.2%, injury history, five fumbles in each of the past two seasons, schemed throws padded stats big time in several games, mentally gets stuck on some reads and forces throws, moments when he panics when the first read isn’t open, second guesses himself and double clutches throws, slight hitch in normal throwing motion, sidearm release, needs to throw the ball away sooner, held the ball too long vs. Oklahoma (2023), stares down targets so d-linemen get their hands up, telegraphed throws led to several batted balls at the line vs. Washington (2023), freelancing footwork leads to low throws, footwork becomes rigid in a muddy pocket, feet stagnate early when he decides to force a throw, occasionally fades away for no reason which ruins ball placement, often fades away vs. pressure, some head scratching vision failures against linebackers undercutting short throws, throws with limited anticipation, ball placement takes a big hit when throwing with anticipation, doesn’t tap into his velocity consistently, ball hangs a little bit on throws to the far sideline, too much air on open throws over MOF when he should drive it, looping throws give DBs windows to crash and play on the ball, lacks elite downfield arm strength, underthrew 45-air-yard 9 route vs. Oklahoma State (2023), inconsistent ball placement prevents him from leading receivers or hitting them in stride, limited open field elusiveness

Overview: Ewers rebuilt his frame in 2023 to be healthier. The work paid off as his mobility and speed increased significantly. Ewers can roll out to extend plays and is comfortable firing on the move. Defenses can’t afford to leave him alone in space anymore because he has the speed to gash them for large chunks of yardage. He isn’t truly elusive in the open field but does a good job weaving around defenders. Ewers’ renewed athleticism has turned him into a quarterback capable of creating second chance plays for his offense. The Texas native has some of the best pocket management among quarterbacks in the 2025 class. He usually steps up to avoid outside pressure. Unfortunately, defensive pressure on Ewers is still regularly getting converted into sacks because he holds the ball for too long, which doesn’t help his growing injury history. He does a good job dissuading pressure on play action by quickly setting his feet and getting the ball out. Ewers uses pump fakes to move second level defenders. He manipulates his arm angle and release speed to access different throws, but his throwing motion includes a slight hitch. Ewers has a sidearm release, which might be responsible for some of his inaccurate throws. The ball pops off Ewers’ hand with excellent velocity, but he also throws with soft touch at all levels and layers the ball well. His passes are very predictable and catch-able for his receivers. The redshirt junior’s ball placement along the sideline on fades in the 20 to 40-yard range is special. His touch on red zone fades also stands out. Ewers benefits from schemed throws that pad his production in Steve Sarkisian’s offense. He gets stuck on some reads and forces throws. There are still moments when Ewers panics when the first read isn’t open. He’ll also stare down receivers and tip off defenders with his eyes. When Ewers has a predetermined throw or decides to force a throw, he gets through his footwork and then pauses to wait for the receiver to uncover. The length of this pause varies, but it entails Ewers just freezing mid-play and trying to hold his position. It’s very awkward and limits his ability to adjust if the route isn’t open. The All-Big 12 honorable mention freelances his footwork too much. His feet become rigid in a muddy pocket. Ewers sometimes fades away while throwing, even when he isn’t pressured, which causes the ball to float or sail. The former Ohio State transfer has some frustrating lapses in vision at the second level that allow linebackers to easily undercut and intercept his passes. He throws with limited anticipation. Ewers throws with excellent velocity but often chooses to use touch instead, which backfires. His throws hang in the air too long and give defensive backs opportunities to make plays on the ball. This is especially a problem over the middle of the field. Ewers must recognize when to drive the ball and when to use touch. The former five-star recruit has good but not elite downfield arm strength. He struggles to lead receivers on vertical routes, and his ability to access throws more than 50 yards downfield with accuracy is inconsistent.

Overall, Ewers has some of the better pocket management and touch among the top quarterback prospects in the upcoming class, but he suffers from erratic play that puts a cap on his NFL projection. Ewers took a big leap from 2022 to 2023, and he needs another to secure first round status. 

Role & Scheme Fit: Pocket passer in an 11-personnel vertical offense

Round Grade: Second Round

Size: 6'2", 205 lbs. (Unofficial)

Submitted: 06-19-24