The Miami Dolphins should select a quarterback in the 2025 NFL Draft. 

It remains to be seen how highly and who the best player is for that selection, but the team needs to add some legitimate talent to that position group. Tua Tagovailoa got hurt again this season, leaving the Dolphins without a viable quarterback option. 

We’re not here to debate the merits of selecting a quarterback. You’ll see plenty of think pieces about that topic throughout the season. The truth is, there’s an out in Tua’s contract this coming season, and it’s no longer up for debate as to whether he can be relied on to play 17 games — he can’t be. 

Instead of writing about that, we will cover what the quarterback class from the 2025 NFL Draft looks like roughly seven weeks into the college football season. 

These are not rankings, but instead, intended to give Dolphins fans an idea of the players they should be watching on Saturdays and what to watch for. 

Think of these as a starting place for your own research more than anything. I’ll also briefly cover whether each quarterback is a good fit for the Dolphins offense. 

Cam Ward, Miami 

Strengths 

Ward’s strengths lie in his physical talent. He’s got NFL arm strength and above-average arm talent. He can throw the ball from multiple arm slots with velocity and accuracy from multiple platforms. 

That leads to all of the fancy throws he makes outside of the pocket. You know, the plays where he breaks like three tackles and throws a strike downfield. Those high-level plays are wildly impressive, and they’ve always been in Ward’s bag. 

What makes him extra appealing this season is his improved decision-making. Ward always had what I jokingly refer to as the “bozo gene.” It’s the thing that makes quarterbacks like Josh Allen throw chest passes across their bodies but also allows them to become elite. 

Sometimes, it works out, and you get Josh Allen. Sometimes, it doesn’t, and you get Zach Wilson. Ward was closer to the Zach Wilson side of the spectrum coming into the season. Right now, he’s much closer to the middle. 

The last strength worth highlighting is Ward’s willingness to test tight middle-of-the-field windows. He’s working more pro concepts at Miami, which means he’s getting more comfortable with throws down the seam, something any good NFL QB must have in their bag. He still needs to tighten up those throws, but he’s much better this year than last. 

Weaknesses

Ward still tends to do too much. He takes some bad sacks and will throw into coverage when there’s no reason. His interceptions against Virginia Tech are a good example of him still not quite balancing his playmaking with risk-taking. 

My other big concern with Ward’s game is his lack of deep accuracy. This entire class struggles to hit vertical shots consistently, and Ward is no exception. He puts far too much air under his throws and just doesn’t give his guys a chance on those plays far too often. 

I have some minor gripes with his processing speed and how he senses pressure in the pocket, but given this is the closest to a real NFL offense he’s ever played in, I’m willing to let him grow and develop this season. 

Overall, Ward’s decision-making, accuracy, and ability to play within structure have improved. However, he’s still not quite good enough in all those areas to talk about him, like the past top-of-Round 1 quarterback prospects. 

Fit With Dolphins: Poor

Ward is everything Tua isn’t — for better or worse. 

Shedeur Sanders, Colorado 

Strengths 

Sanders’ strengths lie in his ability to win from within the pocket. He’s got the size and arm strength to stand tall and make NFL-level throws to all three levels of the field. 

He’s one of the few passers in this class with a somewhat consistent deep ball. He’s got the touch to layer passes over trailing defenders and sinking zone defenders in the middle of the field. This allows him to generate explosive plays when throwing into tight windows. 

Sanders’ general accuracy is also a positive. He’s solid at hitting his receivers in stride in the quick game, allowing for optimal YAC, and he’s good at protecting his playmakers in the middle of the field. 

He’s also gotten a lot better at reading defenses. He’s a three-year starter, which shows in how he reads out concepts and attacks pre-snap advantages. Sanders has been a much better decision-maker in 2023, taking fewer sacks and throwing up fewer prayers into coverage. 

His ability to throw on the move is another improvement. Sanders can rip tight window throws down the field while outside of the pocket with good accuracy. 

For as much hype as Sanders gets, he’s actually projects as a mundane quarterback prospect. He’s not an agent of chaos like Ward, but instead, he works within the structure of the offense well and consistently makes NFL throws. 

He reminds me a lot of Geno Smith with the Seattle Seahawks, except for one key trait. 

Weaknesses 

The missing trait for Sanders is pocket management. Geno has mastered managing the pocket, which is a huge reason for his career resurgence. 

While Sanders is taking fewer bad sacks this season, he still doesn’t have a great feel for pressure. It’s improved, but the old Sanders (fading back or to his left) still shows up. 

My other major concerns center around his upside. Sanders has NFL-caliber arm strength and mobility, but he’s average in both spots. His arm has a little more juice this season, but it’s still nothing special. 

Sanders has to be an elite processor to his ceiling at the NFL level. And while I think he’s the best in this class, he’s still not elite. Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, and Jayden Daniels were all better processors at this time last year. 

The margin for error with Sanders is small because his physical tools won’t bail him out if he’s late on a throw. All of Sanders’ worse throws feature him taking a beat too long to read out a concept. Those plays will only be magnified in the NFL. 

Overall, Sanders has proven he can raise the level of his teammates, handle losing, and deal with scrutiny. That’s the plus side of the circus around him and his family. On the field, he’s an accurate passer with a good mind for the game. 

Plus, he’s consistently improved in every season he’s started. 

Fit With Dolphins: Solid 

Sanders is a timing and rhythm thrower, which is something the Dolphins offense needs.

Carson Beck, Georgia

Strengths 

Beck came into the season as most people’s top quarterback, and it’s not hard to see why. The Georgia passer as the ideal size (6-4, 220) and arm strength to be a starter at the NFL level. 

Simply put, Beck’s play is the easiest to imagine translating to production in a capable NFL offense. He works pro-style concepts, is forced to throw into the middle of the field a lot, and manages things at the line of scrimmage. 

Beck looks and plays like the classic Shanahan quarterback, one that maximizes the talent around him and doesn’t make too many mistakes, winning with accuracy in the quick and intermediate game. 

This season, Beck has also proven he can be a gamer. He battled through a weird Kentucky game and pulled out a gritty win, making a few key throws. He rebounded against Alabama after what was probably the worst first half of his entire life. 

Obviously, you never want to see quarterbacks play poorly, but it’s nice to see Beck handle some adversity after not facing much of it in 2023. 

Weaknesses 

Most of my concerns about Beck are around his natural tools. His arm strength is good enough to hit NFL throws, but his arm talent leaves a little to be desired. 

He’s not accurate when forced to throw from weird angles, and he’s not capable of generating good velocity when on the move. This severely limits his upside and what he can accomplish when his offensive line isn’t playing well. 

Beck has to solve pressure with his arm because his mobility won’t bail him out, either. He’s not quick in the pocket to avoid rushers, and he won’t threaten to make plays beyond the line. Like Sanders, Beck has to be an assassin from within the pocket. 

However, unlike Sanders, Beck doesn’t have any flash plays where he creates outside of structure. Beck looks more like a trailer than a truck. 

You can hitch him to your offense, and he’ll keep you going, but he won’t be the one at the wheel, driving the team to victory each week. 

Fit With Dolphins: Meh 

Beck is a better fit for the more traditional Shanahan offenses. 

Jalen Milroe, Alabama

Strengths 

Take everything I wrote about Beck and flip it — that’s Jalen Milroe. Milroe’s best plays are ones where his tools are just unmatched. He’s an electric runner, allowing him to win on scrambles and designed runs. 

He’s also quite good at avoiding sacks and getting outside the pocket to throw. He’s done a much better job at running with the intention of throwing this season, which can be a hard adjustment for some mobile passers. 

Milroe also has above-average arm talent and strength. He can push the ball downfield with little issue, and he’s solid at throwing from different arm angles. Milroe is a big play waiting to happen, and he’s not afraid to hunt for those big plays. 

While I still have gripes with Milroe’s accuracy, he is a lot more consistent with hitting his layups this season. He gives his guys a shot to make plays in the quick game, and he’s had a few nice throws in the deep middle this season, too. 

Milroe is another quarterback battling the “bozo gene,” and he seems to be winning his battle even more than someone like Ward. Milroe is more willing to take check-downs and beat pressure with his arm than ever. 

Weaknesses 

I have two big concerns with Milroe — accuracy and processing. Simply put, Milroe still isn’t an accurate passer. Last year, he was incredibly erratic, but this year, he struggles with placement more than anything.

He leaves passes on the wrong shoulder, will throw high when he needs to throw low and struggles with touch. He gives his receivers a chance to make plays, but he’s not making their lives easy. 

This especially pops up when throwing the deep ball. He hit a few nice vertical shots (juggling Ryan Williams catch + Wheel route TD) against Georgia, but the rest of his tape is rough. He struggles to put air under the ball and lead his receivers upfield. Milroe has missed a decent number of layups downfield this season. 

As for processing, I’m a little more forgiving. He’s running a new offense and is just a two-year starter. He’s definitely better than last season, but he’s still slow to come off reads, and his timing on certain concepts isn’t great. 

While he has solid arm strength, it isn’t elite to the point where it will always get him out of trouble if he’s late to a throw. 

Overall, Milroe is a tremendous physical talent whose arrow is pointing in the correct direction. He just needs some more seasoning — perhaps another season’s worth. 

Fit With Dolphins: Poor 

Milroe isn’t a snappy enough decision-maker to do what Miami likes. 

Garrett Nussmeier, LSU 

Strengths 

Nussmeier is a popular mock draft pick for the Dolphins, and it’s pretty easy to see why. The LSU signal-caller has put some impressive throws on tape this season, his first as a starter. 

Nussmeier’s accuracy and anticipation in the middle of the field are impressive. He’s great at throwing into zone windows and layering throws over sinking zone defenders. When he trusts his eyes, Nussmeier is willing to move up in the pocket and deliver strikes into tight windows. 

He possesses above-average arm strength to drive throws to all three levels of the field, and his arm talent (touch, sidearm) also profiles as NFL-starter caliber. He can make some plays outside the pocket and is looking to generate explosives. 

There’s some Tony Romo to his game when he gets outside the pocket, and even his throwing motion invokes the former Cowboys quarterback a bit. 

At the line of scrimmage, Nussmeier has control of the LSU offense. He can change the play, slide protections, and control motions. This isn’t shocking for a player who sat and watched Jayden Daniels last season, but it’s still nice to see. 

Weaknesses 

Nussmeier can be erratic with his accuracy. He completed just 43 percent of his passes against Mississippi last weekend, and some easy misses are scattered throughout his film.  

Like most of the quarterbacks in this class, his accuracy on vertical concepts worries me. He’s hit a few nice ones this season, but overall, he’s wildly inconsistent. 

The other area of concern with Nussmeier is his lack of experience. He’s an older prospect who has only started six games, so he hasn’t seen many of the things that defenses will throw at him in the NFL. 

He clearly has command of LSU’s offense, but you can see reps where he doesn’t quite process what the defense is doing post-snap. The same can be said of his pocket presence. He’s willing to move up and make throws under duress when he’s confident in his first read. 

When the picture is a little muddy, he panics a bit and fades onto his back foot or out to his left, whether there’s pressure or not. That bad habit isn’t easy to coach out of guys. 

Fit With Dolphins: Excellent 

Nussmeier’s skillset best matches what the Dolphins like to do on offense. He works a lot of ball fakes, handles pre-snap motion, and is great in the middle of the field. 

Quick Hitters 

Drew Allar, Penn State: A strong-armed, well-built passer with some of the most impressive throws in the class. However, he’s still wildly inaccurate and needs to prove it against good teams. 

Quinn Ewers, Texas: A wiry pocket passer with average tools and poor decision-making. He’s more accurate this season but still needs to improve his processing ability tenfold. 

Miller Moss, USC: A spunky, mostly accurate passer with limited physical tools — think Gardner Minshew. Moss projects more as a long-term backup than anything else. 

Jaxson Dart, Mississippi: A good-sized, strong-armed prospect with high-level flashes. Unfortunately, he’s also an inaccurate passer and poor decision-maker who has never played in anything resembling an NFL offense.

 

Early 2025 Mock Draft has Miami Selecting SEC Players in Early Rounds