“Quinn’s our starting quarterback. I appreciate the fact that we’re fortunate enough to have a backup like Arch, who can provide a spark, but Quinn is our guy.” This was the Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian addressing concerns around his QB Quinn Ewers’ injury. Arch Manning took up the mantle in two games and passed with flying colors, but the head coach still trusted the QB1, who still had a lot to deliver, but the injury against Michigan cast doubts about his abilities. Those voices of doubt are still there and are getting even louder now.

Despite the reassurances Steve Sarkisian repeatedly gave in the media about his choice of QB, the head coach still was forced to employ an extreme measure. That was benching Quinn Ewers in the game against Georgia on October 19. But to be honest, the benching looked well deserved. The QB faced multiple sacks, committed multiple turnovers, fumbled twice, and likely had the worst game of his career. A bizarre compilation of mediocre plays and a player who looked appallingly unrecognizable on the field. Yet, there was light at the end of the tunnel.

This was the same quarterback who had guided the Longhorns to their inaugural playoff appearance in the history of the program. Season after season, this QB consistently delivered, finishing with 9,128 passing yards and 68 touchdowns. A Texas beloved who had a few bad days at the office but made it up with his overall performance. However, all that’s in the past now! There is a new world out there. But you can’t control where you land in that world. The NFL franchises hold all the keys. Which teams has Ewers been linked to?

Earlier, there were rumors that the QB would join the Dallas Cowboys, and he even made an appearance in ESPN’s mock draft for the same team. But now, a recent revelation has potentially jeopardized the same. ESPN analyst Todd McShay, in his podcast, provided the players whom the Cowboys could sign, and Ewers’ name was nowhere to be seen, even in the later rounds. On the 12th pick that the Dallas Cowboys have in the first round, the analyst picked the Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan as his first pick. “T. McMillan, 6’4, 219 pounds, good compliment to CeeDee Lamb, so I’m going to go even though I have Tet on my board at 26 overall, I’m going to give him 12 to Dallas.” Then came the Cowboys’ other picks.

Many would think that Quinn Ewers, who is increasingly being touted to be a mid- and late-round pick, will make McShay’s list in those rounds. But McShay picked the Ohio State OT Donovan Jackson at the 44th pick for the Cowboys. “At 44th, I’m gonna take Donovan Jackson there, guard out of Ohio State, elite run blocker, and just a good all-around football player.” Finally came the 76th pick, in which the analyst picked the Tennessee defensive tackle Omarr Norman-Lott. “Finally, with that third pick, we’re looking at a defensive lineman for Dallas, and at picks 76th overall, I’m going to go here with Omarr Norman.” Surely, these revelations could be detrimental to Ewers’ draft stock, and there are concerns about it, too.

Despite the impressive stats Ewers boasted at Texas, it is no secret that the pass efficiency has seen some downward trend when you compare it to the 2023 season. Moreover, there are concerns, too, that the QB’s ability to read defenses and act accordingly is still not at the level that NFL franchises would want. Moreover, the injury concerns that Ewers makes things even more complicated. Thus, the downward trend of Ewers’ draft stock is continuing.

Quinn Ewers’ draft stock is sinking even more

According to recent news, the former Texas QB has been touted to be a late-round pick and can ultimately be a “bust” too. As per ESPN’s Aaron Schatz, the Texas QB has failed to impress his QBASE 2.0 computer model. The analyst wrote about Ewers’ chances. “QBASE is negative on Ewers’ chances of succeeding in the NFL.” The major reason behind the downgrade was said to be the low pass efficiency of the QB, along with his inability to produce extra rushing yards, which stood at -1.3 yards per attempt in 2024. Another draft expert echoed some of the same concerns.

ESPN’s Ben Solak, while touting the Dallas Cowboys to take the QB, still provided reasons why he could even slip from the sixth-round projections. “The issue is that nothing else crystallized for Ewers over his time in college. He has worrisome sprays of poor accuracy to all three levels of the field. Ewers remains a developmental prospect in that he has the physical tools of an NFL quarterback but lacks many of the necessary skills to reliably play the position well.”

Many draft experts are increasingly looking to rope in QBs like Jalen Milroe, who provides incredible rushing prowess. Then there is Tyler Shough with his experience, and Jaxson Dart, whom the Giants are looking closely at as a backup option. In that case, Quinn Ewers is starting to fall behind and is expected by many to be the last QB to be drafted in the 2025 draft class.