Quinn Ewers will enter the 2025 Draft with a lot to prove. A year ago, he was seen as a potential No. 1 overall pick in the next draft after another successful season with the Texas Longhorns. However, an oblique injury in just the third week of last season sidelined him and he struggled to hit the same heights once he returned. Fast forward to the 2025 NFL Draft cycle, and his stock has taken a nosedive. At one point, he was projected as a surefire first-rounder, potentially even a top-10 pick. Now? He finds himself in the Day 2 conversations. As such Ewers’ decision to pull the rug on his collegiate career and move on to the draft was scrutinized with many believing he needs to “Go back to school.” Arriving at the NFL Combine, Ewers had the chance to silence his doubters.

Granted he was not the most impressive player out there, but the Texas kid managed to exhibit his skills sufficiently to improve his prospects. Ewers delivered a solid performance, completing 16 of 22 passes. His least accurate throws were on out routes to the right sideline, and he missed a few early passes over the middle. However, he displayed excellent touch on deep throws and generally made his passes easy to catch. Overall, he had a good showing despite not being at his best after suffering an ankle injury in November. He is already gearing up to meet with a host of teams in the coming weeks, with the Saints meeting with the Texas QB at the Combine. However, former ESPN analyst Todd McShay didn’t paint a bright picture of Ewers’s draft chances, when he named his top players post-combine.

The McShay Show named the top 32 players post-combine. Expected names such as Cam Ward, Travis Hunter, Tyler Warren, Ashton Jeanty, and Jalon Walker found themselves in the top 10, while Penn State’s Abdul Carter was placed first. Shedeuer Sanders was another notable name who found himself in the 15th spot. But the name of Quinn Ewers was missing from the list entirely!

That’s right. Ewers couldn’t make it to the list of the Top 32 players after the combine according to McShay, despite a decent showing. Well, coming from McShay it shouldn’t be a surprise. The analyst was among those who believed Ewers should’ve returned to college football for one more year to help his stock.

On his show in January, McShay pointed out that we didn’t see the best of Ewers in his last season at Texas due to his injuries and the pressure of being the main man at such a program. However, he pointed out that his conversations with the NFL teams hinted at a consistent sentiment that Ewers might not be ready.

“When I talk to NFL teams, I’ve solicited and I’ve gotten unsolicited (feedback),” McShay said. “When I’m talking to guys in the league —landslide: ‘He needs to grad transfer.’” When asked what advice he would give Ewers, McShay bluntly said, “Go back to school.” McShay’s list of top prospects ahead of the draft comes on the heels of CBS Sports naming their top 100 prospects post-combine. While Ewers does make it to this list, he finds himself at a lowly 95th spot.

Once touted as one of the top quarterbacks in this year’s draft class, Ewers saw the page flip when he received a torn oblique. Although he continued to play, it derailed the momentum of the Texas Longhorns for the rest of the season. The spotlight eventually shifted to Arch Manning when he filled in the QB1 shoes during a couple of games against UL Monroe and Mississippi State.

Ewers then had the chance to perhaps give his draft stock one major push in the Cotton Bowl showdown against OSU. But the Longhorns QB was strip-sacked by the Ohio State DE Jack Sawyer on fourth down, meaning his Texas career ended on a sour note.

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Debate

Quinn has a lot of reasons to weigh high in the draft. His live arm, quick release, multiple arm angles, ability to throw on the run, and first down with a scramble are assets to any team, but fans largely viewed him as a 3rd or 4th-round pick later during the 2024 season. His inconsistent play has raised red flags and is too much to ignore, but he’s an opportunity wrapped in a gamble for the big NFL teams.

As a result, some draft projections don’t see him as a first-round pick, with USA Today placing him as a Round 4 prospect. Some projects also put him as a day 2 pick. But Ewers remains confident.

During his recent chat with Sports Illustrated‘s Albert Breer, Ewers was confident of his decision, ability, and the future ahead. “I think I’m the best [in the class] and the most ready for the NFL because of what I’ve been through,” he proclaimed.

There is still time for things to change and we will have to see if Ewers has any chance higher than projected, but Coach Steve Sarkisian continues to vouch.

Steve Sarkisian had a clear message to NFL teams willing to land Quinn Ewers

Quinn Ewers isn’t perfect. He made a lot of rookie mistakes. His tape is littered with poor reads and a lot of blunders in crucial decision-making. Even if we keep the injury horrors aside, Ewers has been thoroughly average at Texas this year. But that doesn’t mean his legacy in the 40 acres is of no worth.

”I think something that gets lost—you know this guy has endured a lot in his time with us at the University of Texas, is his resiliency. This guy has always bounced back. He had to fight through a bunch of different injuries along the way. Some of these things are hard to measure at a combine or pro day.” Sark batted for his favorite boy ahead of the combine but showed some concern about his health. As Ewers managed to keep his physical limitations in check in front of the scouts, Sark can rest assured that his boy is on the right track.

It’s more so when he gets some much-needed push from Mike McCarthy. He has spent a week with him, watching tapes. The veteran was blown away by his talent. The NFL insider noted, “I talked to Mike, and he was (like, I) couldn’t say enough good stuff about Quinn Ewers as a young man. The attentiveness—Mike said I’m like a kid in an ice cream shop. I could talk all day, every day with this guy just about football and schemes. ”

We will see how Quin Ewers kickstarts his NFL dream, beating all the odds in his path, with Sarkisian being his loudest supporter.