The do-it-all playmaker from Colorado is a deserving top pick
• 1 min read
Based on the first four weeks of the NFL season, the 2025 NFL Draft order is going to look quite different than anticipated, which creates different scenarios for the top prospects.
Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers has been dealing with an injury this season and that complicates the draft outlook considering he is not a finished product. In Ewers’ absence, the Longhorns turned to touted freshman Arch Manning. Manning, the nephew of Eli and Peyton Manning, has started two games. On the year, he has completed 70.5% of his passes for 901 yards, nine touchdowns and two interceptions.
A year ago, Will Howard was at Kansas State and projected as a potential top 100 overall selection. He had an intriguing freshman by the name of Avery Johnson breathing down his neck. Howard opted to stay in college, but transfer to Ohio State, and Johnson was the new starting quarterback in Manhattan. If the season does not play out as Ewers hopes and he decides he is not ready for the NFL, it could lead to unique conversations in Austin. Texas may not outright push him away, but they may not match the NIL packages offered by other programs.
Ewers is expected to make his return next weekend against Oklahoma. The anticipated return is the continuation of the former No. 1 overall recruit’s journey. How it ultimately plays out impacts not only him, but Manning and others.
The draft order below was determined using SportsLine’s Super Bowl odds but in reverse order as of Thursday morning.
For more draft coverage, you can hear in-depth analysis twice a week on “With the First Pick” — our year-round NFL Draft podcast with NFL Draft analyst Ryan Wilson and former Vikings general manager Rick Spielman. You can find “With the First Pick” wherever you get your podcasts: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, etc. Listen below!
