The Dallas Cowboys won’t draft a top-five QB from this class. Dak Prescott’s new deal was inked less than a year ago and getting out of that deal by cutting or trading him would cripple their cap. Also, importantly, Prescott has a no-trade clause. The team also dropped over 40 Day-3 slots in the draft to trade for Joe Milton III from the New England Patriots. Milton is a good athlete with one of the strongest arms in the league. He played in one game in his rookie season at the end of the year, and threw for over 75% completion percentage, had nearly 60% success rate, and a 111.4 QB rating.

Dallas has its starter in his prime and under contract, plus its young stud to develop. It won’t be drafting a quarterback, but the team still needs to know the strengths and weaknesses of these prospects because they could eventually need to face them, and one never knows what opportunies for a future match exist.

5. QB Jalen Milroe, Alabama

Height: 6-foot-2, Weight: 217, RAS: N/A

Jalen Milroe will need a strategy much like Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts; rely on his legs early in a simplified offense until he develops his passing game. He is an electric athlete and opposing defenses will have to plan for his ability to scramble. Milroe averages a 10-yard run or more one in every five attempts. He has a powerful arm, but his coaches need to get him to realize that a 70-yard bomb and a 10-yard slant don’t need the same velocity.

He will do his best in a run-pass option (RPO) offense, but will eventually need to read defenses more efficiently, fix his footwork, and deliver the ball with touch to be at his best in the NFL. He can’t regress like he did from 2023 to 2024 at the next level, or he won’t see the field. He threw for 2,834 yards, 16 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions this past season but in 2023, he threw 23 touchdowns, only six picks, and a passer rating of 116.4.

That version of Milroe can win in the NFL.

4. QB Will Howard, Ohio State

Height: 6-foot-4, Weight: 236, RAS: 8.79

Will Howard can win at the NFL level in the same way Brock Purdy does for the San Francisco 49ers. He knows how to efficiently get the ball to playmakers and let them do their thing. He understands how to check down and also use his legs in clutch situations, but he will try to hit a big play if it’s available. He had eight touchdowns of over 50 yards and his highest Pro Football Focus (PFF) grade on deep throws, 96.3.

Howard was remarkable in the red zone last season. Ohio State had a 94% touchdown rate, 26 touchdowns to one interception, and Howard took only one sack. He had talent everywhere helping him succeed, so going Top 5 in the draft and turning around a program is unlikely. He needs to learn how to use full field progressions and tone down the 18 turnovers he had last year, but Howard is a good leader and can play winning football on a team that is just missing that position to be a contender.

3. QB Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss

Height: 6-foot-2, Weight: 223, RAS: N/A

Jaxson Dart has many traits NFL teams look for in a starting quarterback. He has the mobility to be a game-changing playmaker, an arm good enough to make most throws outside the hash marks, and he can toss a great back-shoulder throw.

He led college football in yards from deep passes, yards per attempt, and completions over 10 yards. He had the best PFF grade against pressure of these options, and was the top QB in EPA per pass. He has issues, the offense set up his throws for him, and he led the FBS in passes off of play action. He needs to keep his eyes forward instead of watching his offensive line, keep his feet under him on throws, and can’t wait for receivers to be open before he releases the ball. He has mobility and arm strength, and his teammates say he is a fantastic leader. When will a team pull the trigger on a traits QB that needs plenty of development?

2. QB Shedeur Sanders, Colorado

Height: 6-foot-1, Weight: 212, RAS: N/A

A quarterback is the most critical position on a team, not just because they have the ball in their hands, but because the great ones are leaders who can change the program’s culture. Shedeur Sanders has the intangibles to turn a program around. He is confident and under control in pressure situations. He will stand in and make throws when he knows he will take a big hit. He is an accurate passer, led the FBS in completion percentage, and his ball placement leads to yards after the catch (YAC). Sanders had an adjusted completion percentage of 81.8%. These are when drops and throwaways are eliminated.

He doesn’t make turnover-worthy plays, so losing a game with turnovers won’t occur often with him at the quarterback spot. On the downside, his arm isn’t high caliber and he relied on screens and well-defined throws; under 25% of his throws were over 10 yards. He sets his offensive line up to fail because his drop-backs fall past the pocket, and he holds the ball far too long. On the field, Sanders isn’t an elite prospect, but he has the character and mindset to build a program around.

1. QB Cameron Ward, Miami (FL)

Height: 6-foot-2, Weight: 219, RAS: N/A

Cameron Ward set records at Miami for passing yards in a season (4,313) and touchdowns (39). He had the most completions of 10 yards or more, attaining PFF grades over 90 in passing, deep throws, intermediate passing, and throws without pressure. He also owns the Division I pass record with 158 touchdowns.

Ward can throw the ball. Unlike many of the quarterbacks in this draft, he was allowed to make checks at the line of scrimmage if he sees something he can exploit on an opposing defense. He has good movement in the pocket, but his fundamentals aren’t consistent with his footwork and arm angles. He holds the ball too long when a throwaway or scramble is available. His PFF grade drops to 56.5 under pressure, and he has a 3.3% turnover-worthy play percentage. It is unknown if Ward will be the next great quarterback or a first overall pick bust, but he is definitely the top option for a QB-needy team.

You can find Mike Crum on Twitter @cdpiglet or Bluesky @mike-crum-cdpiglet.bsky.social

This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Cowboys’ top 5 QBs in the 2025 NFL draft