2025 Rookie QBs: Who’s Set Up to Succeed?

The first six QBs drafted in the 2025 NFL Draft will have a chance to play early for their respective teams. Who landed in the best situation? Will they have the receiving corps and protection needed to succeed? Let’s look at those six passer and examine their supporting cast for the upcoming season:

Cam Ward (Titans)

Ward steps into a middling situation in Tennessee. That’s typical for No. 1 picks. Not many have the luxury that Caleb Williams had last year, joining a team that was stacked with talented skill players. The Titans have a couple of pieces in place, and did a decent job of preparing for Ward’s arrival by signing LT Dan Moore and veteran WR Tyler Lockett. Still, there’s plenty of work to do.

The No. 1 option in the passing game will be Calvin Ridley, who ended last year strong. The next best returning pass-catcher is TE Chig Okonkwo. He’ll form a solid pairing with sure-handed rookie Gunnar Helm, who the Titans drafted out of Texas in the fourth round. Tennessee spent two other fourth-round picks on receivers — Florida’s Chimere Dike and Stanford’s Elic Ayomanor. Both should have a chance to play their way on the field as rookies. Tennessee also signed UDFA Xavier Restrepo, Ward’s favorite target at Miami.

The offense line improved with the signing of Moore, but it’s still not a great group. Ward could lean on a strong running game in his lone year at Miami, but that might not be the case in Year 1 with the Titans. Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears form a decent RB room, but the offensive line struggled mightily in the run game last season.

Jaxson Dart (Giants)

Dart will likely start No. 3 on the depth chart, but will get his chance to start eventually. He’ll be welcomed by one of the best, young WRs in football in Malik Nabers…and not a whole lot else.

Darius Slayton is a solid deep threat. Wan’Dale Robinson turned 93 receptions into 699 yards. The team is still waiting for third-round pick Jalin Hyatt to make an impact. New York went defense-heavy in the draft. RB Cam Skattebo was taken No. 105, but it’s unknown how big of a role he’ll play with Tyrone Tracy as the likely starter.

This Giants offense line is the same one that forced Saquon Barkley to leave for a division rival. LT Andrew Thomas is good, but has dealt with injuries the last two seasons. The rest of the line unproven. If Dart sees time in Year 1, he may end up on his back quite often.

Tyler Shough (Saints)

The Saints are in a difficult position following a lousy season, but they aren’t without talent on the offensive end. By waiting until Round 2 to select their QB, the Saints were able to bolster their offensive line with OT Kelvin Banks Jr. at No. 9. The Texas standout will likely start at left tackle while 2024 first-round pick Taliese Fuaga will slide to his natural position at right tackle.

New Orleans’ receiving corps is among the fastest in the league, featuring Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed, and the returning Brandin Cooks. Their speed pairs well with Shough’s strong arm. At tight end, the Saints re-upped Juwan Johnson and still have Foster Moreau. RB Alvin Kamara looked spry as ever in Year 8, and is backed up by the explosive Kendre Miller and sixth-round pick Devin Neal out of Kansas.

With Derek Carr potentially out with a shoulder injury, Shough could play his way into the starting lineup. If Shough ends up being the Week 1 starter, he might be in the best spot of any rookie.

Jalen Milroe (Seahawks)

The Seahawks used the pick they got from Las Vegas in the Geno Smith deal to draft a QB. Alabama’s Milroe was the most athletically-gifted quarterback in the class, and should have a role in Seattle’s offense despite being clearly behind the recently-signed Sam Darnold on the depth chart.

With OC Klint Kubiak coming over from New Orleans, expect Milroe to be used in a similar fashion to QB/RB/TE Taysom Hill. Kubiak utilized Hill in the red zone to great results. It turned the Saints from a lousy red zone offense into one of the best goal-to-go teams in the league. Milroe has the speed, power, and vision to seize those opportunities.

It’s not clear when he’ll get a chance as the starter under center. The Seahawks finally addressed the interior offensive line by selecting North Dakota State’s Grey Zabel in Round 1. WRs Jaxson Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp have very QB-friendly games. And, the Seahawks drafted Miami TE Elijah Arroyo to give them some playmaking from that position. Milroe might not start this year, but he could inherit a great supporting cast once he gets the call.

Shedeur Sanders/Dillon Gabriel (Browns)

In a surprise twist, the Browns used a third-round pick on Oregon’s Gabriel before spending a fifth-round selection on the free-falling Sanders. Who ends up being the Week 1 stater is any guess, but surely both will get a chance to prove they deserve the spot.

Cleveland still boasts talent on both sides of the ball, but their best players are aging. The offensive line — previously viewed as one of the league’s best — is good, but not elite. The receiving corps — led by Jerry Jeudy — lacks depth. Nick Chubb is gone, and in his place the Browns drafted two complementary RBs — Ohio State’s Quinshon Judkins and Tennessee’s Dylan Sampson.

Sanders is the more talented QB of the two, but clearly Gabriel had fans in the Cleveland war room seeing that he was drafted 50 picks earlier. The pending offseason competition and mediocre supporting cast isn’t an ideal situation for either young QB.