Mel Kiper Jr. 2025 NFL Draft Rankings: Shedeur Sanders slips behind Quinn Ewers as QB3 | News, results, highlights, stats and rumors

First, Quinn Ewers led his Texas Longhorns to an overwhelming away victory against the reigning champions Michigan Wolverines.

He then rose to No. 2 among all quarterbacks on ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr.’s latest Big Board list.

Kiper released the latest edition of his rankings on Friday, and Georgia’s Carson Beck is still the No. 1 signal caller. However, in the same rankings, Ewers overtook Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders to move into No. 2. Ewers rose from No. 16 to No. 9 overall, while Sanders slipped from No. 9 to No. 14.

“Ewers has the ability and traits to catch Beck in this quarterback class, but he must continue to improve his consistency as a passer,” Kiper wrote. “While he has already made great strides there since his freshman year – his success rate increased from 58.1% in 2022 to 69.0% in 2023 – he misses too many throws.

“However, Ewers can effortlessly throw the ball to any part of the field and hit his spots thanks to his outstanding shooting ability. He also avoids pressure in the pocket well by dodging and sliding to create time and space to act. He looked great against Michigan in Week 2, finishing with a QBR of 89.6.”

As for Sanders, Kiper underscored his toughness and resilience behind an offensive line that is constantly struggling.

Still, Ewers should have more high-profile opportunities to increase his value than the Buffaloes’ quarterback, given the nature of their respective teams. Texas is currently ranked No. 2 in the Associated Press Top 25 and will likely be a national title contender in the SEC all season long.

After the win over Michigan, the Longhorns have only two games left against higher-ranked teams (Georgia and Oklahoma) and could still qualify for the expanded 12-team College Football Playoffs even if they lose one or both games.

As for Colorado, it seems that the season will be another disappointing one after last year’s 4-8 finish.

The offensive line was virtually invisible during Saturday’s 28-10 loss to Nebraska, and there’s little reason to believe things will improve once Big 12 play begins. Considering how well the Buffaloes have played since starting the 2023 season 3-0, it would be a surprise if they even made a bowl game.

But Sanders’ talent is still outstanding and he will look to improve his position in the draft as the season progresses.