Why Shedeur Sanders, Will Howard, and Quinn Ewers could be the future of NFL despite not getting picked in first four rounds

Shedeur Sanders, Will Howard, and Quinn Ewers are walking into very different environments. The quarterback competition at the Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Miami Dolphins is night and day. The draft festivities are over, and now the real grind begins.

14 quarterbacks were drafted by NFL teams this year—two each by the Browns and the Raiders.

• Cam Ward (Miami Hurricanes): Round 1, No. 1 overall to the Tennessee Titans
• Jaxson Dart (Ole Miss Rebels): Round 1, No. 25 overall to the New York Giants
• Tyler Shough (Louisville Cardinals): Round 2, No. 40 overall to the New Orleans Saints
• Jalen Milroe (Alabama Crimson Tide): Round 3, No. 92 overall to the Seattle Seahawks
• Dillon Gabriel (Oregon Ducks): Round 3, No. 94 overall to the Cleveland Browns
• Shedeur Sanders (Colorado Buffaloes): Round 5, No. 144 overall to the Cleveland Browns
• Kyle McCord (Syracuse Orange): Round 6, No. 181 overall to the Philadelphia Eagles
• Will Howard (Ohio State Buckeyes): Round 6, No. 185 overall to the Pittsburgh Steelers
• Riley Leonard (Notre Dame): Round 6, No. 189 overall to the Indianapolis Colts
• Graham Mertz (Florida Gators): Round 6, No. 197 overall to the Houston Texans
• Tommy Mellott (Montana State Bobcats): Round 6, No. 213 overall to the Las Vegas Raiders
• Cam Miller (North Dakota State Bisons): Round 6, No. 215 overall to the Las Vegas Raiders
• Kurtis Rourke (Indiana Hoosiers): Round 7, No. 227 overall to the San Francisco 49ers
• Quinn Ewers (Texas Longhorns): Round 7, No. 231 overall to the Miami Dolphins

Being drafted by an NFL team doesn’t guarantee anything. Every single one of them—some more than others—has to prove that they are capable of facing the NFL heat before 4 p.m. on August 29. Failing to show their talent during the minicamp and OTAs could cost them a spot on the final 53-man roster. So, it’s time to grind.

Quinn Ewers’ chances of becoming a starter for the Miami Dolphins

Mike McDaniel and Chris Grier saw Texas’s Quinn Ewers fall to the seventh round. They adapted the Green Bay Packers’ philosophy of drafting quarterbacks early and selected the 22-year-old at 231. He was the last quarterback drafted in the 2025 NFL draft.

Ewers lucked out. Yes, he will likely earn only $800,000 per year compared to his sweet $4 million NIL salary at Texas, but he can sit around and chill for a couple of years or until Tua Tagovailoa finally taps out. Tua’s wife wouldn’t want that, but the recent history is against the Pro Bowler.

After signing a four-year, $212.4 million deal in 2024, Tagovailoa suffered a devastating concussion. It kept him out for six games, and the Dolphins’ offense collapsed.

This was Tua’s third concussion since his Alabama days. Veterans of the game advised him to consider retiring, but the 27-year-old will be back for the new season.

Besides Tagovailoa, the Dolphins signed former first-rounder Zach Wilson. Wilson signed a one-year deal with the Dolphins following a brief spell at the Denver Broncos.

Every team is allowed to have three quarterbacks, so Ewers doesn’t need to worry about his position on the team unless something major transpires during the OTAs.

Former NFL wide receiver Dez Bryant hinted that the Dolphins lucked out by drafting Quinn Ewers in the seventh round. Bryant claimed Ewers reminded him of Dolphins legend and Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino.

I like Quinn Ewers over Tua already. He's Dan Marino 2.0 and yes..I said it.

— Dez Bryant (@DezBryant) April 26, 2025

Will Howard and the curious case of Aaron Rodgers at the Pittsburgh Steelers

Mock drafts are not always correct. Mel Kiper knows that better than most because he was certain the Steelers would take Shedeur Sanders at pick No. 21. The pick came and went—in fac, the Steelers took four players before their AFC North rivals selected the ex-Colorado player.

Kiper’s confidence stemmed from the fact that the Steelers were among the few teams who were in the draft for a quarterback. Both Russell Wilson and Justin Fields moved to New York, leaving the starting quarterback’s job vacant.

Mike Tomlin and Omar Khan brought back Mason Rudolph from his one-year exile in Tennessee but still kept an eye out for big fish. And there’s hardly any bigger fish in the NFL pond than 4x NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers. However, Rodgers remains a ghost. Some reports claim he will announce his decision after the draft, while others predict the 41-year-old’s time is up.

Only Rodgers knows what is going through his head. The Steelers are willing to wait for the Super Bowl winner but, at the same time, have roped in an insurance policy in case Rodgers genuinely hangs up his boots.

As per the last known news from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Tomlin had a ‘really productive’ talk with Rodgers.

Mike Tomlin says on @NFLNetwork that they've had "really productive" talks with Aaron Rodgers, but declines to discuss the hypotheticals… We feel good about our plan at the position. I understand the angst in your community and the community that supports us."

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 26, 2025

At 185th overall, the Steelers drafted 2024 CFP champion and Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard. It’s a win-win situation for Howard, regardless of how things turn out with Rodgers. If he agrees to be the Steelers quarterback, then Howard can learn from one of the best passers of the ball to ever play in the NFL, and if he doesn’t, then he can sit behind Rudolph to learn Arthur Smith’s playbook and take over after a couple of years.

The Steelers are an organization I have a lot of respect for a lot of years. Coming into this process, I was hoping the Steelers would take me because I thought it was a great organization. I am so blessed.

Will Howard said after joining the Steelers (H/T: Steelers official transcript)

Shedeur Sanders and the Browns’ five-musketeers

The biggest storyline in this year’s draft was undeniably Shedeur Sanders falling to the fifth round. Once considered a top-five prospect, he slid all the way to day three before the Browns selected him at 144th overall.

Sanders threw a party after both he and his brother Shilo (signed as an undrafted free agent by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers) were picked up. But the time for fun and games can wait. The 23-year-old Colorado product has the toughest job, possibly of his life.

The Browns may have saved him from the misery of being undrafted, but they pushed him into a room that already has four other quarterbacks: Deshaun Watson, Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, and Gabriel.

He can count Watson out for now. The Pro Bowler is undergoing rehab and will likely be out of the final 53-man roster in August. Flacco and Pickett are the favorites for the job, but Flacco has the upper hand because he led the Browns to the playoffs two seasons ago.

Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio believes the Browns will end up trading Pickett away before week one.

I would assume Pickett is going to be out. It will be Flacco, Gabriel, and Sanders. You got Sanders in the position to compete against Gabriel. One of them earns the job.

Mike Florio said

🔥 The Browns 5 QBs. The Battle for QB1. Perfectly Explained

"I would assume Pickett is going to be out. It will be Flacco, Gabriel, and Sanders. You got Sanders in the position to compete against Gabriel. One of them earns the job"

📽️ @ProFootballTalk pic.twitter.com/FaZG8gKwjc

— JaKi 🇺🇸 (@JaKiTruth) April 27, 2025

Sanders needs to forget about beating those two. His main target should be to outperform Gabriel, who was the fifth quarterback taken in the draft.

Making the 53-man roster should be the first goal for Sanders. Watson only has one year remaining in his contract, and so too does Flacco. If Pickett gets traded, then Sanders will have the quarterback room all to himself after a couple of seasons.

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