"He's thrown it well": NFL insider high on Riley Leonard after Notre Dame QB's Combine showdown

Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard had a memorable 2024 season. Transferring to South Bend from the Duke Blue Devils in the offseason, Leonard took the Fighting Irish to the national championship game. Leonard has declared for the 2025 NFL Draft and was invited to the NFL Combine, which was held this week.

His performances at the Combine have garnered praise from NFL Insider Daniel Jeremiah. Jeremiah said on Sunday morning:

“He’s thrown it well … I’ve seen some positive strides from him today.”

Riley Leonard threw for 2,861 yards and 21 touchdowns in 2024. The Notre Dame lost to the Ohio State Buckeyes in the College Football Playoff championship.

While Leonard improved upon his performances with the Blue Devils when he was at Notre Dame, there were still signs of struggle. This is notablely seen in his ball security. In 2024, he threw eight interceptions and was sacked 20 times.

As for Leonard himself, he spoke with NBC Sports before the Combine to reflect on the strengths of his play.

”I think when you pull up my tape, yeah my best playing is when I’m playing fast; my feet are fast," he said. "If you pull up my two-minute tape and second half’s when we’re down and we need to score that’s when I’m playing at my best."

Riley Leonard 2025 NFL Draft Prospect

According to the NFL Draft Buzz, Riley Leonard is the sixth-best quarterback in the class and is much alongside the likes of Jalen Milroe and Quinn Ewers.

However, in a year where not many teams may want to draft a quarterback, this ranking could hurt him. NFL Draft Buzz predicts Leonard is going to be a fourth-round pick.

This is to be expected at the moment, and Leonard is likely going to be a backup quarterback in the NFL for a while unless a rapid improvement can be seen.