Will Riley Leonard get drafted into the NFL? Exploring the chances of Notre Dame QB for 2025 draft

NFL: Combine - Source: Imagn — NFL: Combine Riley Leonard - Source: Imagn

Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard led the Fighting Irish to an appearance in the NCAA title game last season. While the team ultimately lost to the Ohio State Buckeyes, it was still a great season for coach Marcus Freeman's team.

After only one season at Notre Dame, Leonard declared for the 2025 NFL draft. With the draft set to start on Thursday and run through Saturday, Leonard is not guaranteed to be drafted. However, there is a strong chance he will be picked up in the later rounds.

Will Riley Leonard get drafted into the NFL?

While nothing is guaranteed, there is a good chance that Leonard will become an NFL draft pick.

What round will Riley Leonard get drafted?

According to CBS Sports, Leonard is the No. 220-ranked player in the draft, which would have him going in the seventh round. With the NFL draft only being seven rounds, it is far from a guarantee that he will be drafted.

This is not a good QB class, therefore, Leonard remains the No. 10-ranked QB, according to CBS Sports. In most drafts, being so low-ranked would place him outside the top 15 quarterbacks.

Since QB is such an important position, many teams are willing to reach for QBs early to ensure they get their guy. So, it would not be a shock to see a team reach for Leonard in the fifth or sixth round.

Strengths and weaknesses of Riley Leonard as an NFL prospect

Riley Leonard has shown that he can perform well in big games. In the final two games of the College Football Playoff, he had two of his three biggest yardage games. He has also shown that he takes good care of the football in the red zone and does not make many costly mistakes when blitzed. He has also shown decent mobility.

However, Leonard is not a perfect QB, which is why he is not guaranteed to be drafted. He does not have much visible muscle mass, which could be a problem in the pros. Additionally, he struggles beating coverage into windows beyond the first level and does not have the arm talent for impromptu throws.

About the author

Alexander O'Reilly is a journalist at Sportskeeda from Kingston, Ontario with over seven years in the field at companies including SenShot, RVBlogger, Monarch Media, WordAgents, GSeC LLC, and IGC.

His favorite college team is Duke, and his favorite sporting memory was Duke winning March Madness in 2010. JJ Redick was Alex's favorite college player when he was young but more recently, Caleb Williams gets the nod. As the Chicago Bears are Alex's favorite NFL team, this was a perfect match.

Alex's proudest moment came when he was interviewed by a radio station in Ottawa on his opinion on recent moves by the Ottawa Senators, which gave him a confidence boost and the knowledge that he could succeed as a writer.

Aside from sports, Alex likes to spend his time playing games. He is also very passionate about running and strives to improve at the half and full marathon distances.

Know More

Notre Dame Fans? Check out the latest Notre Dame depth chart, schedule, and roster updates all in one place.

Edited by Krutik Jain