NFL draft rumors: Texas' Quinn Ewers projected as 'bust' due to QB's "relative lack of traits"

As NFL teams finalize their quarterback evaluations before the 2025 draft, projections for Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers have raised red flags. Per ESPN's QBASE 2.0 model, which was released on Sunday, Ewers' statistical and athletic profile points to a high risk of underperformance at the next level.

Having spent three seasons in Texas, Ewers declared for the draft in January and was initially seen as a promising prospect. He began his college career at Ohio State in 2021. His peak came during the 2023 Big 12 championship game when he set a conference record for passing yards and was named MVP.

Despite that, QBASE projects Ewers unfavorably. The system combines college passing metrics, functional mobility, and team context to forecast NFL success.

Ewers showed statistical regression from 2023 to 2024, with his completion percentage dropping from 69.0% to 65.8%. His rushing production also declined, from 1.3 rushing yards per attempt in 2023 to -1.4 in 2024.

The model penalizes QBs who do not improve over time or who display a narrow skill set. Ewers' sack-to-pressure ratio was the highest among projected prospects, and while he had the benefit of a strong supporting cast, that did not translate into NFL-ready traits.

ESPN’s QBASE projection quantified the risk: Ewers' "bust" percentage is 96.1%. He has a 3.1% chance of becoming an "adequate starter." His odds of reaching an "upper-tier" level are 0.7%, while the model assigns him only a 0.1% probability of becoming "elite."

In Ewers' case, the projection says:

“While he was a three-year starter, that is not enough to make up for his relative lack of the traits that best translate to the NFL: accuracy, rushing ability and avoiding sacks.”

As teams weigh risk against need, Quinn Ewers' profile presents measurable gaps that QBASE identifies as predictive of suboptimal pro performance.

Quinn Ewers highlights Raiders as ideal fit, praises Pete Carroll’s competitive culture

In an interview with NFL Network’s Rich Eisen on Saturday, Quinn Ewers expressed a strong interest in playing for the Las Vegas Raiders, citing his respect for head coach Pete Carroll’s competitive mindset.

“Coach Carroll would be awesome,” Ewers said. “He’s always talking about ‘compete, compete, compete.’ I think he says that word 100 times a day. I think it would be super cool to be part of a franchise that they live or die by how they compete."

Ewers added that joining a team where competition defines the culture aligns with how he approaches the game.

The Raiders acquired veteran QB Geno Smith this offseason and still have Aidan O’Connell on the roster. If drafted by Las Vegas, Ewers would likely begin his career in a backup role. Injuries during his college tenure at Texas, where he missed seven games, remain part of his evaluation.