The 2025 NFL Draft is swiftly approaching. The draft kicks off on Thursday, April 24, and affords three days of picks that could change the makeup of NFL rosters. In this run-up to the draft, I’m looking at five teams and one Wild Card that could make a selection at one of the four key fantasy positions, changing their fortunes and our fantasy outlook. Today, it’s teams that might look to grab a quarterback.
#1 – Tennessee Titans
On the Roster: Will Levis, Brandon Allen, and Tim Boyle
About: Once upon a time, Levis was a Second-Round pick who could be the future. He didn’t show much as a rookie and even less in his second year. Head Coach Brian Callahan benched him for veteran Mason Rudolph to end the season. So, with the first overall pick, Callahan seems unlikely to want to enter 2025 with Levis as the starter. Journeymen Allen and Boyle profile more as backups. That makes it seemingly likely the Titans will grab a quarterback, likely at the first overall pick. I suspect they’ll end up with Cam Ward on the roster.
#2 – Cleveland Browns
On the Roster: Deshaun Watson and Kenny Pickett
About: The Browns have a lot of money tied up in Watson, but it hasn’t worked out the past three seasons. Owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam have taken the blame and admitted that the Watson move was a miss. Coming off two torn Achilles’ tendons, it seems a long shot that Watson would be available in 2025. It seems an even longer shot that the Browns want Watson on the field. His time with the Browns is likely over, even if he remains on the roster.
But then, what will the team do at quarterback? They made a move to acquire Pickett from the Eagles. He’s a former First-Round pick with starting experience. The team has also kicked the tires on signing a veteran, like perhaps Carson Wentz. But they also sit with the second overall pick. Could that lead to them snagging Shedeur Sanders or Ward if available? It certainly could. I suspect the Browns will take a different player at two but grab a development player at quarterback later in the draft. Either way, I think the Browns come away with a quarterback from this draft.
#3 – New York Giants
On the Roster: Russell Wilson, Jameis Winston, and Tommy DeVito
About: Will the Giants go after a quarterback? They signed Winston and Wilson in free agency, giving them three players already in the quarterback room. Wilson and Winston are the most likely options to start the season, which would seemingly put them out of the quarterback market. Or does it? General Manager Joe Schoen and Head Coach Brian Daboll are on the hot seat before the season even begins.
If Sanders or Ward are on the board at the third overall pick, do they dare pass? I think grabbing Wilson and Winston was a hedge in case both quarterbacks go early. But if Sanders is there at three, I suspect the Giants will pounce to give themselves the best option available to win games in 2025.
#4 – Pittsburgh Steelers
On the Roster: Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson
About: The Steelers’ quarterback room has been a rotation of late. They had three—Pickett, Rudolph, and Mitch Trubisky—on the roster in 2023. They let all three go last season. In 2024, they had Wilson, Justin Fields, and Allen. They let all three go this off-season.
Now, Rudolph is back, and Head Coach Mike Tomlin said he’s comfortable letting Rudolph start. Fans might be less comfortable. The elephant in the room is Aaron Rodgers, who has been in a dance with the Steelers for months. He’s not yet signed, and it’s unclear if he’ll sign before the draft. Whether he does or not, the Steelers would do well to look toward the future. Does that mean going for a quarterback in the First Round? I think not. But a second or third-round pick spent on a development player would make some sense.
#5 – Los Angeles Rams
On the Roster: Matthew Stafford, Jimmy Garoppolo, and Stetson Bennett
About: The Rams pop up here because they are looking to the future. Stafford is back in 2025 and will be the starter. But how long will he be there? The end seems to be growing closer. And while the Rams profess to be comfortable with Garoppolo, who enters his second year as a backup, he’s not a young player.
Once upon a time, the team snagged Bennett in an attempt to groom a successor, or so it seemed. Bennett was unavailable in his first year and didn’t make a big impression in 2024. The Rams probably will look to take a development player in the middle rounds if the draft board falls their way. I suspect it will.
Wild Card: Indianapolis Colts
On the Roster: Anthony Richardson, Daniel Jones, and Jason Bean
About: Would the Colts really draft a quarterback? Just two years ago, they took Richardson in the First Round as their franchise player. This off-season, they added Jones to compete for the starting job. That’s not only insurance but also an indication that Richardson hasn’t made much progress in two years. In fact, he looked dreadful at times as a starter in 2024, getting benched for an aging Joe Flacco. And the Colts haven’t made the playoffs in two years, either.
Outwardly, they are projecting confidence that Richardson can turn it around, or Jones can seize the position. But there are rumblings that Richardson has been on the trade block. Given the situation, it seems fair to guess the Colts could be a surprise player in the quarterback market in the draft. Would that come with another First Round selection? It seems unlikely, but stranger things have happened. If Sanders or Ward slipped to them, I think they’d pounce. If not, they may still look to take a Jaxson Dart, Jalen Milroe, or Quinn Ewers if the price is right in the second or third round.
Matthew Fox is a die-hard NFL fan and Broncos’ homer. He’s a member of the FSWA. You can find more from him on Twitter @knighthawk7734 or as co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable Podcast, a part of the Campus2Canton Network.
