{"id":221999,"date":"2025-03-11T16:11:42","date_gmt":"2025-03-11T20:11:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/?p=221999"},"modified":"2025-03-11T16:11:42","modified_gmt":"2025-03-11T20:11:42","slug":"nfl-quarterback-drought-opens-door-for-under-the-radar-positions-to-dominate-draft-chatter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2025\/03\/11\/nfl-quarterback-drought-opens-door-for-under-the-radar-positions-to-dominate-draft-chatter\/","title":{"rendered":"2025 NFL Quarterback Class Opens Door for Under-The-Radar Positions To Dominate Draft Chatter"},"content":{"rendered":"

The NFL draft is usually a quarterback lovefest\u2014think\u00a0The Bachelor<\/em> finale, but with more playbooks and less rose-giving. This year? The 2025 Quarterback class cupboard feels emptier than a nacho platter at a Super Bowl party. With no surefire franchise saviors hogging the spotlight, positions like defensive line, tight end, and even safety are crashing the first-round conversation like uninvited guests who end up stealing the show.<\/p>\n

Welcome to the 2025 draft, where \u201cWho\u2019s\u00a0that<\/em>?\u201d might just be the most asked question. While teams scramble to find the next Patrick Mahomes, the real drama lies in the trenches and beyond. Think of it like\u00a0Stranger Things<\/em>\u00a0shifting focus from Hawkins High to the Upside Down\u2014less obvious, but way more intriguing.<\/p>\n

Quarterback carousel spins into uncertainty<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The New York Jets<\/a>\u2019 signing of Justin Fields<\/a> feels less like a grand romance and more like a rebound fling. After 14 straight playoff misses and a messy breakup with Aaron Rodgers<\/a>, Gang Green tossed Fields a two-year, $40 million \u201cprove it\u201d deal. But let\u2019s be real: Fields\u2019 r\u00e9sum\u00e9\u20144-2 as a Steelers<\/a> starter last year, 16 career fumbles in 2022\u2014is about as reliable as a TikTok weather forecast. Yet here we are.<\/p>\n

\n

BREAKING: Jets signing QB Justin Fields to two-year, $40M deal with $30M guaranteed. (via @rapsheet<\/a>, @TomPelissero<\/a>) pic.twitter.com\/YJVKoikwuM<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 NFL (@NFL) March 10, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The 2025 Quarterback class? It\u2019s thinner than the plot of Riverdale<\/em>\u2019s final season. Scouts are lukewarm on Colorado\u2019s Shedeur Sanders and Miami\u2019s Cam Ward<\/a>, while Alabama\u2019s Jalen Milroe and Ole Miss\u2019 Jaxson Dart<\/a> feel like lottery tickets with scratch-off odds. Hence, this isn\u2019t a group that\u2019ll have GMs sprinting to the podium. So, what\u2019s a Quarterback-needy team to do?<\/p>\n

The Jets, for example, are betting on Fields\u2019 legs (1,143 rushing yards in 2022) and a young supporting cast featuring Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall. But if this experiment flops? Cue the Curb Your Enthusiasm<\/em>\u00a0theme\u2014it\u2019s back to the drawing board for a franchise that\u2019s mastered the art of disappointment.<\/p>\n

While the Jets\u2019 Fields experiment grabs headlines, other Quarterback-needy teams are navigating the draft\u2019s murky waters with varying strategies. The Pittsburgh Steelers, left scrambling after Fields\u2019 exit, are eyeing a reunion with Russell Wilson<\/a> or Aaron Rodgers. While flirting with trade targets like New England\u2019s Joe Milton\u2014a raw but rocket-armed project buried behind Drake Maye<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Speaking of the Patriots<\/a>, they\u2019re all-in on Maye as their franchise cornerstone. As they leave Milton as trade bait despite his untapped potential. Meanwhile, the Tennessee Titans<\/a> (picking first overall) face a dilemma: reach for a shaky Quarterback prospect like Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders, or snag Penn State\u2019s generational pass-rusher Abdul Carter and kick the Quarterback can down the road.<\/p>\n

Even teams like the\u00a0Saints\u00a0<\/a>and\u00a0Rams<\/a>, lurking in the mid-rounds, are gambling on developmental options. Options like Tyler Shough or Jaxson Dart\u2014proof that in a Quarterback drought, desperation and creativity go hand in hand.<\/p>\n

Defensive Linemen Steal the Spotlight<\/strong><\/h2>\n

If quarterbacks are the draft\u2019s main course, this year\u2019s defensive line class is the loaded nachos you can\u2019t stop eating. Penn State\u2019s Abdul Carter<\/a>, a 6\u20193\u201d, 250-pound edge rusher with a stress fracture and a top-five grade, headlines a group so deep it could fill a Marvel ensemble. Georgia\u2019s Mykel Williams (6\u20196\u201d, 260 lbs) and Texas A&M\u2019s Shemar Stewart (4.67-second 40-yard dash at 267 lbs) bring\u00a0Black Panther<\/em>-level athleticism, while Michigan\u2019s Mason Graham anchors the interior like a fridge full of bricks.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can\u2019t have enough good ones,\u201d<\/em> Bears<\/a> GM Ryan Poles said, referencing the Eagles<\/a>\u2019 D-line dominance in Super Bowl 59. Eleven defensive linemen could go in Round 1\u2014a tidal wave of talent that\u2019s forcing teams to rethink their boards. Even Colorado\u2019s Travis Hunter, the two-way unicorn, is getting CB1 buzz despite playing receiver 50% of the time.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Shedeur Sanders\u2019 draft stock is slipping faster than a grocery bag with a hole. Critics point to his \u201cuneasy\u201d pocket presence, but Kurt Warner offered context: “I just want to see him more solid in the pocket and the ability to process quickly so he doesn’t have to get uneasy after first look and go create a throw.<\/em> To stay in there, see it, understand it, and get the ball out a little bit more on time than I saw.”<\/p>\n

When you\u2019ve been sacked 94 times in two years, wouldn\u2019t you<\/em> twitch? Behind Colorado\u2019s Swiss cheese O-line, Sanders\u2019 toughness (playing through injections, per Deion Sanders) might be his best selling point. Besides, this draft isn\u2019t about finding a hero…<\/p>\n

It\u2019s about building a roster that can survive without one. With Quarterbacks stuck in purgatory, teams are stockpiling defensive monsters, versatile tight ends (Penn State\u2019s Tyler Warren is this year\u2019s Gronk-lite), and hybrid playmakers. The Jets\u2019 Fields gamble? It\u2019s a subplot in a bigger story.<\/p>\n

In a year without a Caleb Williams<\/a>, you either get creative or get left behind. So grab your popcorn. The 2025 Quarterback class might lack star power, but the chaos? That\u2019s must-see TV.<\/p>\n

Main Photo Credit: Stephanie Amador Blondet-Imagn Images<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The 2025 NFL Draft redefines strategy as teams shift focus from Quarterbacks to raw defensive power and unexpected playmakers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5474,"featured_media":221067,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1647,27,8,15,17,34,26,5,28,20,6,21,9,11],"tags":[275,32992,10075,32931,10076,32826,33129,33272,32477,33289,9819],"class_list":["post-221999","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl-draft","category-falcons","category-browns","category-broncos","category-raiders","category-rams","category-vikings","category-patriots","category-saints","category-giants","category-jets","category-eagles","category-steelers","category-titans","tag-aaron-rodgers","tag-abdul-carter","tag-caleb-williams","tag-cam-ward","tag-drake-maye","tag-jalen-milroe","tag-jaxson-dart","tag-mykel-williams","tag-shedeur-sanders","tag-shemar-stewart","tag-tyler-shough"],"modified_by":"Mike Kashuba","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/221999","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5474"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=221999"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/221999\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":222071,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/221999\/revisions\/222071"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/221067"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=221999"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=221999"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=221999"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}