10 QB PROSPECTS THE COWBOYS COULD DRAFT TO REPLACE DAK PRESCOTT IN 2025

The Dallas Cowboys and Dak Prescott appear to be at a crossroads. Set to hit free agency in 2025, Prescott could be playing his last season in Dallas. The eight-year veteran is coming of his best season as a pro. He finished second in MVP voting and posted the second-best EPA/play + CPOE composite score (measures effectiveness and accuracy) in the NFL.

Last heard, the Cowboys and Prescott have made little progress in negotiations. Stephen Jones, Dallas’s chief negotiator, and Todd France, Prescott’s hard-nosed agent, have never been on the best of terms. In Prescott’s last deal, signed in 2021, France included a no-trade and no-franchise tag stipulation that removes most of the Cowboys' leverage.

With virtually all leverage on Prescott’s side the Cowboys are unlikely to escape anything short of market-setting money on his next deal. Dallas may not be in a great salary cap situation but it’s more than manageable. Even with CeeDee Lamb and Micah Parsons also seeking market-setting money, Dallas can responsibly afford to keep all three without major repercussions. The question at hand is, do they want to?

It’s possible a deal will be struck just before the season kicks off this September. But if the Cowboys decide to ride out the year with Prescott unsigned, he’ll be all-but-certain to leave next March.

If the Cowboys re-sign Prescott, they'd be unlikely to target a top QB prospect in the upcoming draft. But if no deal is struck, the Cowboys will most assuredly be looking at all the top QB prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft to fill the massive vacancy at the QB position.

Much can change between now and next April but here are some of the top draft prospects the Cowboys will be looking at if they’re unable to re-sign Dak Prescott to an extension.

No. 1: Carson Beck, Georgia

The top name on most draft boards is Georgia’s Carson Beck. Playing on one of the most talented rosters in college has advantages and Beck certainly profits from those advantages. Beck boasts a 1.19 wins above average park per PFF. The metric tracks how well he plays in different facets of the game and their direct impact on wins.

The Georgia offensive line rarely yields pressure, giving Beck a clean pocket and distraction-free experience as he scans the field. Beck’s numbers on early downs are particularly impressive.

At 6-foot-4, 220-pounds, Beck looks the part of an NFL QB. He has good arm talent and excellent anticipatory skills delivering the ball. He can throw on the run when he has to and rarely makes mistakes.

Beck doesn’t improvise much which could either be because his system works so well or it just could be something he’s lacking in his traits. But he gets the ball out quickly and doesn’t take sacks which is a stable stat that projects well into the NFL.

Beck would fit a number of systems the Cowboys could be potentially employing in 2025. Beck, likened to Jared Goff, is someone who would be ideal in a Shanahan offense which is more scripted and first-read focused than many but he’d also be smart enough to play in a multiple-read offense that asks him to go through progressions in the pocket.

Beck appears to be a high-floor prospect with a decent, but unspectacular ceiling. Dropped into the right situation he should have instant success.

No. 2: Conner Weigman, Texas A&M

Conner Weigman is a high variance player who could go at the top of the first round or the end of Day 2 depending how the 2024 season unfolds. The former five-star recruit is making his way up draft boards and has a legitimate claim to be at the top of the class.

Weigman is one of the more exciting prospects in the class. On one hand you have a QB who was dazzling in his 2023 season. On the other hand, you just have only a few games of data which is an irresponsibly low sample size for a prospect.  

Playing just 3.5 games in 2023, Weigman posted a 4.5% big-time throw rate compared to a 2.1% interception worthy rate (per PFF). His competition was suspect but he was the rare combination of safe and aggressive as a passer.

He’s a tough player, unafraid of taking a hit on the run or standing in the pocket to deliever. He makes good descions on third downs and is elite in standard passing sets. The Cowboys aren’t a play-action heavy team and Weigman just happens to be one of the best prospects in non-play-action passers in the draft. That’s a good indicator of success.

Weigman’s clock is impressive. His average TTT was at 2.56, delivering the ball quickly and on time. He rarely takes sacks which has a stable translation to the NFL.

No. 3: Shedeur Sanders, Colorado

Shedeur Sanders, son of Deion Sanders, is a polarizing figure in the draft. Benefiting from his father’s name and reputation, Sanders is likely to go extremely early in the 2025 draft even if there are some significant concerns in his ability to play QB in the NFL.

At 6-foot-1, 215-pounds, Sanders is small for a QB prospect. His 4.65 speed is better looking on paper than it is on the field. He’s a pass-first QB who even when given green space in front of him is looking down field for the bigger play.

His desire to hit the big play downfield is both good and bad. It’s good because he trusts his abilities and makes good reads resulting in plenty of big passes with few interception-worthy passes. It’s bad because his average TTT is nearly 3 seconds, causing him to take too many sacks on plays that didn’t need to be negative.

He shows good mechanics when not under pressure, unfortunately the Colorado offensive line was atrocious in 2023 and often had him running for his life. In those situations, mechanics often flew out the window.

Sanders’ arm is suspect. His ability to hit intermediate passes outside of the numbers (particularly on out-breaking routes) is under question. He’s excellent in the middle of the field, making smart and accurate passes regularly.

Sanders is extremely safe with the ball but has some physical limitations which impact his ceiling. With many projecting him in the top-5 of the draft, he runs the risk of being overdrafted and expected to do more than he can actually do as a pro.

No. 4: Quinn Ewers, Texas

Quinn Ewers is a tough read as a prospect and his 2024 season will likely be vital to his ranking in the 2025 NFL draft. Ewers has developed consistently throughout his time at Texas. At 6-foot-2, 200-pounds, he’s not the ideal size for an NFL passer.

Ewers knows how to put the ball in the hands of his playmakers. He delivers on-target passes that allow his receivers to catch the ball in stride and with good YAC potential. He’s an excellent play-action passer which isn’t a bad thing by any means but could serve as a red flag to teams than don’t typically use run fakes in the attacks (like Mike McCarthy’s Cowboys).

Many of his plays are predetermined behind solid play design. It’s similar in that way to Ben Johnson’s offense in Detroit or many of the various Shanahan offenses spread across the league. He has a great arm and spreads the ball around the field with ease. Definitely NFL arm talent. But he doesn’t play with much anticipation and appears to be lacking a degree of confidence.

Ewers also has a low release in his passes. It leads to a high number of passes batted at the line which is a problem that will only grow at the level. Not sure if he has a natural feel for the game or if he’s just maxed out as a system QB.   

No. 5: Graham Mertz, Florida

Graham Mertz might not be a popular name on many top-5 lists, but he’s moving up boards and has the potential to make up ground in 2024. The Wisconsin transfer did well in his transition to Florida and looks like one of the more poised passers in his class.

Mertz, 6-foot-3, 215-pounds isn’t spectacular in any one area of the game but he’s efficient across the board. Sort of a dink-and-dunk passer, he’s accurate and safe with his passes and focuses on ball placement and timing to provide YAC.

Mertz posted strong third down numbers, indicating high leverage situations are not a problem. The Cowboys commonly ask a lot from their signal callers on third downs with Prescott being the top third down passer in the NFL last season.

Also like Prescott, Mertz makes excellent pre-snap reads at the line and thrives under pass rushing pressure. His arm is average so he struggles a bit delivering to the wide side of the field but it’s not a major hinderance. He has a quick release, doesn’t take sacks but leans on a lot of play-action and RPOs, which, as mentioned earlier, can be a red flag.

If Mertz can repeat his steady 2023 season in 2024, he’ll be regarded as one of the safer prospects in the class and should be a first-second round option for a team like the Cowboys. His ceiling looks fairly capped and that’s unlikely to change.  

No. 6: Jalen Milroe, Alabama

Jalen Milroe, 6-foot-2, 220-pounds, is a name at the top of many lists even if it’s largely based on potential. The Alabama QB has the intangibles of an NFL star. He has dual threat speed and a rocket arm that can make all the throws. An elite passer on 3rd-and-long, Milroe can step up in big moments and doesn’t shrink from the limelight even if he throws a high volume of dangerous passes.

Leans on read-option and play-fakes a lot, but is a standout performer in each. A strong 2024 season could place him as the No. 1 pick so his ceiling cannot be denied. But with an average TTT of 3.45, he holds the ball for a ridiculous amount of time and harkens memories of Justin Fields.

No. 7: Cam Ward, Miami

At 6-foot-2, 223-pounds, Ward brings decent size and good athleticism to the NFL. He has the potential to go early on Day 1 or late on Day 2 depending how his 2024 season unfolds. He threw a staggering 21 turnover worthy passes last season, highlighting his recklessness as a passer.

He has a funny sidearm release that will lead to batted passes but he has a playmaking intangible that sets him apart from others. He’s a low floor, high ceiling prospect with boom or bust potential.

No. 8: Drew Allar, Penn State

At 6-foot-5, 243-pounds, Allar is a physical specimen at the QB position. His strong arm and sturdy build will keep him in many conversations regardless of how the 2024 campaign unfolds.

Allar's touchdown to interception ratio of 25:2 indicates good decision making but his accuracy on deep balls is often poor and he frequently leans on his arm strength to fit passes through windows indicating that ratio isn't repeatable in 2024.

Allar has the raw skills but needs development. He looks like an NFL QB but will take time.

No. 9: Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss

Jaxon Dart, 6-foot-2, 220-pounds is another Day 2 prospect who should fall into the Cowboys range. A true dual threat QB, Dart doesn’t have elite speed but he has a knack for the run. He scrambles well but takes too many sacks.

Dart has high-end arm talent that can deliver the ball everywhere on the field from different arm angles while off-platform. Good accuracy and good pre-snap reads but he rarely goes through progressions and often targets his first read. He plays in a scheme-heavy offense and will likely need the same at the next level.

10. Jalon Daniels, Kansas

Jalon Daniels, 6-foot, 215-pounds, was a breakout player in 2022, passing for over 2,000 yards and rushing for over 400 more. He threw for 18 touchdowns and rushed for another seven enroute to a surprise bowl game for the Jayhawks.

A back injury hampered him in 2023 and could potentially bleed into 2024. Daniels is natural leader teammates and coaches love but he plays in an RPO-heavy offense that makes his fit in the NFL questionable. When in the pocket, he can hold on too long, posting an average TTT of over three seconds. It’s safe to say he won’t fit all NFL offenses.

Conclusion

Given the talent on the Cowboys roster in 2024, they will likely be picking at the end of the draft. As such, the top prospects will be out of reach. In a relatively poor looking QB class, no one is truly worthy of the top-15 selection but at least a couple will go there given the value of the position.

Presumably picking in the 20s, the Cowboys could be looking at the QB3 of the class when they go on the clock in the first round. Since many of these prospects are scheme specific and/or limited in their abilities, some may not be options depending on who's coaching in Dallas.

In any case, this class looks to be loaded with developmental prospects so it's unlikely any in the Cowboys range will have win-now potential early in their career. With a multiyear rebuild likely to be in the cards, the Cowboys will have to commit to both player and coach for the long-term and hope everything turns out ok between the two.

Much can change in the next few months, but this is not the class a QB-hungry team wants to see on the horizon.

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This article was originally published on thelandryhat.com as 10 QB prospects the Cowboys could draft to replace Dak Prescott in 2025 .

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