USATSI
After a long wait, Quinn Ewers was drafted at pick No. 231 by the Miami Dolphins in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft. It was clear that with heir apparent Arch Manning waiting in the wings, he’d have to play somewhere else in 2025. Ewers entered this draft class with concerns over his arm strength and some worries about a nagging injury that hampered him in the 2024 season for Texas.
Throughout the NIL era, there’s an interesting theme running through Day 3 of every NFL Draft, and that’s whether a player could have earned more by staying in school. There are myriad reasons why a player goes to the draft beyond money, but it is something to factor into any player’s decision. Some players who are borderline draftable opt to return to school to at least get something, but the calculus is a little different for quarterbacks.
The estimated slot value of pick No. 231 in the draft is around $4.3 million over four years. But, as a starting quarterback with SEC experience, had he gone into the transfer portal, Ewers could have fetched easily over $3 million, and maybe even as much as $4 million with the right suitors in the mix considering Carson Beck’s deal. Ewers could have gotten in the mix at Miami, Notre Dame or many other bluebloods in search of a signal-caller last winter had he entered the portal.
The fact is that it was never really in question as to whether Ewers would actually turn pro at the end of this season. And the fact that he has turned pro starts his clock to getting a lucrative second contract if Ewers is able to prove he belongs in the league.
