Dez Bryant makes bold declaration: 'I like Quinn Ewers over Tua already'

Quinn Ewers was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft on Saturday evening. At least one former All-Pro believes he could start over Tua Tagovailoa in short order.

Dez Bryant is evidently a major fan of the former Texas and Ohio State quarterback. He took to social media to share his thoughts on the matter: “I like Quinn Ewers over Tua already,” the 36-year old posted on X. “He’s Dan Marino 2.0 and yes, I said it.”

While Ewers might end up being a steal in the seventh round, seeing him usurp Tagovailoa would be shocking. However, with the former Alabama star’s injury history, anything is possible in Miami. The Dolphins are hoping Ewers will be a solid backup, at the least.

One of the highest-rated recruits of all-time, Ewers was a Five-Star Plus+ prospect coming out of Southlake (TX). He was the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2021 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

Moreover, Ryan Day and Ohio State were on the winning end of Ewers’ high school recruitment. After one season, he entered the NCAA transfer portal. Steve Sarkisian had arrived in Austin, and he brought Texas the program’s next quarterback in Ewers

He certainly delivered on a team level. The Longhorns made two consecutive College Football Playoff semifinals. A Big 12 Championship was won with Ewers under center, along with an SEC Championship game appearance.

In total, Ewers threw for 9,128 yards, 68 touchdowns, and 24 interceptions while completing 64.9% of his throws. A decent amount of success, both personally and with the Longhorns. Time will tell what his NFL journey brings now.

What NFL Draft analysts are saying about Quinn Ewers

Ahead of the draft, NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein broke down Ewers and gave a detailed scouting report on the Texas quarterback. He even provided a few comparisons, saying Ewers reminded him of Sam Howell and Kelly Holcomb.

“Ewers’ arm talent and game flashes are enticing, but he hasn’t learned to play the game with a high enough level of consistency,” Zierlein said. “The tape of road wins over Alabama and Michigan over the last two seasons showed the clearest picture of Ewers’ ceiling. He spins it with a sudden release and good touch over the first two levels and makes it look easy when he finds a rhythm. He won a high percentage of his career starts but struggled to put points on the board in most big games in 2024.

“Ewers rarely operates as a smooth, full-field reader. He often predetermines his target and throws into coverage instead of taking what the defense is offering. A lack of escapability will require him to process quickly enough to stay ahead of NFL blitz packages. The raw talent and upside will be alluring for pro-style passing attacks, but it’s fair to wonder if he will ever be able to rise above the talent on his roster and the ability of his play-caller to create favorable terms.”

— On3’s Griffin McVeigh contributed to this article.