Quinn Ewers admits he didn't expect to fall as far as he did in 2025 NFL Draft

Former Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers didn’t expect to fall so far in the draft. He ended up becoming a 7th round pick by the Miami Dolphins.

Ewers was productive in college once he got to Texas. However, the injury bug got him a few times and he wasn’t necessarily evaluated as one of the top signal callers going into the 2025 NFL Draft class.

There were whispers that Ewers could’ve made a lot in NIL by hitting the transfer portal and playing one more collegiate season before going to the pros. Instead, he opted to hit the draft and now will have to make a nice impression to make the Dolphins’ roster.

“I didn’t expect to fall as low as I did,” Ewers said Friday, via Alainis Thames of the Associated Press. “It is what it is at the end of the day, and I have the same opportunity that everybody else does, and I’m beyond thankful for that. I just want to go in there and play my game and learn and develop as a quarterback.”

Ewers acknowledged the challenge, but everyone is in the same boat. Perhaps head coach Mike McDaniel is the guy to unblock more of Ewers’ potential, so long as he stays healthy.

“There’s a lot of guys out there right now, and everyone’s fighting for the same job,” Ewers said. “And we’re all competitive, but it’s cool at the same time just because at the end of the day some of these guys are going to end up being teammates with us. But you’ve got to earn the job and earn the trust of those guys as well.”

Ewers’ former coach Steve Sarkisian called out critics following the QB’s slide in the draft. Some have crushed Ewers for not returning to school and receiving a good chunk of money, numbers Nakos reported up to $6 million. His NFL salary will be just over $1 million a year. So, Sarkisian wants to know why there has been a change in mindset, for Ewers specifically, when it comes to players’ actions in modern college football.

“Everybody has got a comment about a kid who leaves a school and goes to another school for more money,” Sarkisian said in a sit-down with CBS Sports’ Josh Pate. “‘How could he do that? This is college football now? What’s going on with college football?’ All of a sudden, here’s Quinn Ewers, who decides not to go to another school and say ‘You know what, I’ve left a legacy at the University of Texas. I’m going to go chase my dreams and fulfill my dreams of playing in the NFL.’

“And now, those same critics, those same people, are saying ‘How could he not go take that money?’ … Sometimes, I just wonder. Who are we to judge and criticize a young man who’s making a decision on his future, who’s only done things the right way, to the best of his ability, gave everything to our program? And decided, ‘You know what? Now’s my time. To criticize him for not taking the money? Like, what are we talking about?”