Mel Kiper Points Out Big Question Surrounding Texas Longhorns QB Quinn Ewers

Quinn Ewers's NFL Draft stock is in the air currently as analysts and evaluators alike have wide-ranging opinions on the Texas Longhorns quarterback.

Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers (3) throws the ball against Ohio State Buckeyes defense in the first quarter of the Cotton Bowl Classic during the College Football Playoff semifinal game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on January, 10, 2025. / Kyle Robertson/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The debate surrounding Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers is already shaping into one of the more intriguing conversations of the NFL Draft process. After a three-year career on the Forty Acres, where he led Texas to back-to-back College Football Playoff appearances, there are many opinions on how Ewers translates to the next level.

Injuries and inconsistencies have been the main drawbacks against Ewers so far. But there is one specific inconsistency that has the attention of ESPN Draft analyst Mel Kiper specifically. That being Ewers' arm strength.

“With Quinn Ewers, if you could bottle some of those games and some of those series and some of the throws, and say, ‘Boy, if we could just level that off,’” Kiper said on ESPN's First Draft. “I want him to put the foot on the gas. And I say, foot on the gas with that arm. I didn’t see a lot of muscle throws.

Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers (3) looks into the crowd after the 28-14 loss to Ohio State in the College Football Playoff semifinal game in the Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium on Friday, Jan. 10, 2024 in Arlington, Texas. / Aaron E. Martinez/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

“In the NFL, you got tight windows. You got to muscle those throws in there, right? You got to stick it in there. And the thing is, he can do it, but a lot of times he’s trying to just loft it out there, lay it out there. And to me, sometimes you got to go 80 miles an hour, OK? You can’t go 30. Gotta go 80.”

There are no questions about Ewers in terms of arm strength or arm talent. He showcased both throughout his career at Texas. However, what Kiper is concerned about is the tendency for Ewers's passes to not jump out of his hand like a fastball at times.

A lot of the time, Ewers throws a more tapered ball which could prove problematic in the NFL where the windows to throw in are smaller. This isn't a new criticism of Ewers but it will be a question that NFL evaluators will want an answer to.

As things stand, Kiper views Ewers as the No. 7 quarterback available in the draft. He is behind the likes of Shedeur Sanders, Cam Ward, Jaxson Dart, Will Howard, Jalen Milroe, and Kyle McCord.

Ewers capped off his career in Austin, throwing for 3,472 yards and 31 touchdowns with 12 interceptions as he completed 65.8 percent of his passes in his junior season. He finished with 9,128 yards and 68 touchdowns with 24 interceptions over the course of his 36-game college career

Ewers is in the midst of preparations for the upcoming NFL Draft, where starting on April 24, 2025, through April 26, he will wait to hear his name called.

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