Quinn Ewers Says There's 'Motivation and Fuel' After Being NFL Draft's Last QB Picked

It didn't generate nearly as much attention as Shedeur Sanders, but Quinn Ewers' experience in the 2025 NFL draft might didn't go the way he hoped after being the selected with the 231st overall pick in the seventh round by the Miami Dolphins.
Speaking to ESPN's Todd Archer about being the last quarterback taken, Ewers said he has a lot of "motivation and fuel" to prove everyone wrong.
"It's definitely a lot of motivation that comes with it, especially just being the last [quarterback] drafted," Ewers said. "I still have the high expectations for myself, but just from the outside looking in, this is the first time in my life to not have that much expectation. There's definitely motivation and fuel. A lot of it."
Going into last season season, there was some expectation that Ewers would be a top prospect in the 2025 draft.
In a very-early mock released in April 2024, ESPN's Field Yates projected Ewers to be selected No. 8 overall by the Las Vegas Raiders:
"Ewers is a fun study with his smooth delivery and capacity to change arm angles to make creative throws. He has to be more consistent throwing downfield, but he can really carve up a defense with his intermediate accuracy. Ewers' functional mobility is also very good and allows him to work around the pocket effectively."
Last season at Texas wasn't as strong for Ewers as his 2023 was. He was good with 3,472 yards, 31 touchdowns and a 65.8 completion percentage in 14 games.
Ewers did throw as many interceptions in 2024 as he did in the previous two seasons combined (12). His 2.7 percent interception rate was tied for 73rd in FBS, ironically in a group with Carson Beck.
Beck was another quarterback projected to be a high pick at this time last year, but a rough 2024 led to him returning to school. He actually transferred from Georgia to Miami on a reported $4 million NIL package.
By comparison, Ewers' rookie contract as the No. 231 overall pick will pay him a total of $4.3 million over the next four years.
Scouting reports for Ewers are higher on him than his draft position. B/R's Dame Parson had a third-round grade on the Texas alum, ranking him as the sixth-best quarterback in the class and comparing his skill set to Andy Dalton.
Ewers wound up being the 13th quarterback taken, coming off the board four picks after Indiana's Kurtis Rourke went to the San Francisco 49ers.
Considering all of the health issues that Tua Tagovailoa has had throughout his NFL career, the Dolphins targeting a quality backup in the draft is a good move for them. Ewers will be competing with Zach Wilson for the No. 2 quarterback job in training camp.
If Ewers were to get thrown into action because of an injury to Tagovailoa, he's got plenty of upside to keep Miami's offense running when he gets acclimated to playing against NFL defenses.