This college QB is re-establishing himself amongst top draft prospects

Notre Dame QB Riley Leonard could be an option for LA Rams outside of first round

It’s been tough watching an overall young Los Angeles Rams roster improve while they take a step backward at football’s most important position: quarterback. Matthew Stafford is age 36 and it’s becoming more clear after every passing week that his best football is behind him.

It’s time for LA to contemplate life after their Super Bowl winning quarterback. One avenue to acquire a potential replacement would be through the NFL Draft; however, the Rams are on pace to pick around 16th overall. They’ll likely miss out on the top prospects in the 2025 class like Shedeur Sanders, Quinn Ewers, and Cam Ward.

To make matters even more complicated, the Rams won’t have their second round pick next spring after moving up to take Braden Fiske last year. Taking a quarterback after the second round is usually a poor situation to put yourself in, but this seems to be a year where there are solid options that could fall to late day two or day three of the draft.

One of the more intriguing options would be Notre Dame QB Riley Leonard.

Who is Riley Leonard?

Leonard isn’t a stranger to draft considerations. After spending three seasons at Duke, some analysts thought Leonard might head to the NFL early as a potential day two or three selection. Instead, in the era of NIL, Leonard transferred to Notre Dame for his senior season and has the Fighting Irish currently ranked eighth in the nation.

As a player, Leonard is a dual threat quarterback but might be a better runner than passer at this stage of his development. He’s made strides as a thrower though he really earns his living with his legs.

His first month with the Fighting Irish was disappointing considering how he left off at Duke and the expectations for the team. I had written Leonard off as a realistic option for the Rams in 2025, but he’s worked since September to re-establish himself as a top prospect at the quarterback position.

At 6-4, 205 lbs., Leonard has the frame and athleticism to be a dynamic playmaker in the NFL. He’ll need to improve and become more consistent as a passer. We’ve seen Josh Allen make strides in this department over his career with the Buffalo Bills, but few quarterbacks have been able to replicate his ability to grow more accurate as a professional. It’s completely within the realm of possibility that Leonard ends up more like a former Duke QB in Daniel Jones than Allen.

The passing stats from this season won’t blow you away, but when taken in conjunction with his rushing production you can see the potential:

At Texas A&M: 60% comp, 158 passing, 63 rushing

Vs Northern Illinois: 63% comp, 163 yards, 2 INT’s, 16 rushing, 1 rush TD

At Purdue: 69% comp, 112 passing, 100 rushing, 3 rush TD’s

Vs Miami (OH): 64% comp, 154 yards, 1 pass TD, 143 rushing, 2 rush TD’s

Vs Louisville: 74% comp, 163 passing, 2 pass TD’s, 52 rushing, 1 rush TD

Vs. Stanford: 73% comp, 229 passing, 3 pass TD’s, 31 rushing, 1 rush TD

Vs Georgia Tech: 69% comp, 203 passing, 1 INT, 51 rushing, 2 rush TD’s

Vs. Navy: 62% comp, 178 passing, 2 pass TD’s, 83 rushing, 1 rush TD

Vs. Florida State: 52% comp, 215 passing, 1 pass TD, 70 rushing, 2 TD’s

You can see through completion percentage, yards, touchdowns, and a reduction of interceptions that Leonard is improving as a passer as the season progresses and as he settles in after transferring to Notre Dame. There are plenty of tools to work with, and Leonard has starting potential at the NFL level.

Why the Rams are an interesting fit:

Los Angeles has an otherwise young and developing roster. They need a quarterback that can grow with the rest of the team.

As we’ve seen become evident this season, an element of mobility would do wonders to help compliment pass protection. With Stafford the Rams are asking their line to be nearly perfect and they don’t have a quarterback like Kyler Murray or Brock Purdy that can evade rushers with regularity. That puts them at a disadvantage within the NFC West division.

Leonard would be a significant departure from the Jared Goff and Stafford—the only two long-term starting quarterbacks we’ve seen under Sean McVay—and this could help Sean McVay expand his playbook in ways that haven’t previously been options. We’ve seen glimpses of how the offense can incorporate mobility with John Wolford and Carson Wentz under center, and Leonard is a significantly better athlete than both of those players.

There’s also the reality that the Rams probably won’t be within reach to land one of the top quarterbacks this year. They might have to settle or find a bargain after the second round. While this is usually not something you can bank on, Leonard will likely be available and could be an intriguing option for a team looking to pivot at the position.