Ranking rookie QB performances from Week 1 of the preseason: Shedeur Sanders makes statement, Jaxson Dart wows

Here's how the rookie QBs fared in their first taste of NFL action

In all, 13 quarterbacks were selected at the 2025 NFL Draft. While all eyes are specifically fixated on some of the more notable signal callers from this year's class, like first-rounders Cameron Ward and Jaxson Dart, along with former Colorado star Shedeur Sanders, the preseason allows us to see a bunch of them in action. Over the first weekend of exhibitions, 11 rookies suited up for their respective teams. 

Of course, similar to their path through the NFL Draft, the missions each of these quarterbacks are embarking on this summer vary. For someone like Ward, the No. 1 overall pick out of Miami, he's ramping up to start Week 1 for the Tennessee Titans. Meanwhile, Dart, despite being the only other first-round quarterback taken, is using the preseason as a developmental period as he's set to sit behind veteran Russell Wilson, which is a situation more familiar to the rest of the class. 

For those set to work in a backup role once the regular season kicks off, the preseason is a small window to flash their talents on the field, upping the stakes within games that hardly have stakes at all.