As the 2025 NFL Draft rolled into its final day, one notable name that sat waiting to hear his name called was Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard.
Leonard transferred from Duke to Notre Dame for his final college season, completing 269 of 403 passes (66.7%) for 2,861 yards, 21 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. His strong season helped boost his stock, but he’s still projected as a late-round pick. According to PFSN’s Ian Cummings, Leonard is pegged to go No. 232 to the Indianapolis Colts in a recent seven-round mock draft.
Well, the team-player fit was spot on, but he went a little earlier than projected, landing in Indy with the 151st pick in the NFL Draft. Why did he fall all the way to the sixth round after playing in the national championship in January?
Riley Leonard Falls to 6th Round, Lands With Colts
Leonard brings some solid traits to the table. He’s athletic, has a strong arm, and shows good ability to go through his reads — a skill that’s pretty rare in this draft class. Still, with a deep group of quarterbacks this year and Leonard’s age working against him, he was expected to be a late Day 3 pick.
In his scouting report, PFSN’s Jacob Infante described Leonard as “a tall, athletic quarterback with a strong arm and the flash plays that make you excited about his prospects at the next level.”
Infante also pointed out some areas that need work. “Due to his inconsistency as a processor and in terms of his accuracy, Leonard occasionally put Notre Dame in difficult situations,” he wrote. “His sense of pressure needs quite a bit of work, and his mechanics could use some fine-tuning before he hits the NFL level.”
Still, Infante sees Leonard as a toolsy backup who could develop into something more with time. He called Leonard “good value in Round 6 and a potential steal in Round 7,” though taking him much earlier would be a bit of a reach.
A few quarterbacks are expected to be selected ahead of Leonard on Day 3, including Shedeur Sanders, Will Howard, Quinn Ewers, and Kyle McCord. However, teams often take swings on quarterbacks late in the draft in hopes of finding a quality backup or developmental piece.
So don’t be surprised that Leonard heard his name called in the sixth round. The Colts have shown they value athletic, toolsy quarterbacks who can run and throw, making him an ideal No. 3 behind Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones.
