The Indianapolis Colts drafted Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard with the No. 189 pick in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, adding an intriguing athlete who set the Fighting Irish’s rushing touchdowns record for a QB.
A one-year starter at Notre Dame, Leonard transferred to the program following three seasons at Duke. Leonard put up one of the best seasons of his collegiate career with the Fighting Irish, posting career highs in completion percentage (66.7 percent) and touchdown passes (21). Leonard also flexed his abilities as a dual-threat quarterback, rushing for 906 yards and 17 touchdowns over 16 games.
A team captain, he led the Fighting Irish to a 14-2 record and the national championship game, their first title-game appearance since 2012.
An above-average athlete, the 6-foot-4, 216-pound Leonard is not as competent of a passer as other quarterbacks in the 2025 draft class. He ranked 89th in FBS with 178.8 passing yards per game in 2024 while throwing eight interceptions.
‘The Beast’ breakdown
Leonard ranked No. 162 in Dane Brugler’s top 300 big board. Here’s what Brugler had to say about him in his annual NFL Draft guide:
“With his instinctive athleticism, Leonard impacts the game in different ways, including as a ball carrier, scrambler and when using evasive maneuvers to stay alive in the pocket. As a passer, he has a quality arm but wasn’t able to let it loose on his 2024 tape and will need to prove that he has the anticipation and placement to consistently push the ball downfield. Overall, Leonard has an interesting upside because of his athletic passing tools and elite makeup, but it will take time for him to develop NFL-caliber field vision and pocket rhythm. He projects as a backup in a scheme that leverages his mobility.”
Come back later for more analysis of Leonard.
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