Quarterback Riley Leonard during Notre Dame football's Pro Day at Irish Athletic Center on Thursday, March 27, 2025, in South Bend. MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Report: A Look at Notre Dame's Riley Leonard

Originally posted on Las Vegas Raiders on SI
By Michael France | Last updated Apr 4, 2025 9:00 AM ET

The Las Vegas Raiders traded for quarterback Geno Smith to ensure they will have a bona fide starting quarterback in 2025.

Now, they can look to use the early rounds to build a strong foundation for head coach Pete Carroll. The sentiment is that the Raiders will draft a quarterback in the middle rounds or late -- and Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard should be a viable target in that regard.

Per Pro Football Focus' Nick Akridge graded Leonard as a fourth or fifth round prospect.

"Riley Leonard is an extremely athletic quarterback who can become a real run-game threat in the NFL," he wrote. "He makes sound decisions, which limits turnovers and sacks among other negative plays. He displays moments of high-level play that suggest he has the potential to be a successful NFL quarterback. However, he struggles with consistency and his accuracy can suffer, particularly under pressure. When pressured, he can get skittish and abandon clean pockets. He’ll need to up his consistency at the next level; if he does, he could be a decent starter."

Akridge highlighted Leonard's superb athleticism as a valuable asset to his game and a big-plus for his draft stock.

"Leonard possesses exceptional athleticism and will immediately become one of the best running quarterbacks in the NFL," wrote Akridge. "His 82.8 PFF rushing grade this past season ranked third among draft-eligible quarterbacks, and his 611 yards on designed runs were the sixth most.

"Notre Dame’s run game relied on Leonard to be efficient with his carries, and he tallied the fourth-most rushing first downs among all quarterbacks. He is a strong, powerful runner with the mindset that he can overpower any defender. His rushing ability is an immediate pathway to him finding some early success in the NFL."

Efficiency is key for Leonard, too. Akridge singled out his ability to limit negative plays.

"Leonard makes sound decisions, minimizing turnovers, sacks and other negative outcomes," he wrote. "He excels at keeping his offense in manageable situations, due in part to his ability to avoid forcing the ball into tight windows and escape pressure with his legs. He boasted the 16th-best turnover-worthy play rate and the 22nd-best pressure-to-sack ratio in the FBS in 2024. Limiting negative plays was crucial to Notre Dame's success, and Leonard was the driving force."

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This article first appeared on Las Vegas Raiders on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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