Week 3 NFL Draft intel: What 'invaluable trait' makes Miami QB stand out?

Each week, Yardbarker is monitoring the 2025 NFL Draft, scheduled for April 24-26 in Green Bay. 

From a quarterback with elite arm talent to an ascending cornerback, here are five players we are tracking going into this weekend:  

Miami QB Cam Ward has an impressive trait

Through three games, Ward has completed 73 percent of his passes for 1,035 yards, 11 touchdowns and one interception. He's also posted the FBS' best QBR (94.4). More importantly, he has showcased a trait that some Super Bowl champions have.

"His ability to change arm angles to what we've seen from the likes of Matthew Stafford, Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes allows him to get the ball out quickly and with pop to avoid oncoming rushers," wrote The Draft Network's Ryan Fowler in a Monday scouting report. "It's an invaluable trait at the next level, where windows are tighter, defenders are faster and the processing clock quarterbacks use internally is sped up."   

Ward (6-foot-2, 223 pounds) must prove himself against better competition. The No. 8 Hurricanes (3-0) haven't played a ranked opponent this season. In a road game on Saturday, they face South Florida (2-1) 

If Ward keeps flourishing, he should propel himself into the QB1 conversation. In his latest mock draft, 247 Sports' Brad Crawford has the Carolina Panthers taking him with the second overall pick.

Colorado CB/WR Travis Hunter still wants to play both ways in the NFL

Hunter — the No. 2 overall prospect, per Tankathon's big board — believes he can be a two-way star in the NFL if a team lets him play both ways. 

"My goal is to continue to be a two-way player," Hunter recently told Forbes contributor DJ Siddiqi. "One of my greatest strengths is my versatility as a player, and I love the challenge of learning and excelling in both roles and pushing my limits."  

Hunter (6-foot-1, 185 pounds) should consider switching to one position, though. According to Siddiqi, he's averaging 129 snaps per game, the most in the FBS. A similar workload over the course of the NFL's 17-game regular season could tax him.  

Alabama QB Jalen Milroe's stock is improving, but scouts want to see more

As of Thursday, FanDuel gives Milroe (6-foot-2, 225 pounds) the second-best chance (+600) to win the Heisman Trophy behind Ward, so why aren't scouts giving him more love? 

"Milroe's lethal dual-threat ability has intrigued scouts, but they still want to see more throws between the hashes," ESPN's Jordan Reid wrote in a Monday roundtable. "Milroe received a mixture of midround grades coming into the season, and after polling scouts this weekend, late-Day 2 is the most common projection for him."

However, it seems Milroe's passing is improving. Through three games, he has completed 67.3 percent of his passes for 590 yards, eight TDs and no interceptions. He has also rushed for 156 yards and six TDs on 36 carries.

Perhaps he will change scouts' minds if he leads No. 4 Alabama (3-0) to a home win over No. 2 Georgia (3-0) on Sept. 28.

Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel is still flying under the radar 

In six seasons at Central Florida, Oklahoma and Oregon, Gabriel has passed for the fifth-most yards (15,779) in FBS history, but Tankathon's big board doesn't list him among its top 100 players. 

Gabriel (6-foot, 200 pounds) lacks the prototypical size for a starting NFL QB, which could scare teams away. Undersized QBs, such as Carolina's Bryce Young (5-foot-10, 204 pounds), have struggled in the NFL. 

Still, No. 9 Oregon (3-0) has emerged as an early College Football Playoff contender because of Gabriel's play. Through three starts, he has completed 84 percent of his passes for 914 yards, six touchdowns and no picks.

"Despite the gaggle of starts Gabriel has made, it's hard to find many clunkers on his resume," wrote The Athletic's Dane Brugler recently. "He's a high-floor prospect. And when the draft heads toward Day 3, higher floors can beat higher ceilings in the right situations." 

East Carolina CB Shavon Revel Jr. is on track to sneak into the first round

On Monday, the Reese's Senior Bowl named Revel its Defensive Player of the Week despite Appalachian State (2-1) beating East Carolina (2-1) in Week 3. In the 21-19 loss, Revel had a 50-yard pick-six.