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There comes a moment in every NFL Draft cycle when a team considers skipping out on a rookie quarterback with the hopes of next season's class offering more promise. Some years, that optimism is rewarded with an incredibly deep class. More often, a year of examination and adversity reveals flaws that previously went unnoticed.
In the months before the 2025 season, the early indication is that the incoming crop of quarterbacks is among the best in recent memory. But for that to hold up, several prospects with questionable profiles must find success and declare.
One such passer is South Carolina redshirt sophomore quarterback LaNorris Sellers. At 6-3, 242 pounds, with a projected 40-yard dash time hovering around 4.60 seconds, few prospects have as much raw talent as Sellers. Yet, consistency has proven to be elusive, and there is work to be done before he can hear his name called in Round 1.
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LaNorris Sellers has the tools to be the first pick in April
It doesn't take long for Sellers' athleticism to jump off the screen. He will instantly be among the best athletes in the NFL, joining Baltimore Ravens superstar Lamar Jackson and Washington Commanders phenom Jayden Daniels in that rare tier under center.
According to Pro Football Focus, Sellers forced 47 missed tackles in 2024, scrambled 49 times for 417 yards, and posted over 4 yards after contact per attempt. He took a 75-yard run to the house and routinely turned should-be sacks into positive plays.
Sellers is big enough to break sacks but isn't scared of getting hit. This translates out of structure, where he's willing to keep his eyes downfield and unholster difficult, tight-window throws on the move.
His arm talent allows him to win without proper footwork, and he can stretch the field while retaining his accuracy. There are flashes of nuance, too. He moves linebackers with his eyes to open throwing lanes over the middle of the field and uses his legs to create easy completions.
Sellers must prove he can win within structure
Sellers is a human highlight reel, but those tantalizing moments frequently come after the play has broken down. Winning out of structure is a right quarterbacks earn by playing well within the boundaries of a typical play. If he can't do the "easy" stuff enough, it won't matter if he's the draft's top passer while running away from defenders.
There simply isn't a big enough sample of Sellers consistently operating from the pocket. Notably, that can change in 2025, and it certainly doesn't mean that he is incapable of doing so successfully.
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Still, Sellers puts the ball in harm's way too often. Oftentimes, it's a product of being a beat late on a timing route, an issue that can be both mental and mechanical.
Sellers' accuracy stands to improve in terms of setting up receivers for success after the catch. He'll have to do a better job of navigating messy pockets while keeping his eyes downfield and ensuring that a step into the pocket doesn't always precede a scramble. Against NFL defenses, he won't have quite as much of an advantage with his athleticism, forcing him to develop elsewhere.
These are real challenges, and ones his South Carolina offense might not ask him to face. However, they certainly aren't impossible to overcome.
Sellers' current projection
Heading into the 2025 season, Sellers offers an incredibly volatile profile. His athleticism elevates his floor and will give him answers to the tests defenses throw at him. A meteoric, Daniels-like rise to the top of the draft could be in store. Falling closer to Day 3 remains possible as well.
For now, it's best to consider Sellers an early-Day 2 project with room to grow.
Playing in the SEC means there will be plenty of high-level opponents for Sellers to prove himself against. Between dates with Alabama, LSU and Clemson, he'll find himself in the spotlight.
These defenses will hope to contain his elite athleticism and force him to win from the pocket. If Sellers can showcase that growth, there's little reason why he can't be among the first players taken in April.
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