As Notre Dame keeps winning, Riley Leonard’s draft stock keeps rising. I’m not saying that because he’s quickly becoming a first-round talent; he won't be threatening Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders any time soon. But what I am saying is that leading a team to the national championship game is enough to convince a general manager he’s worth taking a gamble on, especially in the later rounds.
I don’t think he’ll start right away in the NFL. Which means if he does get drafted, it would be as a backup with a chance to prove himself. But he’s one of those quarterbacks that needs the right system to grow. The one thing that’s made him great during this College Football Playoff run is that the players around him have made him look better than he probably is.
So while Leonard shouldn’t be one of the top picks in the upcoming draft, he should be intriguing to several general managers looking for a cheap player to develop that could be a decent quarterback. Here’s where he could land and here’s which teams would give him the best chance to grow, improve and possibly become a future starter in the NFL.
3. Riley Leonard could serve as Brock Purdy's backup in San Francisco
I like Leonard to San Francisco a lot. What Kyle Shanahan has done in rehabbing quarterbacks needs no introduction; he made Jimmy Garoppolo look like an NFL starter, while Sam Darnold has become one of the most expensive pending free agents in the league after leading the Vikings on a prove-it deal this season.
And now Shanahan has Brock Purdy on the verge of being a $50 million a year player – though paying Purdy like a Joe Burrow would seem to be a massive mistake. If nothing more, Leonard is an insurance plan, as Purdy has had issues staying healthy over the course of a long season.
Leonard could be an easy and cheap player to have if Purdy has to miss time. It obviously doesn’t take much to succeed in a system like the 49ers. Nothing against Purdy, but he’s had a lot of weapons around him, and like Purdy Leonard could plug and play almost seamlessly with the 49ers. And he’ll have more than enough opportunities as Purdy hasn’t had a full healthy season since he became San Francisco’s starting quarterback.
The 49ers don’t need a lot to get back to contending in the NFC again. If anything, they need some depth at running back and maybe one more weapon at receiver. But their defense is still elite, and Leonard's toughness and running ability should compliment guys like Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle and Deebo Samuel.
2. Could Riley Leonard be the QB the Colts thought they were getting in Anthony Richardson?
Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay has doubled down on coach Shane Steichen and general manager Chris Ballard. That makes the 2025 season a prove it or lose it deal for both.
This was as good of a time as any to hit the reset button with the entire AFC South in shambles. But Irsay believes in his coach and GM, at least for now. And with Steichen playing ping pong with his starting quarterback, Anthony Richardson, Leonard could be the backup that brings clarity to the QB room.
The good thing is that if the Colts are interested in Leonard, he would be in a low-pressure situation. He’d be able to be Richardson’s backup, but be on call as Steichen has shown little patience with the former top-five pick. As often as the Colts went to Joe Flacco, and considering Richardson's health issues in the recent past, Leonard would have a lot of opportunities to play.
Leonard is a dual-threat quarterback that replicates some of what Richardson has brought to the table early in his career, though his arm isn't nearly as special. Still, the Colts could be interested in taking a flier on Leonard if he’s available for the taking. Again, Leonard shouldn't be a sought after quarterback; he’s just not that elite. But he could be a mid- or late-draft steal wherever he lands.
1. The Dolphins need a reliable backup, and Riley Leonard could be the perfect fit
Tua Tagovailoa has had some injury issues throughout his career. The most glaring problem has been his history of concussions, which seem to happen annually at this point.
Because of that, the Dolphins were forced to play four different quarterbacks during his absence. Tyler Huntley ended up being the quarterback to close the season. Nothing against Huntley, but Leonard could be a better option in a pinch.
Mike McDaniel is a product of the Shanahan system, so he could absolutely help Leonard succeed with the Dolphins. While there’s uncertainty around Tyreek Hill's future with the team, the Dolphins do still have plenty of skill-position talent in guys De’Von Achane, Jaylen Waddle and Jonnu Smith. And Leonard’s dual threat ability adds another dynamic to the Dolphins offense; because of Tagovailoa’s concussion history, he’s even more hesitant to move around and outside the pocket.
If Leonard landed in Miami and got a chance to play, he could be a player that helps elevate the offense better than the current quarterbacks the Dolphins have played outside of Tagovailoa.