For NFL teams in need of a franchise quarterback (such as possibly the Seattle Seahawks), the 2025 draft does not offer much in the way of hope. Miami’s Cam Ward is the consensus top QB available and, under the right circumstances, has the potential to become an upper-tier pro. After Ward, all bets are off.
Opinions differ widely about the next two prospects – Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders and Mississippi’s Jaxson Dart. When all is said and done, I suspect Sanders will go in the top five picks of the draft, and Dart will not make it out of the first round.
When Dart’s ADP (average draft position) was hovering around the third round a few months ago, I thought he’d be an excellent fit in Seattle. But he’s too much of a risk to take in Round One, so he will not figure into the Seahawks’ draft plans.
Cam Miller could be the most Seattle Seahawks-y draft pick ever
Are there other quarterbacks flying under the radar who might be interested in new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, and who could be scooped up much later in the draft?
Well, there are several. The most intriguing is the signal caller who won a national championship last January. No, it is not Ohio State’s big, strong-armed passer Will Howard. Cam Miller piloted the North Dakota State Bison to the FCS championship.
It is too simple to say that Miller is the next Brock Purdy. Purdy has proven to be an ideal performer in the Mike/Kyle Shanahan-style, balanced West Coast offense that Kubiak is likely to run with the Seahawks. By most measurables, Miller and Purdy are virtually clones: they are the same size, speed, and agility.
But until this point in his career, Cam Miller has not proven to have Brock Purdy’s arm. That is crucial, especially considering that Purdy fell into the seventh round of the Draft in 2022 mainly because some scouts doubted his arm. It turns out that Purdy’s arm is just fine.
Miller will also be overlooked because he played against weaker FCS talent. That is indisputable. When combined with concerns about his arm strength, scouts and coaches will have to ask whether he has enough zip to beat NFL corners on deep outs and enough raw power to get the ball downfield in a cold-weather game come December.
Those are the concerns. Now, let’s consider the things we know Cam Miller can do.
Miller started for the Bison for four years and got better each season. For his career, he threw more than 1,000 passes, completing 69 percent. His yards-per-attempt were 8.7. His touchdown-to-interception ratio was better than 4-to-1. He also ran for more than 2,000 yards in his college career, scoring 48 rushing touchdowns.
Those numbers are outstanding, but they are somewhat weighted down by his first few seasons, when he was still maturing as a quarterback. During his final, championship-winning year, Miller had a passer rating of over 180.
Miller has been a consistent winner, from when he took over as the Bison starter as a sophomore in 2021 to his fifth year in 2024. Two national championships. 54 consecutive starts. If we learned anything from the success of Jayden Daniels and Bo Nix in 2024, it is that having a lot of starts in college is the best preparation for life in the NFL.
Seems obvious, yet GMs continue to downplay it because of the lure of potential.
Does Cam Miller have the potential of a player like Will Howard or Jalen Milroe? No. But you have a clearer picture of what you are getting with Miller. He is a quarterback who has proven, albeit at the FCS level, that he can run the exact type of offense Kubiak will install.
Miller can line up in shotgun or under center. He is very effective in play action, which is a big part of Seattle’s offense in the foreseeable future. He makes quick reads and accurate throws. That is a product of his wealth of experience. And though he is not the running threat that Lamar Jackson or Josh Allen is, he has proven to be a good runner in college.
That running ability doesn’t merely translate into rushing yards. Miller makes good decisions about when to take off. He also makes excellent decisions about when to hold the ball, buy extra time by moving in the pocket, and find receivers late in the progression.
Those are all traits that Kubiak should find appealing. Concerns that he played at the FCS level should be mitigated a little bit by the fact that it is North Dakota State—a program as good as or better than many FBS schools. They play good competition, and they have produced NFL-caliber players in the recent past.
Still, the fact is, unless he can add some power to his arm, Miller is not likely to have the success that Purdy has enjoyed. He may profile closer to a tough, smart backup like Taylor Heinicke than a clear starter like Purdy. But that certainly isn’t a bad floor for a quarterback you can probably choose in round seven.
On the other hand, if you want a sign that Cam Miller may have some Brock Purdy magic in him, consider his leading receiver with North Dakota State last year. Bryce Lance had a monster season in 2024, catching 75 balls from Miller for better than 1,000 yards and 17 touchdowns.
You probably remember Bryce’s older brother, Trey, who also played quarterback for the Bison and was drafted by the 49ers one year and 259 spots ahead of Purdy in 2021.
Pure coincidence, of course. Or maybe a sign from the football gods.
