Kyle McCord NFL Draft 2025 profile: Full scouting report, pro comparison, landing spots, future outlook, more

Right when the Philadelphia Eagles started on their journey to a 12-4 season and an eventual NFC title-game loss to Tampa Bay, Kyle McCord was born in Mount Laurel, New Jersey. It wasn’t long after that when McCord discovered football and, like his father Derek, learned how to play quarterback. 

Drawing attention as early as his middle school days (he was recruited all the way back then by then-Temple assistant coach Fran Brown), McCord attended St. Joseph’s Prep School alongside Marvin Harrison Jr., where the two were part of the school’s three consecutive PIAA Class 6A football championships with McCord starting the last two title games. Not surprisingly, McCord was a five-star prospect, according to 247Sports.

McCord’s accelerated path to college saw him commit to Ohio State as a high school sophomore, opting to go with teammate Harrison. But unlike Harrison, McCord barely played his first two years; he actually lost his chance to redshirt a year because he played five games as a freshman, including mop-up duty in a blowout. 

He took over in 2023, Harrison’s last year with the school, and while Harrison had outstanding numbers, McCord did not. The Buckeyes went 11-2 but were out of national title contention, and before their bowl game against Mizzou, McCord announced he was transferring to Syracuse because he had failed to receive assurances he would start in 2024, his final year of eligibility. He later called it a “business decision.”

McCord’s coach at Syracuse? Fran Brown, who was one of three coaches on the staff whom McCord had a relationship with (offensive coordinator Jeff Nixon, who worked with the Eagles at one point, had known the QB since he was a child). In 2024, McCord led the Orange to a 10-3 record and threw for 4,779 yards to lead the FBS. He attempted 592 passes, completed 391 of them and had 12 interceptions, all of which led all QBs in Power-4 conferences. 

Kyle McCord NFL Draft profile

• Age as of Week 1: 22 (23 by Week 2)
• Height: 6-foot-3
• Weight: 218
• Hand size: 9 ½
• Comparable body-type to: Mac Jones

CBS prospect ranking

Position: No. 5 QB | Overall: No. 105 overall

Consensus big board ranking (via NFL Mock Draft Database): No. 145 (No. 9 QB)

To check out all of CBSSports.com’s most recent mock drafts, click here.

NFL comparison: Mac Jones

With a bulky body, good accuracy, solid fundamentals and next to nothing as a runner, McCord is a lot like Mac Jones was and still is. Questions about arm strength apply to both gentlemen, but no one could question either’s short or intermediate accuracy as prospects coming out of college. It is realistic to believe that McCord might take more chances than Jones did, and McCord’s mechanics could be a shade better. But it doesn’t mean McCord will be on a similar trajectory than Jones — in fact, it’s more likely McCord will begin his career as a backup with hopes of starting, which is the opposite of how Jones’ career went. 

NFL landing spots

By Garrett Podell

• Miami Dolphins: The Dolphins have some high level offensive pieces in former All-Pro wide receiver Tyreek Hill, former first-round receiver Jaylen Waddle and running back De’Von Achane. However, they desperately need more durability and big plays from the quarterback position. McCord could develop under Mike McDaniel’s guidance from the sidelines in 2025, and then there’s a chance he could replace Tua Tagovailoa as the Dolphins’ starting quarterback in 2026 or 2027.
• New Orleans Saints: The Saints are cuffed to Derek Carr for his age-34 season. However, his contract runs out of guaranteed money in 2026, the last season of his four-year, $150 million contract. Releasing Carr after the upcoming season could save New Orleans $32.8 million in cap space. Carr and the Saints are together for better or worse this year, but they could pave the way for McCord in 2026 with Carr’s cap hit set to balloon to $61.5 million.
• Los Angeles Rams: McCord could learn behind veteran Matthew Stafford and under Sean McVay, who many believe is the league’s best when it comes to scheme innovation. Throwing to Pro Bowl wide receivers Puka Nacua and newly acquired Davante Adams would also make this destination a sensible one.

Kyle McCord NFL Draft landing spots: Ranking five best fits for 2024 season’s leading passer

Garrett Podell

Kyle McCord scouting report

Accolades

• 2024 (at Syracuse): Holiday Bowl MVP (453 yards passing and five touchdowns)
• 2024 (at Syracuse): Set ACC single-season passing yards record (4,779)
• 2024 (at Syracuse): Set single-season school records in completions (391), attempts (592), touchdown passes (34), total offense (4,714), total offense per game (362.6) and touchdowns responsible for (37)
• 2023 (at Ohio State): Third-team All-Big Ten

Strengths

• Wide upper body with excellent base, poise and body control. Typically threw with release point at or above his shoulder but didn’t lose much accuracy when he had to change his arm angle due to pressure or when he launched the ball.
• Didn’t fret much and pretty regularly kept eyes downfield when pressured in the pocket or on the move. There wasn’t much panic with him.
• Very few full-field progressions on film, and honestly not a ton of second reads, but McCord did show an understanding of knowing where to throw when a blitz was coming or when a defender faded back in coverage. Clearly able to identify defenders’ basic movements post-snap and throw accordingly. He didn’t make a lot of BAD reads, which is good. There’s hope for him to become an advanced field scanner.
• His best trait was his ball placement, as he would consistently throw a catchable ball but also be savvy enough to rarely put his receivers into dangerous collisions. Less frequently tried tight-window throws but was probably confident enough in his placement to give them a shot when necessary. Was especially good putting up moon balls down the sidelines for his receivers to compete for. McCord was good here even when his throwing motion changed.
• Was much more of a spot thrower than an anticipatory thrower, but McCord is capable of throwing to spaces.
• Had enough in his arm to reach the sideline on throws from the far hash.
• Did enough to take care of the ball, be it checking down when pressure was on, throwing it away when a play went awry or not throwing into double coverage over and over. I wouldn’t expect many bonehead turnovers.
• Does not have an extensive injury history: Missed four games as a junior in high school, then played through a left ankle injury toward the end of 2023 at Ohio State. 

Concerns

• Slower windup and release than others in the draft class. It’ll take a lot for McCord to make his throwing motion more compact; until he does, there will be higher chances of savvy defensive backs intercepting his passes.
• Struggled to consistently diagnose pressure. Would lack composure and have his mechanics break down when pressured. It didn’t always lead to trouble but might on Sundays.
• Sometimes would hold the ball too long and pass up easy throws with the hopes of completing bigger passes. Would often stare down one receiver while holding, making it pretty obvious to the defense where the ball was going. Would lead to him being late on throws or dealing with pressure and scrambling to make a play.
• Majority of McCord’s throws were one-read or half-field reads, suggesting at minimum some growing pains for him adjusting to the pro game. As stated earlier, there were rare but quality examples of McCord knowing how to react to a blitz or a defender moving otherwise post-snap, so there’s potential for him to get better. Coaches shouldn’t expect it in his first year or two. 
• Didn’t consistently have the pro-level zip on his throws. It’s not to say he didn’t have acceptable velocity but it wasn’t consistently good or bad. A number of his interceptions and near interceptions were on passes that lacked RPMs. Coaches will have to accept this.
• Perhaps McCord’s biggest concern is a lack of power on his throws. He could drive the ball downfield but was much more of a lofter than a slinger and his passes would hang in the air. It frequently led to his receivers having to stop and/or change directions in their routes as well as adjust, leap and fight for the ball. Per Tru Media, McCord’s farthest throw in his past two seasons was 49 air yards, and he had just 14 pass attempts travel 40-plus air yards (8 of 14 on those throws).
• Best games came against inferior competition with weak pass rushes. Struggled in the Big Ten with Ohio State in 2023 before transferring to Syracuse and the ACC in 2024. Owned a 4.2% TD rate and 2.6% INT rate in seven career games against AP-ranked teams last year (7.2% TD rate and 1.6% INT rate in games against non-ranked teams).
• Was willing to run if necessary but was far from athletic when on the move. Average speed with zero elusiveness will make him an easy target when he takes off.
• Decided to transfer from Ohio State and committed to Syracuse before the Buckeyes’ 2023 season bowl game against Missouri, reportedly because he didn’t receive assurances from his coaches that he would be their starter in 2024. There was also a report that Syracuse offered him more money to play than Ohio State did. Is this an example of what kind of teammate McCord might be?

Bottom line

Even in a draft class with imperfect quarterback prospects, McCord figures to be drafted as a backup with potential to become a starter. Coaches will like his accuracy and poise, but a lack of arm strength along with questions about how well he can process pro-style defenses will keep him down. He’s not as athletic as guys like Shedeur Sanders or Jaxson Dart, both of whom also have questions about their ability to read defenses, but if they can learn it they’ll easily be better players than McCord. Ultimately, one team will fall for McCord’s solid traits and convince themselves he can be a backup now and a possible starter later. 

What other draft experts say about Kyle McCord

Josh Edwards: McCord is a fiery competitor who will do whatever is necessary to win. The Ohio State transfer throws with touch and accuracy, but is most effective working the short to intermediate portions of the field. His approach to the game and personality will likely lead him to become a long-time backup with the capability of providing the occasional start.

Chris Trapasso: McCord is a reasonably strong-armed, pocket-only passer with minimal mobility or improvisational skill. He plays with “QB amnesia,” meaning he’s unfazed by mistakes and is always willing to take the next shot — although it sometimes leads to overly aggressive decisions. His arm is a plus but not elite, but he throws with anticipation at all levels and has solid accuracy. His mechanics falter under pressure and his feet are on the heavier side, but he does step into the pocket naturally and has shown competent pocket movement. While he can progress through reads, he tends to linger on his first option too long. His ability to handle pressure is still a work in progress. With a strong offensive line, he can be an aggressive, confident passer capable of stretching the field and keeping an offense in attack mode.

NFL Draft 2025: Kyle McCord shines at Syracuse Pro Day, has he solidified his status as a Day 2 pick?

Ryan Wilson

Kyle McCord college stats

Kyle McCord 247Sports profile

High school: St. Joseph’s (Philadelphia)
Class: 2021
Composite rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (97)

• Overall: 49 | QB: 8 | PA: 3

High school accolades

• Career: Philadelphia Catholic League records for passing yards (6,887) and touchdown passes (88)
• 2020: High School Football America/National High School Coaches Association National Player of the Year
• 2020: MaxPreps Pennsylvania High School Football Player of the Year (read more)
• 2020: Pennsylvania state Gatorade Player of the Year
• 2018: School-record 2,883 passing yards

Check out Kyle McCord’s full 247Sports profile, here. For his MaxPreps profile, click here. 

The 2025 NFL Draft is to take place from April 24-26 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. More draft coverage can be found at CBSSports.com, including the weekly mock drafts and a regularly available look at the eligible prospects.