A year after being run out of Ohio State and forced to enter the transfer portal, Kyle McCord reinvigorated the Syracuse football program. He led the Orange to a 10-win season — only their third in the last 30 seasons — while establishing himself as the FBS’ leading passer. Now, we break down where he fits in the 2025 NFL Draft class.
Kyle McCord’s Draft Profile And Measurements
- Height: 6’3″
- Weight: 220
- Position: Quarterback
- School: Syracuse
- Current Year: Senior
McCord’s Scouting Report
McCord was a four-star recruit coming out of St. Joseph’s Preparatory School in Pennsylvania, according to 247Sports and Rivals. He earned the starting role as a sophomore and led St. Joseph’s Prep to three consecutive 6A state championships, winning the final two. Over his high school career, he set city and league records with 6,887 passing yards and 88 touchdown passes, earning a spot on the 2020 MaxPreps All-State team.
McCord committed to Ohio State in December 2020 and enrolled the following month. He spent his first two seasons as the backup to C.J. Stroud, who later became the No. 2 overall pick by the Houston Texans.
As a junior, McCord earned the starting role for the Buckeyes, starting all 12 games, leading Ohio State to an 11-1 record. Their lone loss, however, came against “TTUN.”
After losing to the eventual national champions, it became clear to all involved that a change was imminent at the quarterback position, prompting McCord to enter the transfer portal shortly after the regular-season finale. He committed to Syracuse before Ohio State’s Cotton Bowl loss to Missouri.
In his lone season with the Orange, McCord started all 13 games, lighting up the stat sheet with 4,779 passing yards — an ACC record — along with 34 touchdowns and just 12 interceptions, and five of those interceptions came in a painful loss to Pitt. His performance earned him CSN second-team All-ACC honors behind Miami’s Cam Ward, and he quietly finished 10th in the Heisman Trophy voting.
Strengths
- Demonstrates the ability to take a great pre-snap read and act on it quickly. He understands numbers and leverage and constantly puts his offense in a position to be successful.
- Processes information and works through progressions quickly.
- He can operate from the gun and under center.
- Is a good decision-maker and generally takes care of the football.
- He’s not a true dual-threat quarterback prospect, but he does have a mobile component to his game. He can be effective when operating outside of the pocket and is willing to use his legs if he has to.
- Very effective and accurate when in the short and intermediate range.
- Is clearly comfortable and decisive when playing within rhythm. He’s a timing passer.
- Elite in the quick game and when operating on rhythm.
- Can accurately throw from multiple arm slots.
- Great accuracy. Visibly takes care of his receivers. Throws with touch.
- Comfortable and tough in the pocket. Understands movement and spacing.
- Willing to stick in the pocket and make a throw in the face of pressure. Not scared to get hit.
- Light and quick on his feet, strong base.
- Absolute grinder. He plays with a chip on his shoulder.
Weaknesses
- Needs to develop his deep ball. Lethal in short and intermediate range but getting the ball deep and outside of the numbers is more of a prayer/floater than a precision pass. Will need more gas to be a prolific passer at the next level.
- Doesn’t have the arm strength to overcompensate for poor mechanics or off-platform throws.
- Mechanics aren’t bad but will need to marry his lower and upper body to maximize arm strength.
- Accuracy significantly decreases when off rhythm and/or out of pocket.
- Skill sets could make him scheme-dependent in the NFL.
Current Draft Projection and Summary
McCord is a polished, mature prospect with the potential to win games early in his NFL career, provided he lands in the right system with a strong quarterback coach and a solid supporting cast. He operates with smooth efficiency and a cerebral approach — two highly coveted traits for a quarterback.
He demonstrates a strong understanding of coverages and defensive responsibilities. He consistently makes solid pre-snap reads, quickly identifying mismatches and exploiting them after the snap. His ability to process information quickly enables him to navigate through progressions efficiently, all while taking excellent care of the football.
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The Philadelphia native plays like a point guard, operating seamlessly within the rhythm and timing of the offense. He’s especially accurate at the quick and intermediate levels of the field, making precise throws in tight windows with consistency.
A gutsy and gritty competitor, McCord is a proven winner. Over his four-year collegiate career, he’s played in 37 games, starting 25, and holds a 21-4 record as a starter.
While McCord has a strong track record of success, he needs to continue refining his deep ball to become a prolific passer in the NFL. He excels in the short-to-intermediate range, but his deep ball leaves much to be desired.
When throwing the deep ball, it is too often inaccurate or lacks the power necessary for success in the NFL. It simply takes too long. His passes can lack the necessary power or precision. This could be a mechanical issue, as his lower body often operates half a second ahead of his upper body, which diminishes the power generated from his legs and leaves only the arm to supply the force.
An old adage among NFL scouts is that if he’s done it once he can do it again. McCord has shown the ability to throw deep balls with accuracy, velocity, and solid mechanics, which suggests he could refine the skill further. However, it’s not yet consistent enough to be considered a reliable part of his game, hindering his draft stock.
McCord is mixed into a strong group of mid-round quarterbacks, making his range span as high as the mid-second round to the mid-fifth round.
The Syracuse star is likely to be a product of the system he lands in. While he doesn’t possess overwhelming physical traits or a howitzer for an arm, he has the skills to thrive if placed in the right system. The Sean McVay-Kyle Shanahan offense would be a perfect match as it uses motion and RPOs to manufacture passing lanes and mismatches and utilizes the screen game as an extension of the run game.
McCord’s offense at Syracuse employed a similar approach; not only did he have the best year of his collegiate career, but he also led the FBS in passing yards.
He could be a savvy pickup for a team in need of a mid-round quarterback, but scheme fit will be vital for the success of both.
