Inside Quinn Ewers' draft and post-slide motivation

Quinn Ewers was in pain.

He could not eat very much, if at all. He could hardly smile. And very little of it had to do with where he went in the NFL draft: Round 7 -- No. 231 of 257 picks -- to the Miami Dolphins.

The week before the draft, Ewers, the former Texas quarterback, had four wisdom teeth extracted. One left an exposed nerve that had him hurting.

When the draft began, Ewers figured he would not be among the first 32 selections, but Round 2 was a possibility. His agent, Ron Slavin, felt almost assured Ewers would be picked before the last round.

Whether it was because of concerns about arm strength, mobility or previous injuries, 12 quarterbacks were selected before Ewers, who led the SEC with 31 touchdown passes in 2024 (despite missing two games) and led the Longhorns to the College Football Playoff semifinals two straight years.

Shedeur Sanders' slide from possible first-rounder to the 144th pick in the fifth overshadowed Ewers' disappointing fall.

"I just didn't know what was going on," Ewers, 22, told ESPN two days after the draft, during a break from his workouts at MARR STRENGTH in Southlake, Texas. "But, I mean, it was nice [to get drafted], because at one point I'm like, 'I'm not even going to get drafted. I'm going to go undrafted.'

"It was very unexpected, and I think that the toughest part about it is just the amount of unexpected occurrences there were. But I'm glad that I ended up where I ended up. To go as late as I did, I'm glad it's a good spot."

ESPN followed Ewers throughout his draft process, from pre-combine work at Southlake Carroll high school to the NFL draft combine in Indianapolis to Texas' pro day in Austin to predraft visits with the Las Vegas Raiders and Indianapolis Colts and, finally, to draft weekend in Lake Bridgeport, Texas.

This is his journey from high predraft expectations through his long wait to be selected in the seventh round -- and the opportunity that lies ahead for him with the Dolphins.

Late January: Getting healthy

Tucked into a string of office buildings just off State Highway 114 in Southlake, Texas, is MARR STRENGTH. On the walls are jerseys worn by baseball and football players trained by Chad Marr over the years. One is a Ewers No. 3 Texas jersey.

Marr has worked with Ewers since the quarterback was at Ohio State in 2021 before he transferred to Texas, but this was the first time they spent this much time training together -- five days a week, two hours a day.

When Ewers arrived at MARR, he weighed only 200 pounds. He was worn down from a long season and unable to train properly because of two oblique tears and a high ankle sprain suffered during the season.

"Communication is a big thing when guys come out [of college]," Marr said. "You need to give them a sense of direction.

"It's a long year for them, and it's like they're in a situation where their whole life is managed. They need to decompress a little bit."

The optimization program designed by Marr was to add weight to Ewers' frame but not make him bulky. Different days called for specific areas of work. One day targeted his back muscles. The next was an upper-body workout. Another day would be Marr's proprietary BoxMatrix workout that deals with hip and spine mobility.

The plan was to develop functional strength with exercises done on different platforms and angles using counterbalances to unlock different parts of the body.

"I have him explain these things to me in more of English than whatever he talks," Ewers laughed. "No, it's cool to get to hear about how our body is truly put together."

At the combine, Ewers weighed in at 214 pounds. Marr said Ewers can easily carry 225 pounds on his 6-foot-2 frame.

"Just in four weeks, he put on, I want to say, 14, 15 pounds, and 11 pounds of that was muscle," Marr said before the combine. "He did really well, but what that shows you is that it's there. The capacity is there. He just needed the room to do it."

Mid-February: On-field combine prep

The week before Ewers left for the combine in Indianapolis, he spent a few days in a familiar setting: Southlake Carroll's indoor facility.

He starred there -- going to the Class 6A Division 1 state championship game his junior year -- before leaving for Ohio State.

On this day in February, under the watchful eye of Throw It Deep quarterbacks coach Jeff Christensen, he threw passes for an hour to former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Terrance Williams, New York Giants running back Dante Miller, Carolina Panthers cornerback Akayleb Evans and Southlake Carroll junior receiver Brock Boyd, a national recruit in the Class of 2026.

"This is where it all started," Ewers said.

Since January, when the Longhorns lost to his former Buckeyes team in the CFP semis, Ewers had spent more time working on his body than throwing passes, but he settled in quickly.

During two throwing sessions the week before the combine, he ripped passes near and far, showing no effects from the oblique injuries. With a healthy ankle, he was on his toes more. Christensen liked what he saw.

"It's just natural to him," Christensen said.

Ewers left for Indianapolis feeling confident.

"What I did at Texas is very important. I have a lot of experience on the football field, which is something you can't really coach," Ewers said. "But now, going through the interview process and whatnot, it's like any job interview. You're going in trying to prove why they should hire you."

Late February/early March: Combine week

After dinner at the famed St. Elmo Steak House in Indianapolis, Ewers walked over to the Omni Hotel. On the second floor, he was immediately fitted with a microphone for a sit-down interview to launch a new set of Panini America trading cards. From there was a stop in the Under Armour suite, where he was given some cleats, tennis shoes, slides and all kinds of gear.

But it was the presentation by Cognilize, a German reality software company, that most enthused Ewers. Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels credited the technology for his development at LSU. Ewers donned a virtual reality mask and was transported onto a football field. For the next 15 to 20 minutes, Ewers was transfixed.

He simulated dropbacks and threw passes -- all virtually -- in a program designed to give players more reps than a practice would allow and without the physical toll it takes on the body.

"I just got sacked, didn't I?" Ewers said after the defense was sped up.

Earlier in the day, Ewers went through medical examinations that lasted six hours.

The day before, Ewers had interviews with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, New York Jets, New Orleans Saints, Pittsburgh Steelers, Raiders and Colts. He had informal meetings with other teams that night, too.

"Each year, he's made a big jump in his development, and that's what's been pretty cool," said a scout from a team that interviewed him at the combine. "He was immature. Didn't really know the offense his freshman year [at Ohio State]. I don't think he was real endearing a couple years ago.

"But he lost weight, got in shape, got on a diet, cut his hair, showed he can be a leader. There's been really good growth. And he knows it, and he can articulate all that."

If anyone questions Ewers' leadership, they can ask his Texas teammates what they think.

"His grit and determination. He's a leader on and off the field for us," said wide receiver Matthew Golden, who was selected No. 23 in Round 1 by the Green Bay Packers. "Whenever Quinn talks, we listen."

Ewers believes he aced the combine tests and credits Slavin, whom he has known since he was in high school.

"With preparation comes confidence, right?" Ewers said. "I don't want to say I was overprepared, but I was prepared a lot. I think I did a really good job with the whole process and look forward to seeing how it ends up affecting everything that happens in the future."

On Feb. 28, he met the media, first a group session and then individual interviews with SiriusXM and other broadcast partners.

The next day, he put his arm on display.

"Man, I've been spinning it, so I feel good about putting on a show here," Ewers said.

Lucas Oil Stadium was relatively quiet March 1 as fans watched players run 40-yard dashes. Ewers was not there to work out. He only threw.

"Quinn said before he walked in here, 'This is what I do,'" Slavin said. "You watch some guys throw, and it's all effort and exerting all of their strength to throw the ball. With Quinn, it's a click of the wrist and the ball goes 40 yards."

Ewers displayed accuracy, touch and power on his 22 throws of all different types.

"He's got a real quick stroke, real effortless. The ball comes out fast," one NFC personnel director said. "I think the game tape says he's really good with the intermediate and short stuff, and that kind of showed with the velocity and accuracy. He can layer the ball. Doesn't have the biggest arm, but it's more than good enough for sure."

Ewers left Indianapolis pleased.

"I think I did a good job of showing teams who I am as a person and what I can be as a player," he said. "Now it's just trying to get these guys to start to believe in me."

But he was not ready to think about which team would select him or liked him best.

"The uncertainty right now is unreal," Ewers said, "because you don't know if some of these teams are just pump-faking you to play chess with other teams, or if they really like you."

March 25: Pro day

On March 24, the day before Texas' pro day, Ewers had a late afternoon meeting in Austin, Texas, with the Steelers, including coach Mike Tomlin. That night, he had dinner at Perry's Steakhouse in downtown Austin with the Saints' contingent.

He sat between the Saints' new coach Kellen Moore and offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier for a couple of hours, enjoying a steak and talking football.

Last summer, he was roommates with Nussmeier's son, Garrett, the LSU quarterback, at the Manning Passing Academy.

"It's a small world," Ewers said. "It was good to make those connections. It was fun to get to know them, ask them questions, and them asking me questions."

It was a different experience than the combine and 18-minute formal interviews in Indianapolis.

"It's definitely more laid-back," he said after the combine. "Maybe that's because of the way I look at it now. The energy is going to be different at the combine because it's the first time going through it. ... I just felt like I was able to be me around all those guys and show who I am."

Late in the morning on March 25, Ewers was back inside Texas' indoor practice facility. He cheered on teammates as they bench-pressed 225 pounds and did vertical jumps.

His time to shine came about two hours after the session featuring 21 Longhorns began.

Every team was represented, and attendees included head coaches Moore, Mike Vrabel of the New England Patriots, Aaron Glenn of the Jets and Ben Johnson of the Chicago Bears. At least six more general managers were on hand.

"For a guy like him," said one AFC personnel chief, "it's going to matter where he goes. It's like that for every quarterback, really. But he throws a catchable ball. He's accurate. There's a lot to like."

Some concerns about his NFL upside remained.

"The durability and size, he's been banged up a little bit, so that'll come up," one NFC scout said. "Yeah, he can make all the throws, but there's going to be questions about his deep ball. You probably want to see a little more there."

Ewers and his skill players met before the pro day to make a plan during their first session together since Texas' loss to Ohio State at the Cotton Bowl.

"You don't go into the last game we're playing thinking it's the last time we're going to be together," Ewers said. "It all ended abruptly for us, so to get together and see all the hard work since then come to fruition was really cool."

Over the next 20 minutes, Ewers ran the show, not a quarterback coach or an assistant. Everybody knew the script. He was warning those on the sidelines to be aware when he was about to throw an out route. He had the coaches back up when he was rolling left or right so he had more space.

"It was going to be my deal from the jump," Ewers said. "I wanted to run it, show that I'm the leader and the receivers look to me for that leadership. Just wanted to show the presence that I bring and the command to whatever team I'm going to. At the end of the day, it was my day, the receivers' day. It's what we wanted."

Ewers completed 30 of his first 33 passes. The three incompletions came on dropped passes. Every pass was on the money, from the slants to the shallow crosses to the deep overs.

"Good ball, three!" a former teammate yelled from the bleachers after a stutter-go deep downfield to Golden.

Late in the session, a couple of the deep balls wobbled too much for Ewers' liking, but the session was almost on fast-forward.

He ended up 50-of-59 with four drops and five throws that were off target.

"That was as good a throwing session as I've seen," one NFC scout said.

"He had more power on his intermediate throws than I thought he would," said an AFC personnel chief. "The deep balls fluttered a little bit, but he can make all the throws."

That night, Ewers was scheduled to meet with the Dolphins, but he got a stomach virus, which postponed a trip to Tampa to film a segment for Jon Gruden's "QB Camp" on Barstool Sports.

April: Predraft visits

On April 3, Ewers made the quick drive to The Star at the Cowboys' world headquarters.

It was "Dallas Day," the Cowboys' term for their workouts of local players prior to the draft from area high schools and colleges. Ewers did not work out, but he met with the staff and coaches, and had a 90-minute meeting with owner and general manager Jerry Jones.

"That was cool, just sitting in there talking with him," Ewers said.

Ewers grew up a Cowboys fan, but the chances of him getting selected by the team took a hit after the Cowboys made a trade that day to acquire Joe Milton III from the Patriots.

"Being from Southlake, right down the road, getting to talk to all these guys on staff, the coaches, the head coach, Mr. Jones, it was really unbelievable," Ewers said. "It's been my team growing up, so I don't know if it's really sunk in yet."

The visits meant the draft process was starting to come to an end.

Before Ewers went to Las Vegas to meet with the Raiders, he had an important weekend on hand. He was co-best man with Texas tight end Gunnar Helm at the wedding of his Longhorns left guard, Hayden Conner.

"I've got to think of a speech," he said.

After his visit with the Raiders, he flew to Indianapolis to meet with the Colts. Other teams checked in via video chats.

"Just [told] him to be himself," Slavin said of his advice to Ewers for those meetings.

In between dinners and meetings, Ewers still found time to work out. Marr sent him a series of exercises to go through at a local gym or even his hotel room.

The visits to Las Vegas and Indianapolis crystallized what was about to happen in a few weeks at the draft in Green Bay, Wisconsin. He started to picture the places he saw as a potential home for the next four years.

"Man, it's hard, but we're human beings," Ewers said. "They're bringing you in on a top-30 visit or you're meeting with people on Zoom, and you start to narrow it down.

"But still, at the end of the day, I've got no clue until I get the call on draft day. I don't want to get too excited about a place."

For Slavin, who represented five other draft prospects, the process with Ewers has been personal. He first met the quarterback when Ewers was a sophomore in high school and helped him navigate the path that led him to Ohio State and, ultimately, back to Texas.

When Slavin started, the relationship between agents and players largely didn't begin until their junior year in college. He has grown close to the Ewers family, so the criticism Ewers received from those who felt he didn't meet their expectations at Texas and the championing of 2023 No. 1 recruit Arch Manning, who will start in the fall, stung.

He knew teams would not give him their entire picture because they didn't want him to share their thoughts with other teams.

"It's personal, but it's more nerve-racking because you don't want to let anybody down," Slavin said. "Do I regret maybe not having him sit a couple weeks with the oblique or get him more healthy? Sure. But Quinn didn't want to miss any games. His goal from the beginning was to win a national championship for Texas.

"So you go through this [draft] process and you say, 'He's shown toughness and resiliency,' but how much do teams really take that into consideration? If you're talking toughness and resilience, he's the first pick in this draft, the next year and the following year for what he endured at Texas."

April 24-26: NFL draft

Lake Bridgeport is about a two-hour drive from Southlake. A family friend's house and party barn in Chico, Texas, would become Ewers' home for the three days of the NFL draft.

The setup became something of a legend on social media with taxidermy mounts of all kinds of animals in the background. Ewers was able to land a bison that Friday during a hunt that took his mind away from football.

On Day 2 of the draft (Rounds 2 and 3), 65 family members and friends, including his parents, sister and girlfriend, were on hand. Hutchins Barbecue catered the evening. The Texas Twinkies, large jalapenos stuffed with brisket and cream cheese and wrapped in bacon, were a hit.

In the first round, quarterback Cam Ward went No. 1 to the Titans. Later, the Giants traded back into the first round to take the second QB, Jaxson Dart, with the 25th pick.

"The mindset [on Day 2] was Saints or Seahawks," Slavin said. "And we knew that if [Tyler Shough] went to the Browns at 33, Quinn's in play at 40 with the Saints. And then if [Jalen] Milroe went to the Raiders, Quinn's in play at 92 with [Seattle]."

Shough did not go to the Browns. The Saints took him at No. 40 in Round 2. Milroe didn't go to the Raiders. He went to Seattle at No. 92.

So Ewers had to wait. It became excruciating.

Dillon Gabriel to the Browns in Round 3. Sanders to the Browns in Round 5. In Round 6, five more quarterbacks went: Kyle McCord (Eagles), Will Howard (Steelers), Riley Leonard (Colts), Graham Mertz (Texans) and Cam Miller (Raiders). Technically, a sixth was picked, but the Raiders are moving Montana State's Tommy Mellott to receiver.

"The Raiders took two FCS guys above me, so ...," Ewers said. "We'll see what happens."

Slavin called the scenario a "nightmare."

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3:07

Fourth-and-13: Ewers relives the play that sparked CFP semifinal berth

Quinn Ewers breaks down how he won the CFP quarterfinal game vs. Arizona State with a game-saving touchdown from fourth-and-13 and why this semifinal game is a full circle moment.

As the picks went by, one thought never entered Ewers' mind: regretting not going back to college where he could have made more money with NIL by transferring to another school. He said at the combine he wanted his legacy to be as a Texas quarterback.

"I wanted to continue on my career path, and I know I'm ready for the NFL," Ewers said. "I think my game fits the NFL better than it does in college, honestly. I'm ready for the next step."

Slavin said, logistically, entering the portal to find another school was "nearly impossible" because of the timing.

"You can ask those questions, but the reality of it is the way the portal schedule is set, it was not possible for Quinn because he didn't want to be talked to about the portal," Slavin said. "When they beat Arizona State on Jan. 1, the next game was Jan 10.

"If he was going to commit to Miami or Notre Dame, he's going to do that while his team's got a playoff game in a week? And his teammates are going to look at him like, 'You're going to another school if we lose?' You can't do that."

Had the Longhorns lost to Arizona State, maybe entering the portal would have been an option, according to Slavin, but they won on Ewers' signature moment -- a fourth-and-13 touchdown pass to Golden in the first overtime and a touchdown pass in double overtime.

After the loss to Ohio State in the semifinal, the last thing Ewers wanted to discuss was a transfer.

"He wanted to win a national championship," Slavin said. "He wanted to leave a legacy at Texas. Now it's supposed to be, 'Do you want to talk about going to another school?' To be able to flip your mind like that ... plus the schools needed an answer on Jan. 1. They needed to know who their guy was going to be."

Before the seventh round, Slavin was communicating with two teams.

"At that point, it's getting him to the best place, so it was Cowboys and Dolphins," Slavin said.

In Round 7, the San Francisco 49ers took Kurtis Rourke, who is coming off a torn right ACL, at No. 227.

That life-changing call📱 @QuinnEwers x @MiamiDolphins pic.twitter.com/7YlOkR6SEY

Finally, Slavin got a text back from the Dolphins that they were going to select Ewers. The moment of seeing his name flash on the television screen that he dreamed about as a kid had arrived.

"Maybe not as excited, but it's the same opportunity that every guy that was drafted in front of me is getting," Ewers said.

The day after the draft, Slavin said he reached out to "half the league" to find out what happened.

"They thought he was a third- or fourth-round pick, but too big of a name to be a clipboard holder," Slavin said. "Which I think is chickens---."

Said one personnel chief, "There's only so many reps to go around for young quarterbacks. You can justify it at other positions, but if you can't get a quarterback the amount of work to develop him, then you're almost wasting a pick."

But Ewers now has the opportunity he always wanted.

When he grew up throwing passes in the backyard to his father, Curtis, dreaming of being an NFL quarterback, it was not tied to being the top pick in the draft.

His mother, Kristen, would ask him what he wanted to be when he grew up.

"And Quinn's answer was always, 'I want to play in the NFL,'" she remarked earlier in the draft process. "I would say, 'OK, but what's your Plan B?' He'd say there isn't a Plan B. So getting to see him live that out is a joy. Truly."

Now, for the first time in his football life, Ewers is an underdog.

During his meeting with Jones, the Cowboys owner compared Ewers' situation to Tom Brady's at Michigan, when he had to deal with the hype surrounding wunderkind Drew Henson, with whom Brady had to split playing time as a senior. Brady was a sixth-round pick of the New England Patriots in 2000 and went on to win seven Super Bowls.

Nobody is making that promise for Ewers, who next week heads to Miami Gardens for the Dolphins' rookie minicamp.

The pain from his wisdom teeth will subside.

The pain from the draft will linger.

"It's definitely a lot of motivation that comes with it, especially just being the last [quarterback] drafted," Ewers said. "I still have the high expectations for myself, but just from the outside looking in, this is the first time in my life to not have that much expectation. There's definitely motivation and fuel. A lot of it."