At the start of the NFL Draft season, many saw Shedeur Sanders as the clear favorite for the number one overall pick. But in the months since, teams have shifted toward Cam Ward while bashing Shedeur for his film and personality. Now, some are questioning whether he might fall out of the top three picks. NFL insider Trevor Sikkema explained why this is a real possibility.
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Sikkema didn’t hold back when assessing Shedeur’s draft stock, even admitting that he struggled to find anyone who viewed the Colorado Buffaloes star as a surefire first-rounder.
Sure, the insider still believes Shedeur could go in the top three, but he’s not as confident about it as he is about Cam Ward being a top-three pick. In fact, Sikkema even floated the possibility of Shedeur slipping all the way to the 21st pick, where the Steelers could take him. That’s how unpredictable his draft outlook has become.
“I couldn’t really find anyone to speak on Shedeur Sanders’ draft stock without any conviction as a first-round quarterback,” Sikkema stated.
“I think Cam is basically a lock for the top three. There’s no way he’s getting out. I think Shedeur could possibly go in the top three. Maybe to a team like the Browns, who are trying to turn the page at quarterback. Maybe to the Giants… But then I could see him sliding to 21 with the Pittsburgh Steelers.”
It’s a wide range of outcomes for Shedeur. A QB-needy team could take him within the top three, but he could also slide down the board if teams aren’t sold on him. Anything could happen at this point. The only certainty is that teams view Ward as the better of the two.
Jaxson Dart before Shedeur Sanders?
Jaxson Dart has surged up the draft board after an impressive NFL Combine performance, paired with a tape to fawn over from Ole Miss. He possesses a strong arm with the ability to throw to all three levels of the field, like Shedeur. Dart has also shown great pocket presence, playmaking ability, and decision-making skills.
During the interview, Sikkema acknowledged that there’s a scenario where Dart could be drafted ahead of Shedeur. When asked if it was possible, he couldn’t dismiss the idea outright.
“I don’t think it’s impossible. I don’t think it’s likely, but in the sense of hot takes, I do think that you have a chance for this one to be right. Why I say this is because I have no idea where Jaxson Dart is going to go in this upcoming draft. And I know I’m a draft guy, I kind of get paid to have an answer there. Well, I’m sorry, I don’t have one.”
It’s hard to believe that this is how far Shedeur has fallen. Still, he has the opportunity to prove all of the doubters wrong. Aaron Rodgers is another great example of a successful college QB with a lot of hype coming out who slid to the 24th pick. And we all know how that turned out.
However, we’ve also got to recognize Dart and how overlooked he’s been up to this point. In three years at Ole Miss, he tossed over 10,000 passing yards, 72 TDs, and just 22 INTs. Dart also had a 65% completion percentage and threw for 9.5 yards per attempt. All elite numbers for a college QB. Dart could be drafted much closer to Shedeur than many expect.
