Will Shedeur Sanders be a top 10 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft? One month ago, this would have been a foolish question. Sanders spent much of the 2024 collegiate campaign as the favorite to be the No. 1 overall pick. Even as Cam Ward overtook him for that honor, he was still seen as a lock for an early selection. Now, some analysts project he’ll slip to the back half of the first round.
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In the end, quarterback prospects almost always work their way up the draft board. Because of this phenomenon, Sanders doesn’t seem to have much cause for concern at this moment. However, if his evaluations follow along Will Levis’ or Geno Smith’s trajectories, he could fall to the second round. But is this likely to occur?
Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer thinks it could. On The Rich Eisen Show, Breer told Eisen he hasn’t received positive takeaways on Sanders’ tape from people in the industry.
“Shedeur [Sanders] feels to me a little bit more like Bo Nix. I haven’t been able to find very many people that think he’s a first rounder… I would have said the exact same thing a day before the draft about Bo Nix.”
Neither Michael Penix Jr. nor Nix were considered first-round locks throughout last year’s scouting process. But when the 2024 NFL Draft arrived, they went No. 8 overall and No. 12 overall, respectively. As a result, Sanders should feel confident he’ll hear his name called on day one this April. It just may be later than he initially believed.
Who could select Shedeur Sanders in the 2025 NFL Draft?
Shedeur Sanders has been tied to the New York Giants more than any other franchise. And despite the many rumors around him, many analysts are confident he’ll head to Big Blue at No. 3 overall. That is where he’s most commonly projected to be selected, per nflmockdraftdatabase.com.
Beyond the Big Apple, Sanders has been most commonly mocked to the Pittsburgh Steelers (No. 21 overall). Pittsburgh, a playoff team in 2024, recently added wide receiver D.K. Metcalf to its roster via trade. He, George Pickens and Pat Freiermuth are a quality group of weapons. But right now, the Steelers have no quarterback other than Mason Rudolph.
Rudolph helped Pittsburgh sneak into the 2023 postseason, but doesn’t offer the upside necessary to compete for a Super Bowl berth. He’s not going to beat the likes of Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson in succession during the playoffs. And if merely making the postseason was good enough in the Steel City, Mike Tomlin wouldn’t be under pressure to do more next season.
Unless Aaron Rodgers or Russell Wilson performs at prime levels, the Steelers won’t be contending again in 2025. It’d make sense for them to draft someone with franchise quarterback potential. Even if Sanders slides to them at No. 21 overall, he fits that bill much better than Kenny Pickett did.
Outside of Pittsburgh, there are no clear fits for Sanders to play right away. However, a team could treat him like the Atlanta Falcons did Penix Jr. If any were to do so, the New Orleans Saints and Los Angeles Rams stand out as candidates. The Rams are in a win-now mode, though, and utilizing a first-round pick on a quarterback wouldn’t align with that short-term vision.
