Shedeur Sanders apparently isn’t a people pleaser. Everything he has done in the lead-up to the NFL Draft process seems to have upset folks. First, it was a rumored brash attitude during Combine interviews. Then, at his Pro Day, it was patting the ball before he threw passes.
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All the negative talk around Sanders has been exhausting. The guy holds the NCAA record for career completion percentage (71.8%). He helped elevate the Colorado Buffaloes from a 1-11 outfit in 2022 to a 9-4 program in 2024. That sort of turnaround can’t happen without incredible production from the quarterback position.
10-year NFL veteran Nick Ferg knows Sanders is the real deal. To him, anyone suggesting otherwise is letting false narratives or unfounded rumors impact their judgment.
“League evaluators are looking for… guys who can go in a huddle and command that huddle… Shedeur has proven he that can do this… with no running game at all over the past two years. Facts. Over the past two years, 94 total sacks… those are facts. I like to deal in facts, not fiction. When evaluating this particular quarterback, keep that in mind,” he explained on his show.
Ferg believes scouts sometimes over-evaluate polarizing players. This nitpicking can negatively impact said player’s draft stock. Sanders, who used to be considered the likely No. 1 overall pick, perfectly exemplifies Ferg’s claim. Ferg is confident that once Sanders is back on the field, he’ll truly prove he was too intensely dissected.
“Back in the day, there were those who said Blaine Gabbert was more NFL-ready than Cam Newton. We saw how that worked out. Also, former NFL executives said that Lamar Jackson should work out as a receiver. We saw how that worked out.”
Jacksonville drafted Gabbert 10th overall in 2011, nine spots after Carolina took Cam Newton. Newton went on to a have a relatively successful career, whereas Gabbert left Jacksonville as a failed first-round pick. However, it must be noted that Gabbert was never given a realistic chance to succeed by a Jacksonville unit in disarray. Now, Gabbert finds himself on the sidelines as a backup QB for Tampa Bay.
Shedeur Sanders thinks he’s the 2025 NFL Draft’s “No. 1 QB”
At this moment, Cam Ward appears to be a lock for the Tennessee Titans atop the 2025 NFL Draft. It’d be difficult for Sanders to supplant him. The Titans deciding to cancel his private workout for the team after Sanders’s Pro Day indicates they’ve seen everything necessary to make their decision.
The NFL Draft season is full of smoke screens. Perhaps this cancellation is evidence of Sanders proving himself worthy of the selection over Ward. If Sanders were in charge, that’s certainly how things would unfold. Following his Pro Day performance, he reiterated a belief that he should be the first signal-caller off the board.
“I feel like I’m the No. 1 quarterback… [but] I’m not stuck on that, because it’s about the situation. Whatever situation, whatever franchise believes in me and gives me the opportunity, I’m excited to go. So wherever that falls, it don’t really matter.” – Shedeur Sanders, Colorado Pro Day
Assuming Ward does indeed go to Tennessee, there are a number of potential landing spots for Sanders in the top 10. The Cleveland Browns (No. 2 overall), New York Giants (No. 3), Las Vegas Raiders (No. 6), and New Orleans Saints (No. 9) all need a franchise passer. If he slides past the Saints, the Pittsburgh Steelers (No. 21) may try to capitalize and bring him into the fold. We’ll find out when the 2025 NFL Draft commences on Apr. 24.
