Shedeur Sanders’ draft stock has fallen to such an extent that the odds now favor him joining the New Orleans Saints as the ninth overall pick. It seems the teams at the top of the draft order are too scared of the variables Shedeur comes with.
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After the college football season, many believed the Buffs alum would be the first overall pick, going to the Tennessee Titans. However, doubts about his personality and potential ceiling gathered steam during the scouting process. These factors have affected his stock so much that Shedeur is now projected to go anywhere from the second overall pick to the 27th.
It wouldn’t be a surprise that the Saints go for him, especially since Derek Carr has been battling injuries after joining them in 2023. Carr also costs a ton of money, while Shedeur hardly missed any games during his college career and would cost much less. He would also provide more excitement than Carr, or so believes Saints legend Drew Brees. But does Brees want the team to pick Shedeur?
Earlier this year, the former Super Bowl champion had said the Saints should consider drafting Shedeur if he falls to them.
“He gets to you, and it’s like, ‘Okay, we had our eye on somebody because that was maybe a need, but all of a sudden this great player is available, especially at the quarterback position’. I think everyone recognizes you have to have a top-flight quarterback in order to have a chance to really win and make a run at it,” said Brees, who played for the Saints from 2006 to his retirement in 2020.
To be a contender in the NFL, teams need a top-flight quarterback. A prime example of this is the contenders in the NFC and AFC championship games last season. The matchups featured: Jalen Hurts vs. Jayden Daniels and Patrick Mahomes vs. Josh Allen, the best quarterbacks in the business.
Brees, who once called Shedeur “a heck of a football player”, also thinks the young QB would be NFL-ready because of his father’s mentoring.
“Having Deion Sanders as his coach and mentor means he will be ready to take on the responsibility of being a starter and make an immediate impact in the NFL,” he said.
Shedeur indeed has an advantage thanks to his father. Deion has prepared his son mentally for the pressures that come with being a star NFL athlete. He has already proven to be charismatic in the interviews he’s given so far.
However, if the Saints are considering Shedeur, they would have compared him with their legendary QB.
Shedeur vs. Brees
Shedeur and Brees followed a similar collegiate trajectory. Both were four-year quarterbacks who played through their senior seasons. The two also dominated their respective conferences. Furthermore, both played in the Alamo Bowl during their college careers.
Playing for the Purdue Boilermakers from 1997-2000, Brees averaged 314 passing yards per game, threw for over 10,000 yards, and 81 touchdowns. He routinely led the Big Ten in each of the categories. Brees was selected 32nd overall by the San Diego Chargers in 2001.
During his time at Colorado, Shedeur averaged 306 passing yards per game, threw for over 7000 yards, and tossed 64 touchdowns in just two seasons. He led the BIG 12 in almost every major statistical passing category. Shedeur also holds the FBS career record with a career passing percentage of 71.8%.
All of this is to say that Shedeur could very well turn into the next Brees. The two played a ton in college and had success too. And Brees was an overlooked prospect with a lot of experience, like Shedeur, in some ways.
We all know that Brees went on to be one of the greatest quarterbacks the NFL ever saw. It’ll be interesting to see how Shedeur’s career takes shape regardless of which team eventually drafts him.
