There has been very little consensus regarding which quarterback prospect is the best in the 2025 NFL Draft, and one longtime reporter says the uncertainty surrounding one particular player is almost unprecedented.
During a Monday appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show,” Ian Rapoport of NFL Media was asked if he believes three quarterbacks — Cam Ward, Shedeur Sanders and Jaxson Dart — could potentially be taken within the first 15 picks of the upcoming draft. While Rapoport thinks that is possible, he said he has “absolutely no idea” where Sanders will land.
“Where Shedeur Sanders goes is the biggest draft question mark that I can remember in a very, very long time,” Rapoport said. “And I know that Coach Prime — who we love, my former colleague, great dude, done an incredible job at Colorado — has talked about the haters. I don’t know that it’s haters, but people have a lot of questions because (Shedeur) is, for sure, talented. He has put two programs on his actual back and led them back to national prominence. What he did at Colorado was awesome. What he did at Jackson State is unbelievable. He is a rockstar, but it’s not a slam-dunk No. 1 overall selection like I think a lot of people think Cam Ward is.
Ian Rapoport at the Super Bowl
Feb 8, 2023; Phoenix, AZ, USA; NFL Network analyst Ian Rapoport on radio row at the media center at the Phoenix Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
“Could Shedeur Sanders go No. 2 to Cleveland? Possible. No. 3 to the Giants? Possible. Could I see him going past the top 10 and be the biggest question mark of the draft with every single team on the clock being like, ‘Are they gonna take Shedeur?’ I could see that, too. It is absolutely fascinating and a month out now, I have absolutely no idea.”
"I think we're gonna see three Quarterbacks drafted in the top fifteen..
Where Shedeur Sanders goes is the biggest draft question mark that I can remember in a very long time..
What he did at Colorado and Jackson State is unbelievable" ~ @RapSheet #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/Us48MTtatu
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) March 24, 2025
It was not all that long ago that many people viewed Sanders as the No. 1 prospect in the draft. More recently, however, there have been reports that he could slip all the way into the second half of the first round.
Teams tend to leak information about players in the weeks leading up to the draft in order to improve their own situations. With Sanders, it seems like more of a legitimate mystery.
Sanders completed 74 percent of his passes for 4,134 yards and 37 touchdowns at Colorado last season. One respected ESPN analyst recently gave a big endorsement of Shedeur.