As the 2025 NFL Draft approaches, teams are finalizing their boards and fans are locking in their takes. Perhaps the most polarizing among those subjects is Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders.
Sanders, the son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, is used to the attention. In Boulder, though, it reached new heights. In 2023, he was a part of the premier story in college football. A year later, he turned Colorado into a Big 12 contender and fueled two-way star Travis Hunter's Heisman campaign.
That quickly made him one of the top quarterbacks in the 2025 class; but in a mediocre crop of passers, first-round grades aren't guaranteed. Many feel Sanders is a Day 2 pick, rather than a top-two selection.
ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler revealed teams are split on the "tricky" first-round quarterback prospect.
"The people I have talked to believe that Shedeur Sanders is under consideration in that top three," Fowler said. "You're talking Browns at two, Giants at three, although Abdul Carter the pass rusher, seems to have momentum a little bit for the Browns at two.
"Here's the tricky part with Sanders. Before I walked in here, I texted with a half-dozen or so high-level personnel people with teams. I asked them a simple question: 'Do you have a first-round grade on Shedeur Sanders, meaning do you see him as a first-round talent?' Four said no, more of a second-rounder. Two said yes, that he is a mid-to-late first-round pick for them."
Both the New York Giants and Cleveland Browns have valid reasons to take Sanders, especially if Miami's Cam Ward comes off the board first. They are quarterback-needy teams with varying levels of urgency.
Cleveland is eager to rid themselves of all things Deshaun Watson, and Sanders (and the spotlight he demands) can accelerate that process. New York, meanwhile, now has two starting-caliber quarterbacks in its room but little in the name of long-term prospects.
Related: Insider Reveals Giants in Play for Massive Draft Trade
Wherever Sanders lands, he'll bring a profile laden with high-level accuracy, experience behind bad offensive lines, and an ability to avoid turnovers.
However, those scouts' collective pessimism isn't entirely surprising. Sanders lacks elite arm talent and athleticism and has mildly concerning traits under pressure. That lends itself to lesser upside and, thus, optimism.
Sanders will have the opportunity to make his mark – even if he sits in Year 1 with the GIants – but his success is far from certain, and the discourse surrounding him is a safe bet to continue into perpetuity.
Related: How Does Russell Wilson Feel About Giants Drafting Quarterback?
Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved
This story was originally published March 30, 2025 at 3:40 PM.