The NFL Draft is just a couple of days away, and yet, nobody seems to have much of a clue as for what's going to transpire in Green Bay, where the festivities will be held.
Cam Ward is widely expected to go No. 1 overall to the Tennessee Titans, but after that, it's really anyone's best guess. Travis Hunter, Abdul Carter, and even Shedeur Sanders could all realistically go as high as No. 2 overall, but there are also rumors suggesting that Sanders can fall to later in the first round.
With nobody having a clue how the selections will unfold, NFL rumors are running rampant. Here is the latest on that front.
NFL Draft Rumors: Colts make QB bet only Chris Ballard believes can cash
When the Indianapolis Colts selected Anthony Richardson with the No. 4 overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft, they thought they were taking their franchise quarterback who'd lead them to great success over the next decade or longer. It's safe to say that has not happened yet.
Not only has Richardson struggled to stay healthy over his first two NFL seasons, but he has completed just 50.6 percent of his throws and has thrown more interceptions (13) than touchdown passes (11) thus far. He's a major work in progress, which is not what any fan base wants to hear when a high first-round pick is entering his third NFL season.
Given his lack of production at the NFL level, the Colts signed some competition by way of Daniel Jones over the offseason. In the eyes of most NFL fans, this is one of the worst quarterback rooms in the league. In the eyes of GM Chris Ballard, though, he not only expects Richardson to play well, but he also expects positive contributions from both Richardson and Jones.
“Sometimes you gotta struggle before you can be good,” Ballard said. “We got two guys that have had some really strong flashes and they’ve had some bad moments too. That’s OK. I think both of them will be better because of this and I think the team will be better because of it. . . . If I’m a betting man, at some point both of them will help us.”
Now, Ballard does make some solid points here. Both Richardson and Jones have had some good moments and some bad moments. There is also a good chance that both of these quarterbacks will play at some point given the fact that both of them have extensive injury histories. Both of them 'helping' the Colts, though, feels like wishful thinking.
Richardson, as mentioned above, has a ton of work to do if he ever wants to become a viable starter at this level. As for Jones, he was released by the New York Giants in the middle of yet another disappointing season and, outside of a decent 2022 campaign, he's been mostly awful over the course of his career.
Both do have talent and can potentially thrive under the right circumstances, but it's hard to envision one, let alone both of these guys, helping the Colts much in 2025. It's on them to prove the doubters wrong at this point.
NFL Draft Rumors: Abdul Carter is favorite to get picked by Giants in NFL Draft
Thanks to a meaningless late-season win against Ballard's Colts, the New York Giants fell from having control of the No. 1 overall pick to ending the season with the No. 3 overall selection. Picking third overall isn't terrible, but in a weak quarterback class, it certainly isn't ideal.
In an ideal world, the Giants would have stuck at No. 1 overall or figured out a way to trade up to that spot to select Cam Ward. Odds are, that isn't happening. Given that, the Giants' options now are to reach on a guy like Shedeur Sanders at the quarterback position or take a high-end player at a different position. It's sounding like they're leaning toward the latter, according to NFL insider Todd McShay.
"All the information I'm getting, and it's from trusted sources, is that it's going to wind up being Abdul Carter at three even though there are people in the Giants' building, as we talked about yesterday, that are pushing for Shedeur Sanders," McShay said on The McShay Show.
While it doesn't sound like consensus yet, the Giants do appear to be leaning toward selecting Abdul Carter of Penn State over Sanders, in what could be perceived as a controversial decision. Sanders would make sense given the team's dire need for a quarterback, but with the Giants signing Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston over the offseason, it's not as if they must select a quarterback at No. 3 overall. Instead, they can choose to select arguably the best pure player in the class, in Carter.
Adding Carter to a defensive line already consisting of Brian Burns, Dexter Lawrence, and Kayvon Thibodeaux would be electric and set the Giants up for long-term success in that area. They still have work to do just about everywhere else, but it's really hard to go wrong with selecting an elite player at a premium position like Carter.
The Giants reached on Daniel Jones back in the day at No. 6 overall and paid the price dearly. Passing on Sanders would prove they've learned from that mistake, even if some in the building still want to take the former Colorado quarterback.
NFL Draft Rumors: Shedeur Sanders falls into Steelers' laps in latest mock draft
Much like the Colts and Giants, the Pittsburgh Steelers are looking for answers at the quarterback position. They had hoped their revamped quarterback room led by Russell Wilson and Justin Fields would pan out, but they, as has become customary in Pittsburgh, lost in the first round of the NFL playoffs. They then proceeded to watch both Wilson and Fields land in New York.
The Steelers did bring Mason Rudolph back, but they know better than anyone that he isn't a starting-caliber quarterback for a Super Bowl team. Now, their options for the quarterback position appear to be Aaron Rodgers in free agency, or someone in the NFL Draft.
Now, when the Steelers' draft slot wound up being No. 21 overall, it was assumed that the odds of them selecting a quarterback in the first round were slim. This was seen mostly as a two-quarterback draft with Ward and Sanders, and the Steelers had little hope of landing either option. Now, while Ward's stock has held firm, Sanders' stock has dipped to the point where becoming available at No. 21 overall isn't out of the question. In fact, in the latest mock draft involving NFL Draft experts Connor Rogers, Kyle Dvorchak, and Eric Froton, the Steelers end up with Sanders at No. 21. Here's what Froton had to say about that selection.
"Pittsburgh has been desperate for stability at the quarterback position since Big Ben’s departure. Shedeur led the nation in completion percentage and will get to work with a veteran coach in Mike Tomlin."
As unrealistic as it might be to some NFL fans for this to transpire, if teams like the Giants and the Cleveland Browns pass on Sanders, the young quarterback falling to late in the first round is far from out of the question.
Sanders' ceiling might not be incredibly high due to his lack of mobility and lack of incredible arm talent, but his accuracy and decently high floor could make him an intriguing option for Mike Tomlin and the win-now Steelers. Pittsburgh's quarterback play has been consistently underwhelming since Ben Roethlisberger hung up his spikes. Getting someone who can play the position at a high level, even if he doesn't turn into a superstar, could prove to be a huge win for Pittsburgh, especially with Sanders being on a rookie contract over the next half decade.