The 2025 NFL Draft is less than four days away and first round speculation is at a fever pitch, especially concerning quarterbacks. It seems like a foregone conclusion that Miami's Cam Ward will be selected first overall by the Tennessee Titans on Thursday, but what happens after that remains anyone's guess.
The next best scouted QB is Colorado's Shedeur Sanders, whose draft stock seems to be dropping further every day. That being said, there are plenty of QB-needy teams that may need to select him higher than he may be worth.
Giants have a hidden scouting advantage in evaluating Shedeur Sanders
New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen has been described as having "lived in Boulder" the past few months as he and the team's scouting staff has evaluated Sanders, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. The Giants held a private workout for the Colorado star on Thursday after watching his pro day on April 4 and meeting with him several times at and after the NFL Scouting Combine in February.
Schefter remarked in his draft notes on Monday that those efforts could very well be smoke and mirrors as Schoen met with all the top QBs in the 2024 draft and wound up selecting exactly zero of them. But this time around, the future of the franchise is at stake (as well as his job) so there isn't really room to walk away from a first-round talent this time.
The organization has one advantage the others don't in trying to decide whether Sanders is worth the No. 3 overall pick. Maileka Slayton, Colorado's director of on-campus recruiting, happens to be the sister of Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton. Whether that helps New York's war room come to a consensus on whether to pick him on Thursday has yet to be seen, however.
Steelers could need to pivot for a QB in first round
Despite sitting at No. 21 in the first round on Thursday, the Pittsburgh Steelers can't put all their eggs in the Aaron Rodgers-shaped basket. Despite multiple reports suggesting a deal is still imminent between the two parties, there's still a significant chance Rodgers decides to retire altogether.
That being said, if the Steelers do need to emergency pivot for a passer in round one, Sanders probably isn't going to be the guy. Schefter noted a trade up to snag the 23-year-old wouldn't be likely but it's still a possibility for Pittsburgh.
The risk general manager Omar Khan runs by passing on Sanders in round one would result in the team not having another chance to pick a QB until round three due to the DK Metcalf trade that saw Khan send a second-round pick to the Seattle Seahawks.
Shedeur Sanders' unique career path offers unique risk for whichever team drafts him
It's clear that whichever team ends up selecting Sanders will get an upgrade of some sort at the position. However, his unique upbringing in the sport lends him a potentially serious disadvantage at the professional level.
Sanders hasn't played meaningful football without being coached by his father, Deion Sanders. Entering the NFL would be his first opportunity to showcase his skills without his dad's guidance on the sidelines. That could either be a massive confidence booster or expose a serious crutch that he no longer has.
If a team like the Giants were to take him and not see immediate success (whether that be with Russell Wilson or Jameis Winston ahead of him in the depth chart), head coach Brian Daboll and Schoen would likely be out the door. That vacancy could usher in speculation of Deion leaving Colorado to reunite with his son as a royal football power duo.
Schefter noted that Deion's newly-signed extension with the Buffaloes includes a buyout clause that progressively gets more friendly after the 2025-26 season, leaving the door for an NFL return more likely than some may realize.