As we get closer to the 2025 NFL Draft, all eyes are on Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders. He has been the buzziest name of this cycle, for reasons largely beyond his control. Such is life as Deion Sanders' son.
After two impressive seasons in Boulder, during which Sanders elevated the Buffs from bottom-feeders to fringe CFB Playoff contenders, the 23-year-old is expected to come off the board early on April 24. The question is... how early?
Sanders has been in touch with all of the top-three teams — Tennessee, Cleveland, New York — but none feel like locks. Both New York and Cleveland added veteran signal-callers this spring and the Titans are expected to take Cam Ward at No. 1, relegating Sanders to consolation prize status.
Should Sanders slip past the Giants at No. 3, his range opens up quite a bit. This is a weak quarterback class and most folks don't view Sanders as a top-10 prospect. Some wouldn't even give him a first-round grade in a more robust talent pool. The variety of potential outcomes is vast.
That said, we know what Deion Sanders wants for his son — immediate opportunity, a glitzy market, and a chance to high-level success. Only a few QB-needy teams can give Sanders a truly optimal setup. Here is where Coach Prime might send his son if it were up to him.
5. New Orleans Saints
If Shedeur Sanders is looking for footsteps to follow at the next level, he can't ask for a better mentor figure than Drew Brees. The New Orleans Saints are stuck in the perpetually mediocre NFC South, but that just means there's more room to break though and take control of the division.
The only real drawback here — at least from Prime's perspective — would be Derek Carr. For all the valid criticisms of Carr's play in recent years, he's a high-voltage arm talent with plenty of pedigree. He'd start under center, relegating Sanders to temporary backup status as he gets his feet wet. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, as Tom Brady once served as the understudy in New England. But we know how Deion and Shedeur feel about these things.
New Orleans is a great market, though. It's a passionate fanbase and a convenient color scheme. Nike has built entire apparel lines around Colorado's black and gold. It shouldn't be too hard to swap the Buffs logo for a Saints logo. More seriously, the Saints also offer the support of Alvin Kamara, Chris Olave, and Juwan Johnson. That is a good environment for Sanders to cultivate his talents, even if it begins in a backup role.
4. Cleveland Browns
Look, going to the Cleveland Browns is an inherently risky proposition. That organization has chewed up and spit out several once-promising quarterbacks. Still, in terms of market size and opportunity, Sanders can't do much better. Especially since this would also mean he's the second overall pick.
Deshaun Watson will miss another season and he doesn't seriously factor into Cleveland's long-term plans at this point. Kenny Pickett is Kenny Pickett, so Sanders shouldn't feel much heat. He'd be a day-one starter for a team, in theory, looking to get back into the postseason mix after a discouraging hiatus in 2024. Myles Garrett doesn't sign that extension, and the Browns don't offer that extension, unless there are plans to build up the roster.
Cleveland's middling wide receiver room is a concern, but the Browns have all of free agency (plus six more rounds of the draft) to beef up Sanders' pass-catching corps. That is a historic franchise, too. A lot of NFL lore runs through Cleveland. We can never truly trust the Browns, but it's a good landing spot on paper.
3. Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are the best-case landing spot in terms of pure football fit. Sanders won't find a better supporting cast than Justin Jefferson, T.J. Hockenson, and Aaron Jones. Kevin O'Connell turned Sam Darnold from a journeyman backup into a $30 million quarterback. Sanders won't have higher odds of success anywhere else.
That said, it's unclear if the Vikings would actually want the Buffs signal-caller. Skepticism of J.J. McCarthy is plenty justified, but Minnesota likes him a lot and he's on the same timeline. In fact, he's actually a year younger than Sanders. So, unless Coach Prime and son are confident in Minnesota's interest (not to mention Shedeur's ability to out-duel McCarthy head-to-head at camp), there is considerable risk.
Sanders has some Kirk Cousins to his game. He stands tall in the pocket and operates with extreme precision, even if a lack of mobility or top-end arm strength can limit him in certain situations. Minnesota's offense is a well-oiled machine. It's probably the murkiest landing spot in terms of what Sanders' role would be, both short and long term, but if it works out, Sanders is destined for the Pro Bowl.
2. New York Jets
It has been not-so-subtly hinted that Shedeur Sanders wants to end up in New York. They can deny it all they want, but that is the dream outcome — and it's totally within the realm of possibility. If Sanders falls past the Giants at No. 3, I'd imagine the New York Jets think long and hard at No. 7. The Jets could use some stability under center after the violent whiplash of Zach Wilson and Aaron Rodgers.
Justin Fields inked a two-year contract with the Jets this spring, but it's hard to view the former first-round pick as a legitimate building block. He performed well in Pittsburgh last season, but the Steelers' offense is a far more stable entity than whatever's been going on in New York — and that's saying something. Aaron Glenn brought over Tanner Engstrand from Detroit to run the offense. That is a promising development. Still, the Jets ought to prefer Sanders' arm talent and precision to Fields' mobility.
On paper — famous last words — the Jets are in a pretty good spot. Sanders can't ask for a better running mate than Garrett Wilson. Breece Hall is an elite RB at full strength. New York's O-line is a mess, but there are ways to improve it before Sanders takes a snap. If the Jets are comfortable demoting Fields to QB2 status, not much is standing in the way of Sanders' success, aside from the longstanding curse of playing football for the Jets.
1. New York Giants
Shedeur Sanders famously wore New York Giants cleats ahead of Colorado's bowl game. This has been the obvious landing spot all along. That was back when New York was in line for the No. 1 pick, of course. But the Giants' slide back to No. 3 probably won't prevent them from drafting the Buffs signal-caller. That is, assuming New York actually wants to go there.
The situation is definitely more complicated than it was a few months ago. The Giants signed both Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston in recent weeks. Not many teams roster three quarterbacks, much less three quarterbacks of legitimate stature in the league. Russ is going around like the day-one starter, as he's wont to do. Bringing Sanders into a crowded QB room with no shortage of ego could prove volatile.
That said, the Giants still need a long-term answer beyond Russ, and Sanders feels more than capable of winning the job outright against such over-the-hill vets. New York has several roster holes to plug, especially on offense, but Malik Nabers is the truth. The partnership alone could propel Sanders to success at the next level. Factor in the NYC of it all, and this is probably where the Sanders family wants to end up.