I will believe it when it happens. The growing sense in the weeks leading up to the 2025 NFL Draft is that former Colorado Buffaloes star quarterback Shedeur Sanders is not going in the top five. Heck, there are some who think he will fall to the second round. While Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer tried to play both sides as he usually does as the messenger, I do think there is some validity to be had.
Breer has been struggling to find NFL talent evaluators who believe Sanders is a first-round talent. That puts me even more on an island, as I liked his game more at Colorado than I ever did Cam Ward's at Miami or Washington State before that. It is undeniable that Sanders is accurate, intelligent and tough. He was also able to win at places where hardly anyone does at Jackson State and Colorado.
Where Breer loses me is one coach said Jaxson Dart's game translates to the NFL because he steps up into the pocket, whereas Sanders scrambles. That is like saying E.J. Manuel was going to work in Buffalo because he played a lot of ACC games in the cold. Dart is a fine prospect, but I always felt Lane Kiffin propped him up far more than anyone realized. I have accepted that Sanders will be falling.
Breer did finish by relaying Sanders may only go in the first round because an owner will get involved.
Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders might not even go in the first round now
The biggest thing that we always seem to forget this time of year is that all it takes is for one team to fall in love with you, and you are golden as an NFL Draft prospect. Outside of the Denver Broncos, nobody seemed to have that level of infatuation with former Oregon and Auburn quarterback Bo Nix. I came around on the idea of him being a first-rounder. He had to go to the perfect team for him in Denver.
It should be noted that Sanders is not attending the NFL Draft in person like his Colorado teammate Travis Hunter is. Even more concerning, look at who the three quarterbacks who will be in Green Bay in person are. Ward is an obvious inclusion. To some extent, Dart makes sense. Then we have Jalen Milroe out of Alabama. Milroe is more of a project than a prospect out of Alabama as a day-two pick.
What Breer did a great job of explaining is Sanders' NFL Draft stock is not dropping because of his personality or who his father is. It is more about his overstated athleticism and the fact that his best attributes may not translate as well to the NFL game as others would. Again, I remain skeptical of everyone constantly shorting Sanders. We are not giving his mental toughness enough credit here.
Even if Sanders falls to the second round, I am all-in on him becoming an NFL starting quarterback.