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Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders was projected to be selected as high as the No. 1 overall pick at one point. But now, Sanders is not even considered to be among the top three selections at this point in the pre-draft process.
In some mock drafts, he's projected to be selected by the Saints at No. 9. In others, he's sliding all the way down to the No. 21 overall pick, which is held by the Steelers.
While he would love to be taken close to his former college teammate, Travis Hunter, it may be in Sanders' best interest to take a slide in the draft.
Recently, NFL draft analyst Louis Riddick explained why:
"Shedeur is someone who wants to be collaborative," Riddick said. "He is someone that you want to talk with. He doesn't like to be told just 'this is the way we're going to do things' and then you're just going to fall in line. And he's earned that right because of the way he's played. This young man is going to be just fine, And you know what? I hope he doesn't go in the top three picks. I hope he doesn't. I think his camp would tell you the same thing. There are other teams they want to go to."
The first thing that would benefit Sanders from not being picked so early is not facing the pressure many quarterbacks taken within the top 10 face.
Sanders would be in a good position if he landed somewhere like Pittsburgh. He wouldn't be forced to start. He'd play under veteran head coach Mike Tomlin and have a good offensive guru in Arthur Smith. And he would have a mentor in Aaron Rodgers, assuming they sign him.
Sanders has faced plenty of criticism, whether because some believe he is only being considered a first-round player because of his dad and Colorado head coach, Deion, or because they have concerns about his character and how he carries himself.
However, the bottom line is that Sanders is a fine player that could be successful in the NFL. While his physical traits are average and pocket management is a work in progress, Sanders is poised, tough, and accurate, as evidenced by leading the FBS with a 74% completion rate in 2024.
"I don't care," Sanders said on a recent episode of Up & Adams about potentially falling out of the top three picks. "I went to an HBCU coming out of high school, and here I am now. The route—I don't care what the route is. At the end of the day it doesn't matter to me. I just want the opportunity."
