A lot can change during the pre-draft season.
Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders once seemed to be a lock for the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. He even appeared to be as high as being selected with a top-five pick to a quarterback-needy squad.
But that wasn’t meant to be. Instead, two quarterbacks heard their name called during the first round this year: No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward, and No. 25 selection Jaxson Dart, whom the Giants traded back into the first round to pick.
That leaves Sanders as one of the best available players on the board entering Day 2, and he should still have plenty of suitors entering the second day of the draft. Here’s who they could be:
Shedeur Sanders mock draft
Cleveland Browns
Pick: Round 2, No. 33
The Browns made a stunning trade on Thursday night, when they opted not to take Travis Hunter and instead trade down and select Mason Graham. Sanders to the Browns seems like a solid pick on paper: Sanders comes from a pro-ready offense where he operated under offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur. Shurmur has crossed paths with Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski, so the fit makes sense. With Deshaun Watson likely out for the 2025 season, the Browns roster features just Kenny Pickett and Joe Flacco. That room doesn’t exactly inspire confidence moving forward, and lacks a true long-term answer.
Las Vegas Raiders
Pick: Round 2, No. 37
Could the Raiders and Sanders be on a collision course after all?
The Raiders were another hotly rumored team to want to pick the passer in the first round in recent months, but they opted for running back Ashton Jeanty instead. Even though Pete Carroll and Geno Smith are reunited in Sin City, having Sanders as a potential successor to Smith could make sense for a few reasons: Carroll’s reputation boasts offenses that rely heavily on the running game, and Sanders sitting on the bench for a year or two could provide enough time for the passer to get acclimated to the NFL game.
While Smith signed an extension with the Raiders, Vegas can get out of the deal in a few years’ time. That could provide a convenient window to turn the keys over to the most pro-ready passer in the draft.
New Orleans Saints
Pick: Round 2, No. 40
Another team that faces major quarterback questions after Round 1 of the draft, the Saints have the Derek Carr shoulder casting a shadow over the QB room. With Spencer Rattler showing modest returns in limited action in 2024, Sanders could come in as a passer of new head coach Kellen Moore’s choosing.
Some rumors connected the Saints to quarterbacks in recent months, but they left Round 1 instead with offensive tackle Kelvin Banks.
Indianapolis Colts
Pick: Round 2, No. 45
The Anthony Richardson-Colts marriage took more than a few left turns this past season, and the seeming distrust led to a one-year, $14 million contract for quarterback Daniel Jones. That’s not exactly backup quarterback money, and the desire to bring in competition for the 2023 first-round pick means patience might be wearing a little thin for Richardson.
If Indianapolis is still so unsure of the passer they took No. 3 overall just two years ago, it might benefit head coach Shane Steichen and Co. to just rip the Band-Aid off and give Sanders the opportunity to be a long-term answer. It would ruffle feathers, but the Richardson tenure has seemed to do just that, anyway.
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