Shedeur Sanders not focused on going No. 1, has other ideas
Feb 11, 2025, 3:29 PM | Updated: 4:10 pm
Shedeur Sanders might be the best quarterback in his class but the odds of him going first in the NFL Draft have been slipping since the college football season ended.
Now many see the Colorado Buffaloes star falling as far as No. 6 to the Las Vegas Raiders. There are some quarterback-needy teams before Vegas picks that could sneak in and take Sanders but he’s not too concerned about the number he goes off the board. The gunslinger made the rounds ahead of Super Bowl LIX last week and told ESPN’s Kevin Clark that he’s more focused on fit.
“Why would I be mad?” Sanders said about not going first. “These are good problems to have. You could be in a way worse situation. Being No. 1 doesn’t really matter to me. It’s all about fit.”
Though it might be a bit of spin because seemingly Sanders is the type of guy who will use not going first as motivation in the future, he does have a strong point. Maybe playing for Vegas with his mentor Tom Brady in the ownership group would be better for him than ending up in Cleveland next to the trainwreck DeShaun Watson situation while franchise icon Myles Garrett asks out.
Sanders might not even be the first quarterback taken at this point, with many evaluators falling in love with Miami’s Cam Ward. Though like Travis Hunter, who ESPN mocked at No. 1 on Tuesday, Ward and Sanders are tight. So it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world for Sanders to see his friends thrive while maybe ending up in a better situation like New York. Sanders seemed down to go to the Giants, wearing red and blue cleats before his final college game.
Sanders was the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year following an awesome season where he ranked in the top 10 nationally in completion percentage (74%), passing yards (4,134) and touchdowns (37) while breaking Colorado school records for passing touchdowns, passing yards, consecutive games with a touchdown pass, quarterback rating and completion percentage. Ward got a trip to New York as a Heisman finalist for his stellar season of a nation-leading 39 touchdown passes while throwing for 4,313 yards on a 67.2% completion rate. The Washington State transfer led Miami to a 10-3 season and a trip to the Pop Tarts Bowl.
On Friday, Buffs coach and father Deion Sanders made a case for his son and quarterback to go first among the signal callers.
“He’s the best one for the job and he’s the most equipped,” Coach Prime said. “Oftentimes we draft these quarterbacks that have been on these elite teams then they get in these situations not conducive to success and that choke. He’s never had the best of, but he’s made the best of.”
Even at No. 6, Sanders would top Buffs legend and former second-round pick Kordell Stewart for the top-drafted CU quarterback of all time. No Colorado player at any position has ever been selected first.
