Shedeur Sanders

Raiders Contender To Trade Up For Cam Ward

February 24th, 2025 at 11:16pm CST by Ben Levine

While a recent report indicated that the Raiders were focused on Shedeur Sanders, the Colorado QB may not truly be the organization’s top choice at the position. According to Tony Pauline of Sportskeeda, there’s a general belief around the NFL that the Raiders are a prime contender to move up in the draft in pursuit of Miami QB Cam Ward.

This year’s top tier of quarterback prospects only consists of Ward and Sanders. However, it’s becoming increasingly clear that the Miami product has separated himself as QB1. In other words, it shouldn’t be a huge surprise that the QB-needy Raiders would pursue the top positional prospect.

It is noteworthy that they’d be willing to give up the prerequisite trade haul vs. just settling with Sanders. For what it’s worth, Pauline says there are plenty of league sources who believe the Raiders will just take Sanders at No. 6 if they can’t work out a trade for Ward. Still, it sounds like the front office has a preference, and it seems to match the general sentiment from around the NFL.

According to Pauline, some scouts are discouraged by Sanders’ lack of development in 2024, and the QB could require “a lot of coaching” to refine his throwing fundamentals. If push comes to shove, it sounds like the Raiders are at least willing to tolerate those growing pains, especially since Tom Brady has “a great amount of respect for Sanders’ focus on preparation, his ability to learn and adapt, his accuracy and determination in the pocket, and his toughness to take hits and still be resilient.”

The Raiders were positioned to land the first-overall pick in the draft before winning two of their final three games, dropping the organization to the sixth-overall selection. Despite the fact they won’t have their pick of the litter, it sounds like the Raiders can still walk away with one of the draft’s top quarterback prospects.

Browns Willing To Hear Offers For No. 2 Pick?

February 24th, 2025 at 9:39pm CST by Ben Levine

The Titans have made it clear that they’re willing to move back from the No. 1 pick, but there could be a better chance that the No. 2 pick is ultimately moved. According to Josina Anderson of Bovada, the Browns are “most willing to listen” to offers among teams in the top-six of the draft.

Armed with the second-overall pick, the Browns are a clear suitor for a rookie quarterback. Unfortunately, this year’s draft doesn’t feature a blue-chip signal caller, and there’s a chance Cleveland could move back from No. 2 and still land one of the top positional prospects like Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders. Of course, that would still require the Browns to hang around the top of the draft board, but the team may be tempted by a trade offer that pulls them out of that range.

Browns GM Andrew Berry may have already hinted that the organization was pivoting away from Ward or Sanders. Berry has opined that he can find a long-term starter in this year’s much-maligned crop of collegiate QBs, even beyond the top duo. If the organization is committed to spending their top selection on a QB, they could pick up some extra assets along the way vs. just reaching for a prospect with the No. 2 pick. Of course, the organization could also select Abdul Carter or Travis Hunter with the No. 2 pick and figure out QB later.

Even if the Browns are willing to trade their top pick, they’d still have to find a willing trade partner. While the No. 2 pick would still assure a team a blue-chip prospect in Carter or Hunter, there’s a belief that this year’s lackluster draft quality could impact trades atop the depth board. As ESPN’s Matt Miller writes, we may see fewer trades in the top-10 and more towards the end of the first round or beginning of the second round due to a “a lack of league-wide consensus regarding the top players.”

There is some elevated pressure for the Browns to get this pick right. The team sacrificed a good portion of their future in the regrettable Deshaun Watson trade. As a result, the organization is positioned to pick in the opening round for the first time since 2021. If the Browns have any hopes of returning to relevancy, it’ll likely start with how the team handles the second-overall selection.

Shedeur Sanders Will Not Throw At Combine

February 23rd, 2025 at 5:41pm CST by Adam La Rose

A number of high-profile prospects have opted against taking part in on-field drills during the annual NFL Combine. In the case of quarterbacks, that has become increasingly common over time.

The trend of signal-callers electing not to throw during the Combine will see at least one of the 2025 class’ first-round talents follow suit. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports Shedeur Sanders will not throw in the coming days, preferring only to meet with interested teams. Sanders will wait until Colorado’s Pro Day to take part in drills.

This news comes as little surprise given recent trends amongst top quarterback prospects. Many passers have opted out of throwing in lieu of focusing on interviews during the Combine while waiting for Pro Days and individual workouts with teams to do so. Last year, eventual No. 1 pick Caleb Williams skipped the Combine altogether while Jayden Daniels (who went second overall) and Drake Maye (third) attended but did not take part in drills.

On the other hand, Sanders did not participate in the Shrine Bowl, taking the advice of several NFL teams to instead only take part in interviews. The Combine therefore would have provided him with the opportunity to perform in front of general managers and scouts in Indianapolis, but instead that will again not be the case. Sanders’ impression over the coming days and weeks will be key in establishing his draft stock, something which of course will supplement his statistical output during his four-year college tenure.

Working under his father Deion at Colorado for the past two seasons, Sanders racked up 64 touchdowns and 13 interceptions during that span. The 2024 Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year’s 74% completion percentage and 8.7 yards per attempt average indicate his floor as a passer at the NFL level, although many see fellow Day 1 lock Cam Ward as having a higher athletic ceiling. It will be interesting to see if Ward throws at the Combine or takes the same approach as Sanders, something which would open the door for the other (and much less acclaimed) passers in the 2025 class to showcase themselves.

NFL Draft Rumors: Dart, QBs, Hunter

February 15th, 2025 at 5:56pm CST by Ely Allen

As far back as November, we have been consistently reporting that only two quarterbacks are being viewed as first-round prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft: Miami’s Cam Ward and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders. At the same time, we’ve been allowing for the potential that the usual, annual desperation from NFL teams at the quarterback position could lead to Day 2 or 3 passers being pushed into the first round with Ward and Sanders.

We saw this happen last year. Early on in the pre-draft process in 2024, Caleb Williams and Drake Maye were viewed as the only first-round options, though Heisman-winner Jayden Daniels quickly forced his way into that conversation. Even after the conclusion of the College Football Playoff championship game, the two quarterbacks in that game, J.J. McCarthy and Michael Penix, were not generally being viewed as first-round prospects. Eventually, we ended up with six quarterbacks being selected in the first round — all in the first 12 picks — with Bo Nix joining the party, as well.

It’s not an uncommon occurrence, and this year, Jason La Canfora of The Washington Post has pegged Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart as the man to break into the first round with Ward and Sanders. “Book at least three quarterbacks to be taken in the first round of the draft,” La Canfora writes, citing that “too much demand” will overcome “not enough supply.” After watching the 21-year-old’s performance in the Senior Bowl, La Canfora quoted one general manager guaranteeing that Dart will hear his name on the first night of the draft. Another executive La Canfora talked to claimed that, while he himself wouldn’t select Dart that high, he believes Dart’s going Day 1.

Aside from his Senior Bowl performance, Dart had an impressive senior season for the Rebels, racking up the third-highest passing yards per game behind Ward (second) but ahead of Sanders (fourth). While Dart’s 29 passing touchdowns didn’t approach Ward (39) or Sanders (34), his six interceptions were fewer than both of his competitors.

Here are a couple other rumors surrounding common early conversations we’ve seen in the runup to the draft:

Yesterday, ESPN’s NFL Nation released the results of some polling their reporters — Turron Davenport, Jeff Legwold, Daniel Oyefusi, and Katherine Terrell — conducted with NFL executives, coaches, and scouts at the Senior and Shrine Bowls. One interesting vote showed that of nine people asked if the top draft pick will be a quarterback, three said yes, four said no, and two were undecided. A big deciding factor for this will be what the Titans decide to do with their No. 1 overall pick; another factor will be if the team decides to address the quarterback position through the free agent or trade market before the draft.
Another question NFL Nation posed was who the top quarterback in the draft is: Ward or Sanders? Of seven people asked, four sided with Ward while the remaining three went with Sanders. Oyefusi notes that the general consensus has Sanders as “a more refined pocket passer,” while “Ward’s arm talent and mobility give him the upper hand as a long-term prospect.” This goes along with most analyses we’ve seen that place Sanders just behind Ward with Dart as a distant third, if that.
We’ve addressed plenty of speculation already on where Colorado athlete and Heisman-winner Travis Hunter may find himself playing at the NFL-level. Agreeing with early reports that Hunter is being viewed more as an elite cornerback prospect with the potential to contribute in certain packages as a wide receiver, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports that Hunter is being listed as a defensive back at the NFL Scouting Combine. Mike Giardi of the Boston Sports Journal adds that, while Hunter is planning on working out with the defensive backs at the combine, the two-way athlete will run some drills with the wide receivers, as well.

Shedeur Sanders Lines Up Visits With Browns, Giants

February 13th, 2025 at 4:12pm CST by Adam La Rose

The NFL’s annual Scouting Combine is approaching, and the evaluation of the top prospects will be centered on the event when it takes place. After its conclusion, though, attention will turn to pre-draft visits.

Teams are permitted up to 30 visits with prospects in the period after the Combine and before the draft. Given the lack of high-end quarterbacks available in 2025, one of the top storylines will be how teams near the top of the board operate with respect to Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders. The latter already has his first two visits on the books.

Sanders revealed in a video posted by Well Off Media (operated by his brother, Deion Sanders Jr.) that he is set to meet with the Browns and Giants. That comes as no surprise considering the uncertainty both teams face under center. Cleveland is set to select second overall in April’s draft, while New York owns the No. 3 pick.

Deshaun Watson will remain with the Browns for 2025, but his second Achilles tear has created the strong possibility he will miss most (potentially all) of the coming season. Cleveland has Dorian Thompson-Robinson on the books, while Jameis Winston and Bailey Zappe are pending unrestricted and restricted free agents, respectively. The first round of the draft would offer the opportunity of adding a long-term Watson successor, but even if a Myles Garrett trade does not take place Cleveland’s roster has other notable holes.

Once the Giants elected to move on from Daniel Jones, it was clear they would be in the market for a draft addition. Indeed, the team is one to watch closely regarding a possible trade-up maneuver to secure either Sanders or Ward. New York could make a notable veteran addition before the draft, but especially if that does not take place adding either of the class’ top signal-callers in the first round would be expected.

The Titans own the No. 1 pick, and given the opportunity to add a Will Levis replacement they are of course looking heavily into their options. Tennessee has been connected to moving down the board given the relative lack of surefire prospects in the 2025 class, but the same is also true of the rest of the teams slated to select in the top five. How the Browns and Giants view Sanders will of course be central in determining the direction they go in come Day 1 of the draft.

Sanders followed his father from Jackson State to Colorado, putting himself on the round one radar in 2023. This past season, he posted 4,134 yards and a 37:10 touchdown-to-interception ratio along with a 74% completion percentage. Those figures helped him earn Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year honors and led to an eighth-place finish in Heisman voting. Concerns have been raised about the impact Deion Sanders will have with whichever team selects Shedeur, but his son – who did not practice or play in the Shrine Bowl – said he does not have a preferred destination at this point.

“Out of the teams [reportedly interested], there’s not really one that I’m looking forward to, there’s not really one I’m looking past,” he said (via NFL.com). “It’s all about the process. The teams picking me, I don’t really have much of a say on that.”

Teams Picking In Top-Five May Look To Trade Back

February 12th, 2025 at 8:41pm CST by Ben Levine

While there’s some belief that the Titans will move the No. 1 pick, they may not be the only team atop the draft board looking to make moves. Albert Breer of SI.com believes every team in the top five will at least entertain the idea of trading back.

All of these squads (which includes the Browns (No. 2), Giants (No. 3), Patriots (No. 4), and Jaguars (No. 5)) have plenty of reasons to justify a trade. Each of these teams won’t suddenly vault into contention (or even mediocrity) with just their first-round selection, and picking up additional assets may help them fill out their respective rosters. While these organizations may not be able to get a haul, they could still snag a foundational piece while picking up additional draft picks.

However, Breer also notes that this is partly an indictment on the draft class. Abdul Carter and Travis Hunter are generally considered the draft’s only blue-chip prospects. Teams like the Patriots and Jaguars already have their answers at quarterback, and if those front offices believe they’re out of realistic range for Carter/Hunter, it may make sense to move back and pick up extra pieces.

Further, the draft’s QB depth may convince some teams to pivot. Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders appear to be in their own tier among prospects, but neither of the impending rookies are believed to be generational, can’t-miss players. Instead of reaching for a QB they’re not enamored with, it could make sense for a team like the Giants to target a different position (or maybe a different quarterback) via a trade down the board.

Of course, each of those concerns will work against the teams picking in the top-five. As Breer notes, rival teams may not be as eager to trade up for any of the non-blue-chip prospects. There will surely be suitors, but the offers may not be lucrative enough to convince any of those top-five squads to move on.

It’s pretty common to see at least one top-five squad move off of their original draft position, but we’ve also seen a recent trend of front offices holding on to their best draft assets. Between 2019 and 2022, we only saw one top-five pick change hands (with the 2021 third-overall pick being swapped a few times before landing with the 49ers, who took Trey Lance). A handful of top-five 2023 picks were traded, but even the 2024 draft only saw the first-overall pick stray from its original team (which was a product of a trade involving the 2023 first-overall pick).

Titans Doing Deep Dive On QB Prospects

February 1st, 2025 at 11:02pm CST by Ely Allen

The Titans hold the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming NFL draft. They also will enter the 2025 league year with only one quarterback under contract. Unfortunately, that quarterback, Will Levis, has accumulated a 5-16 record as a starter in his first two years of NFL play. These facts put together make it clear why Tennessee is doing their homework on the draft’s top quarterback prospects: Miami’s Cam Ward and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders.

The common refrain in the runup to the draft so far has been that neither Ward nor Sanders would rank ahead of the six quarterbacks who were taken in the first round last year. Fortunately for Ward and Sanders, they’re not competing with those passers; they’re only competing with each other and prospects from other positions.

Tennessee could certainly address other positions with their top overall pick. Penn State pass rusher Abdul Carter and Colorado two-way athlete Travis Hunter have been viewed as options that the Titans could roll with, but with the importance new general manager Mike Borgonzi puts on the quarterback position, a deep dive on the passers available is necessary.

Yesterday, Jeff Howe of The Athletic reported out of Mobile, AL, the site of the Senior Bowl, that Ward was seen as the favorite in Tennessee over Sanders. They did note an interesting fact that, though both quarterbacks were onsite for the East-West Shrine Bowl in Arlington, TX, the Titans had an extra-long interview with Sanders, sitting with him for about an hour last week.

There’s a chance the Titans are throwing up a smokescreen, making things difficult for teams hoping to trade up into the top draft slot to know what they’re thinking. There’s also a chance that Tennessee has a good idea of what their thoughts are on Ward, and the extended interview could be viewed as due diligence necessary for Sanders to make up ground.

There’s of course a chance that the Titans are just interested in Sanders, though. Per ESPN’s Turron Davenport, Borgonzi is counting on head coach Brian Callahan‘s experience evaluating options for a No. 1 overall pick in this process. While Borgonzi was present in Kansas City for the acquisition of Patrick Mahomes, Mahomes fell to the Chiefs all the way down at No. 10 overall. Callahan, though, was part of the team in Cincinnati that decided to take Joe Burrow No. 1 overall over other options like Justin Herbert and Tua Tagovailoa.

Callahan looks for attributes such as decision-making, timing, and accuracy when looking for a franchise passer. While arm strength is also an important baseline characteristic, Callahan notes that anticipatory throws can make up for a lack of arm strength.

“People had questions about Burrow’s arm strength in general coming out,” Callahan told ESPN. “One of the things that makes Joe so unique, and I think you can probably put Shedeur in the same conversation…they anticipate when they throw it. They have the timing and accuracy on top of it. That makes up for arm strength. Those things are how you make up for maybe not having the biggest arm. If you’re throwing on time and putting a ball when and where you’re supposed to go, you’re not going to have too many problems.”

Ward is going to take the cake for arm strength in comparison to Sanders. Ward excels in touch throws, ball placement, and the ability to throw from different arm angles. His decision making has come into question at times, but he still excelled in limiting turnovers, though the ones he committed were extremely questionable. Scouts haven’t necessarily been identifying many such attributes as elite in Sanders, but his ability to anticipate throws seems to make up for that in Callahan’s eyes.

Borgonzi is reportedly in line with Callahan’s list of core traits, but he adds an emphasis on leadership, character, and intelligence. While Sanders hasn’t had any complaints about his character or intelligence, his leadership has been called into question. It’s easy to see how it may have been difficult for Sanders’ leadership to shine under the shadow of his father in Boulder. Despite only playing one year in Miami, the Hurricane’s rallied around Ward because of his character and leadership, so he should check those boxes off for Borgonzi. For intelligence, Borgonzi may have to depend on the NFL’s controversial Wonderlic test, which has delivered mixed results over the years.

At this point, there’s still a lot of work to do for Ward, Sanders, and the Titans. Both quarterbacks have strong cases for convincing Tennessee to use that top pick on them, but the Titans could easily go another route and allow Ward and Sanders to fall to another team. The rest of the pre-draft process — the NFL Scouting Combine and each player’s pro day — could impact some decisions, but Sanders didn’t practice at last week’s Shrine Bowl after a request that he sit out by the Titans. The mind games may continue well up until the Titans are ultimately on the clock.

Cam Ward Trending Towards Being First QB Selected In Draft

January 28th, 2025 at 7:34pm CST by Ben Levine

As NFL teams gather at the Shrine Bowl for an extensive look at this year’s top prospects, the focus has naturally been at the top of the draft board. As scouts and executives have started to congregate, Tony Pauline of Sportskeeda.com says the “overwhelming belief” is that Cam Ward has emerged as the top quarterback prospect in the draft. In fact, Pauline spoke to some individuals who believe that if the draft happened today, Ward would go first-overall to the Titans.

Ward was somewhat on the NFL radar heading into the 2024 campaign, but he put himself firmly on the map following a strong showing at Miami. During his lone season with the Hurricanes, Ward connected on 67.2-percent of his passes for 4,313 yards, 39 touchdowns, and seven interceptions while guiding the school to a 10-3 record. For his efforts, he earned the Davey O’Brien Award and ACC Player of the Year honors, and he ultimately finished fourth in Heisman voting.

It’s a pretty rapid rise for the QB, who entered the 2024 season as a potential Day 3 selection in the 2025 draft. As Pauline notes, the player’s turnaround isn’t completely dissimilar to that of Jayden Daniels, who evolved from a fringe prospect into the eventual No. 2 pick.

While Ward will face plenty of competition to be the first-overall selection, he’s likely only competing with one individual to be QB1: Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders. Unfortunately, teams won’t get an in-person look at the Colorado quarterback during the Shrine Bowl, as Sanders is an interview-only participant, per ESPN’s Matt Miller. Interestingly, Sanders made that decision after speaking to a handful of NFL teams, as Charles McDonald of Yahoo Sports says the Titans, Browns, and Giants all asked Sanders not to practice this week.

Each of those organizations, of course, is armed with a top-three pick, and Robinson notes that all three squads are kicking the tires on a potential Sanders selection. The QB prospect met with those three teams Friday before practices started on Saturday.

While both Ward and Sanders could be trending towards top-three picks, there continues to be a sentiment that this year’s QB class is lacking. Notably, Senior Bowl director Jim Nagy seems to share that opinion, telling Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com that he’s unsure “if any of these guys would be in the top-six last year.” This isn’t the first time we’ve heard this viewpoint, especially after the likes of Daniels, Caleb Williams, Bo Nix, Drake Maye, and Michael Penix all showed promise as rookies.

Considering the underwhelming opinion of this year’s QB prospects, there was some thought that QB-needy teams could look to other positions atop the draft board (especially Colorado’s Travis Hunter). While some of these front offices could still avoid the top of the 2025 QB class, it sounds like at least Ward and Sanders will hear their names early during the first round.

Raiders May Be Homing In On QB Shedeur Sanders

January 18th, 2025 at 10:15pm CST by Ely Allen

The Raiders did themselves a bit of a disservice by winning a couple of games down the stretch of the regular season and ruining their opportunity to own the No. 1 overall pick of the 2025 NFL Draft as a result. Despite the theoretical misstep, Las Vegas may still be in a good position to land their preferred option in April.

As the influence of minority-owner Tom Brady continues to permeate throughout the Raiders organization, there seems to be an indication that Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders could be the object of focus for the team’s scouting department leading into the draft. According to Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports, Brady has “a great amount of respect for Sanders’ focus on preparation, his ability to learn and adapt, his accuracy and determination in the pocket, and his toughness to take hits and still be resilient.”

We continue to see reports from scouts that the top two passers in this year’s draft class, Miami’s Cam Ward and Sanders, wouldn’t have surpassed the top three passers in 2024 (Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, and Drake Maye). According to Connor Hughes of SportsNet New York, some have even claimed that J.J. McCarthy would be the QB1 in this class, which is hard to believe when comparing the statistics of the three. Apparently, McCarthy’s winning of a championship with Michigan is valued highly enough to overcome a severe difference in production.

Despite these claims and despite Sanders seemingly being ranked as QB2 behind Ward at the moment, the desperate need for quarterbacks in the NFL still makes it seem like Sanders may not make it to the Raiders at No. 6 overall. Three of the five teams in the first five picks of the draft (Titans, Browns, Giants) have also been connected to passers with quarterback being identified as a position of need. Still, there’s reportedly belief in draft circles that, as the evaluation process continues, Sanders has a chance to slip out of the top five picks.

Should that be the case, it would play perfectly into the hands of Las Vegas. There’s some hope that whoever is hired as general manager, as well as head coach, would be permitted some input on the decision of who is selected in the first round. If Brady and majority-owner Mark Davis have their way, though, the Colorado-product may be headed to the Raiders.

2025 Draft QB Rumors: Ewers, Allar, Titans

January 12th, 2025 at 8:19pm CST by Ely Allen

The collegiate career of Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers appears to be over. While he has not officially released a statement, in a College GameDay interview with ESPN’s Pete Thamel, Ewers gave a blunt reply when asked if he expected to play college football next year, simply saying, “No, I don’t.”

Ewers started drawing attention in his second year as the starter for the Longhorns, completing 69 percent of his passes for 3,479 yards, 22 touchdowns, and six interceptions and rushing for five more scores. This year, the emergence of sophomore quarterback Arch Manning made it difficult for Ewers to stay on the field.

Manning’s presence combined with some in-season struggles resulted in a bit of a down year for Ewers. Despite the Longhorns reaching the College Football Playoff semifinals, Ewers (3,472 yards, 31 touchdowns, 12 interceptions) was never viewed as a strength on a team that many saw as balanced throughout the roster. At this point, it seems impossible to hold off the advancement of Manning. With the writing on the wall, Ewers doesn’t appear likely to remain in Austin or in college at all.

Following the assumption that Ewers will declare for the draft, it’s hard to determine in which round he’ll fall. The consensus seems to indicate that Miami’s Cam Ward and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders are the only two passers that are worthy of first-round picks. The importance of the position may push a few fringe players up, though. In rankings from ESPN analysts and The Athletic’s Dane Brugler, Ewers is viewed as a fringe top-five quarterback, making it hard to believe that there will be enough need to push him into the first round, though he could hear his name in the middle rounds.

Here are a few more rumors concerning quarterbacks potentially in the 2025 NFL Draft class:

Penn State’s Drew Allar has been an intriguing quarterback prospect in scouting circles. After being knocked out of the College Football Playoffs in the semifinals, reports seem to indicate that Allar will return to Happy Valley. Per Brugler, though, there were several in the NFL who believed Allar may enter the draft with a strong playoff run. While the Nittany Lions won two games, Allar only completed 54 percent of his passes for 433 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception in three games. There are certainly fans of Allar in the NFL, but it seems they’ll need to consider him for the 2026 NFL Draft as Allar has announced he’s returning for another year at Penn State, per Dane Brugler of The Athletic.
Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated recently gave us a bit of obvious insight in the Titans‘ upcoming decision with the No. 1 overall draft pick. There’s a clear sense that they can’t move forward with only Will Levis as the gameplan at quarterback. This means that Tennessee will be taking a long, hard look at Ward and Sanders. If they don’t like what they see, Colorado athlete Travis Hunter could fill holes on both sides of the ball, or the team may just trade back and make a pick that they believe matches the value of their draft slot.

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