ESPN’s Mel Kiper got a lot of people’s attention with his first 2025 NFL Mock Draft on Jan. 22, where he had the Tennessee Titans selecting Miami Hurricanes QB Cam Ward with the No. 1 overall pick, and Colorado Buffaloes QB Shedeur Sanders falling to No. 3.
In terms of quarterbacks in this draft class, there has been a lot of hype around Sanders being the best one, but is Kiper’s latest mock a sign that he could continue to fall down draft boards as the annual selection event approaches?
Is Shedeur Sanders Worth a Top-5 Pick?
Sanders is a talented QB with incredible accuracy and demonstrates physical toughness better than most QBs at the college level. He finished his senior season with 4,134 yards, 37 TDs, and 10 INTs, completing an FBS-best 74% of his passes. On paper, he all but screams top-five pick, but does the tape say the same thing?
In looking at reports coming out surrounding Sanders, it seems the league and draft analysts are pretty split on his projection.
Kiper, while mocking Sanders below Ward, had the Colorado QB ranked as the best signal-caller in this draft class and a top-10 player. While on the CFN Top 300 Big Board, we have Sanders ranked as the 17th-best player in the class and 11 spots below Cam Ward.
NFL insider Tom Pelissero reported back on Jan. 3 that he has talked to scouts that didn’t even have anything close to a first-round grade on Sanders.
It really is unclear where Sanders may land in the 2025 NFL Draft, and Kiper’s mock demonstrates that. Six teams are picking within the top 10 that need a QB, and with such limited supply at the position in this draft class, it would stand to reason that one of them could “reach” and draft Sanders.
KEEP READING: Where Does Sanders Land in our 2025 NFL Draft QB Rankings?
No matter how you feel about Sanders, his draft stock is going to be the most interesting story during this offseason.
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