Shedeur Sanders

The first round of the NFL Draft only featured two quarterbacks. Cam Ward went first overall and Jaxson Dart went 25th. Everybody seemed to be on the same page in thinking that it was a down year for quarterbacks and the picks played out that way. The most notable omission on the QB side of things for the first round was Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders.

Sanders, who was priced around -650 to go in the first round and +175 to be the second quarterback taken, did not hear his name called. He will pretty early in the second round and the question now is who will end up with the son of Deion Sanders on their depth chart.

 

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DraftKings Sportsbook had odds as of Thursday night/Friday morning on the team that takes Shedeur Sanders on Friday night.

Which Team Will Shedeur Sanders Be Drafted By?

  • Cleveland Browns -400
  • Las Vegas Raiders +550
  • New Orleans Saints +700
  • New York Jets +1000
  • Los Angeles Rams +1400
  • Pittsburgh Steelers +1600
  • Seattle Seahawks +1800
  • Indianapolis Colts +2500
  • Dallas Cowboys +2500
  • Miami Dolphins +4000
  • San Francisco 49ers +5000
  • All others +10000 or higher

Cleveland Browns (-400)

It is no secret that the Browns need a QB, as they head into the 2025 season with Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett. It was thought that the Browns might leverage the No. 33 pick to get back into the first round and draft Sanders, but they picked No. 5 and added the No. 36 pick in the trade with the Jaguars.

Given that they have the first pick and the fourth pick on Friday night, Sanders is a prime candidate to go in either one of those spots. It all depends on how much the Browns like him. They opted against drafting former teammate Travis Hunter, trading down to take Mason Graham instead.

Personally, I think the Browns prefer Tyler Shough or Jalen Milroe, who they are also favored to take at +190. But, they also may not have thought that Sanders would be in play at 33 and they simply didn’t have a first-round grade on him. I guess we’ll see, but I’m not sure it’s worth the -400 price.

Las Vegas Raiders (+550)

The Raiders could use a QB, as the Pete Carroll era begins with 34-year-old Geno Smith and Aidan O’Connell. If Sanders is viewed as a project QB, he’ll be under no pressure to play right away in Sin City, but he could potentially grow into a starting role and be a factor next to No. 6 pick Ashton Jeanty.

The Raiders have the 35th pick behind Cleveland, Houston, and Tennessee. The Titans just took Cam Ward No. 1 and the Texans are set at that position with CJ Stroud. If the Browns pass at No. 33, do we see a team trade up and look at Sanders or do we see the Raiders with a decision to make at No. 35?

New Orleans Saints (+550)

The team that makes the most sense to trade up is the Saints. I’m not shocked that they felt like the No. 9 pick was too high to take Sanders. And they like taking offensive linemen in the first round. With Derek Carr injured and seemingly not much of a future for Spencer Rattler, could the Saints be in play? They have the 40th pick, which may be too late to take Shedeur. But, along with the 40th pick, they have two third-round picks and one might be enough to get Houston or Tennessee’s pick. It may not even take that much, as they also have two fourth-round picks.

If the Texans and/or Titans think they can get the player they like at 40, then a pick swap is definitely doable.

Pittsburgh Steelers (+600)

The Steelers were thought to be a strong possibility for Sanders at 21, but they opted for Derrick Harmon from Oregon instead. They desperately needed help on defense in the trenches…but they also desperately need a QB. The problem here is that Pittsburgh doesn’t have a second-round pick to swap and won’t pick again until No. 83, so they’d have to mortgage a pick in next year’s draft, which is expected to be stronger overall.

I think if Pittsburgh really wanted Sanders, they’d have taken him at 21. Given that they don’t have a pick for a while, I’m not sure the cost of doing business will be worth it for them.

Seattle Seahawks (+800)

The Seahawks roll into the upcoming season with some QB questions, as Sam Darnold’s hot start with the Vikings really cooled off as the 2024 season went along. Nobody else on the depth chart looks like a future starter. Seattle, unlike Pittsburgh, has some options, as the Seahawks have two second-round picks this year, so a swap and a sweetener could be on the table.

They have picks 50 and 52, so they could absolutely be in play here, but they can’t escape Darnold’s contract until after 2026 and eating two years into Shedeur’s rookie deal seems like something GM John Schneider wouldn’t be terribly excited about. That said, they did meet with Sanders at the Shrine Bowl back in January, so they at least had him on the radar.

Los Angeles Rams (+900)

To me, this is the most intriguing option. We all know that Matthew Stafford is getting older. The Rams have the No. 46 pick and they have four sixth-round picks to go with a lone third and a lone fourth. The Rams revised Stafford’s contract to have him inked through the 2025 season, but they’re taking it one year at a time. Stafford was given permission to gauge interest around the league, but ultimately ended up back with the Rams.

So, Sanders would have one year under Stafford as a mentor and could potentially have the chance to try his luck as a starter in 2026, as the Rams free up some financial space for other positions. I actually think that 9/1 is not a terrible bet here, as the Rams have some currency to move up 12 or 13 spots if need be.

Prediction

The Browns make sense given that they have two picks out of the first four in the second round, but I don’t think they’re as big of fans of Sanders as some might think. I’m thinking it will either be the Saints (+550) or the Rams (+900).

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