HEADLINES

Shedeur Sanders

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.

Deion Sanders Eyeing Raiders’ HC Job; Team Has “Zero Interest”

January 12th, 2025 at 12:59pm CST by Ben Levine

JANUARY 12: The Raiders reportedly have “zero interest” in Sanders, who is only using the club for leverage, a source tells Vic Tafur and Tashan Reed of The Athletic (subscription required).

JANUARY 11: While Deion Sanders has continually committed to sticking with the Colorado Buffaloes, it sounds like the fast-rising head coach and NFL Hall of Fame cornerback has indeed been sniffing around at some NFL gigs. According to Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Sanders “has his eye” on the Raiders head coaching job.

[RELATED: Deion Sanders Not Talking NFL Future]

One source described Sanders as having “very strong interest” in the opening. In fact, the coach’s “NFL-connected associates” actually reached out to the Raiders to relay the message. Bonsignore cautions that it’s uncertain if the interest has been reciprocated.

Following his success at Jackson State and his 2024 run at Colorado, Sanders has been mentioned as a potential option for HC-needy teams, although the iconic player has yet to garner any official interviews. It was previously reported that Sanders’ name hadn’t been making itself around NFL circles, and vacancies in Chicago, New Orleans, or New York were described as unnatural fits.

However, a logical landing spot could be Las Vegas. Tom Brady is helping to spearhead the team’s search for a new head coach, and Bonsignore notes that the iconic QB-turned-part owner and the Sanders family “have a long relationship.” Brady has mentored Shedeur Sanders over the past few years, and TB12 eventually signed the prospect to an NIL deal. Armed with the sixth-overall pick, the Raiders might fall just outside of the range for the Colorado QB, although the team could be positioned to move up if they identify Sanders as their guy.

Deion Sanders recently said he’d only consider a move to the NFL if he could coach his son (via Bonsignore), and Las Vegas would represent one of the lone spots for that to happen. Of course, it’s a two-way street, and after dealing with a carousel of head coaches in recent years, the Raiders may not be looking to take as much of a risk with their next move.

As our 2025 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker shows, the following candidates have been connected to the Raiders:

2025 QB Class Generating More Skepticism

December 31st, 2024 at 9:58pm CST by Ely Allen

As the NFL regular season comes to a close and college prospects are making their final amateur appearances, focus for many NFL teams is shifting to the 2025 NFL Draft. While many sources seem to have narrowed the field of potential first-round quarterbacks to two players, there are reportedly some scouts who believe taking any quarterback on Day 1 “would be a mistake,” per Dane Brugler of The Athletic.

According to a post from Brugler, an AFC scout commented on the matter, saying, “Man, I feel bad for the teams trying to find one (quarterback) in this group.”

There are two obvious options for teams currently looking at a first-round quarterback: Miami’s Cam Ward and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders. After Ward and Sanders, there’s a big perceived dropoff in quarterback talent in this year’s draft class with other prospects like Alabama’s Jalen Milroe, Texas’ Quinn Ewers, and Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart all being projected as Day 2 or 3 picks. Georgia passer Carson Beck, who recently declared for the draft, forgoing one final year of eligibility (granted because of COVID-19), was at one point viewed as a first-round option, but after a disappointing redshirt season and UCL surgery, his draft stock took a considerable hit.

As for Ward and Sanders, it’s hard to imagine a world in which neither prospect hears their name called on the first night of the draft. The Giants sent general manager Joe Schoen and director of player personnel Tim McDonnell to the Pop-Tarts Bowl to watch Ward play in the first half this past weekend. According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, Raiders assistant general manager Champ Kelly was in attendance, as well. Schoen, along with scouts from his Giants and the Falcons, was also in attendance to watch Sanders take on the Utes about a month and a half ago.

The Giants (currently set to pick fourth overall) are one of six teams inside the projected top-10 picks of the draft with an interest in adding a quarterback. The Titans (No. 2), Browns (No. 3), Panthers (No. 6), Jets (No. 7), and Raiders (No. 8) have all been viewed as possibilities to go after a first-round passer, as well.

The need to fill such a crucial role as quarterback has a tendency to inflate some prospects’ draft stocks. In the 2024 NFL Draft, Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, and according to some sources, Drake Maye were all viewed as the likely first-round passers for most of the draft process. As the draft drew nearer and it became more obvious that some teams would need additional help at quarterback, prospects like Michael Penix, J.J. McCarthy, and Bo Nix all found their draft stock being bumped from Day 2 or 3 to Day 1.

Because this phenomenon is likely to take effect once again this year, even if Ward and Sanders were not considered first-round options — which, to be clear, many scouts do view them to be — they would still likely find themselves on stage at Lambeau Field on April 24. In order to simulate this effect, some have claimed that this year’s versions of Ward and Sanders would’ve ranked as QB4 and QB5, in any order, in last year’s quarterback crop, placing them firmly in the top ten draft picks for that class, as well. In fact, the often-desperate need for young quarterback talent may even bring players like Beck, Milroe, or Dart back into first-round consideration with Ward and Sanders.

There’s still plenty of time until we arrive at Day 1 of the draft. Between now and then, we will see College Football Playoff performances, the NFL Scouting Combine, and pro days around the country. Many quarterbacks and other prospects will see their draft stock rise and fall throughout the next few months. At this point, though, Ward and Sanders seem to have cemented themselves as top five picks, regardless of what some scouts believe their value to be.

First-Round QB Not Out Of Range For Raiders?

December 24th, 2024 at 7:44pm CST by Ely Allen

When last we looked at the updated order for the 2025 NFL Draft, the Raiders were in prime position, poised to have the No. 1 overall pick. They were tied for the league’s worst record at 2-12 with tie breakers over the Giants. However, with a win over the similarly lowly Jaguars this past Sunday, Las Vegas plummeted in the most recent draft order and now slots in at No. 6.

Many view the biggest need for Las Vegas to be a quarterback. Three different passers have started games for the Raiders this season, and none of Gardner Minshew (2-7), Aidan O’Connell (1-4), or Desmond Ridder (0-1) have a winning record. Likewise, none seem to have much in the way of promise, as all three seem to have been written off as considerable quarterbacks of the future. Therefore, the plan would likely be to draft one, a prospect that’s become much more difficult with their recent victory.

[RELATED: Updated 2025 NFL Draft Order]

At No. 1 overall, the Raiders had their pick of the litter with the ability to choose whatever quarterback they desire. At No. 6, the choice is taken pretty far out of their hands, especially considering that only two passers, Miami’s Cam Ward and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, are currently receiving first-round grades. It will definitely take some maneuvering to land one of those two quarterbacks from their current slot, but according to Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, it’s not impossible.

Firstly, they stand to likely move up a spot. Two of the teams ahead of them, the Jaguars and Titans, play each other in the final two weeks of the season, guaranteeing that one of them will earn a victory. For reasons to be explored shortly, Las Vegas fans should be rooting for Tennessee to pull off the divisional victory.

This year’s draft doesn’t appear to be shaping up much like last year’s. If the current order holds, two of the top three teams likely won’t be looking for quarterbacks, unlike last year, which saw the Bears, Commanders, and Patriots select Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, and Drake Maye successively in the first three picks. While the Giants, current holders of the No. 1 overall pick, certainly have a need for a quarterback after releasing veteran Daniel Jones, the holders of pick Nos. 2 and 3 do not.

The No. 2 spot is currently held by the Patriots. Despite their disappointing record, the rookie Maye has shown promise at different points in the season, especially since he had to earn the starting job over veteran passer Jacoby Brissett and didn’t start until Week 6. He’ll have to figure out how to protect the ball a bit better — he’s thrown 10 picks in 10 starts — but New England likely has not given up on his potential, yet.

The No. 3 pick is owned by the Jaguars, who just recently signed a 25-year-old Trevor Lawrence to a five-year extension that made him the highest-paid player in the league at the time. This season saw Lawrence battling quite a few injury issues, but it’s hard to imagine that Jacksonville would be looking for anything other than an upgraded backup passer in this year’s draft.

Between those two and Las Vegas sit the Browns and Titans. If the abovementioned rooting interests pay dividends and Tennessee wins in Jacksonville, that problem should take care of itself. The Browns, though, have been thoroughly evaluating the 2025 quarterback draft class, per Chad Reuter of NFL.com, as they research potential successors to one of the worst quarterback contracts in NFL history.

So, in order to get into a position where they are one of the top two teams in position to draft a quarterback, Las Vegas would need to get ahead of Cleveland and Tennessee, another team with interest in a new, young passer. In order to do so, though, they’ll likely have to trade up into the spot. If the Titans lose to Jacksonville, Las Vegas will likely enter into a bidding war for New England’s No. 2 overall pick in order to leapfrog the Browns and Titans. If the Titans win, though, the Raiders’ route is a little cleaner as they’ll have options to trade up with either New England or Jacksonville, and they’ll only be looking to leapfrog one team, though they will have to fend off teams behind them, like Tennessee, from leapfrogging them.

In short, despite a situationally disappointing win this past weekend, the Raiders still have lanes open that lead to them obtaining Ward or Sanders. It may cost them some draft capital to make it happen, but Las Vegas could still end up in a top-three slot.

2025 NFL Draft Rumors: Sanders, Beck, Campbell

December 20th, 2024 at 8:29pm CST by Ely Allen

The 2025 NFL Draft is fast approaching as the college football season comes to an end and the pre-draft process begins. Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders has likely solidified himself as a first-round pick — even a top-five draft pick — but according to Jeff Howe of The Athletic, he isn’t currently projected to be the first quarterback off the board.

Per Howe, that honor currently belongs to Miami Hurricanes journeyman passer Cam Ward. Both had impressive seasons; Ward finished the year second in the nation with 4,123 passing yards while leading college football with 36 passing touchdowns to only seven interceptions, while Sanders was third in passing yards (3,926) and just a step behind Ward in touchdowns (35) and interceptions (8). Both received Heisman-buzz — an award Sanders’ teammate, Travis Hunter, won — but Ward was a finalist, finishing fourth in voting, while Sanders finished eighth in voting.

In order to overcome Ward as QB1 of the class, Howe posits that “Sanders will need to nail the interview process.” Both players have committed to participating in their respective bowl games, and it doesn’t appear that either will gain or lose much ground through the Scouting Combine or their respective pro days, having already had their play thoroughly evaluated throughout the season. If Sanders can establish in the interview process that he can be a stand-alone leader without his father on the coaching staff, he may be able to edge out Ward.

Here are a few other draft rumors in the aftermath of college football’s regular season:

  • After Ward and Sanders, there’s a big perceived dropoff in quarterback talent in this year’s draft class with other prospects like Alabama’s Jalen Milroe, Texas’ Quinn Ewers, and Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart all being projected as Day 2 or 3 picks. While Georgia passer Carson Beck is also projected to fall past the first round, that wasn’t the case last year, per Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated. Breer claims that scouts gave him the impression that Beck had a chance to be among the six other quarterbacks who were drafted in the first round of last year’s draft. Instead, Beck stayed in Athens, in hopes of perhaps bettering his chances and draft slot. A year later, three separate three-interception performances and an otherwise disappointing redshirt senior season for Beck has plummeted his draft stock. The injury to his throwing arm in the SEC championship game has a chance to hurt that draft stock even more.
  • The 2025 draft class is projected to be disappointing in its depth at left tackle with no elite options sticking out at this point in the process. LSU tackle Will Campbell has received a good amount of buzz as the class’s best prospect at the position, but according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, many believe Campbell is a bit overrated. Short arms and questions about his overall game have scouts doubting whether or not he can solidify the left tackle spot of an NFL team for the next five-plus years.

Draft Rumors: Tackles, Buffs, Sanders

November 30th, 2024 at 2:51pm CST by Ely Allen

Often in the NFL Draft, offensive tackles are slotted into some of the top picks of the draft, usually as contenders for a No. 1 overall draft pick. Recent years saw Joe Alt and JC Latham taken in the top 10 in 2024, Paris Johnson and Darnell Wright in 2023, and Ikem Ekwonu, Evan Neal, and Charles Cross in 2022 alone. This year, while there are surely some candidates to be first-round picks in this year’s class, an elite, top-10 tackle seems to be absent among them.

LSU’s Will Campbell is seemingly the only offensive lineman who has been granted a consensus opinion as a first-rounder, but many doubt that he will continue to play tackle in the NFL. Per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, a perceived lack of strength has scouts shifting him inside to guard at the next level. Kelvin Banks Jr. at Texas held first-round potential for much of the year, but up-and-down performances throughout the year, accompanied by a rough performance against Georgia at home, have put that promise in doubt. Lastly, Ohio State tackle Josh Simmons likely held the highest chance at being a top-drafted tackle, but a torn patellar tendon will limit his availability until summer and diminish his draft stock.

ESPN’s Jordan Reid agrees with Breer’s sentiment, claiming that the entire offensive line group lacks the depth and top-end talent of last year’s group by a wide margin. He notes that Campbell, Banks, and Arizona’s Jonah Savaiinaea could all slide inside to guard and adds that most players in the class are getting Day 2 or 3 grades.

Here are some other rumors coming from the 2025 NFL Draft class:

  • While the merit of early Heisman attestations is still to be determined, Colorado’s Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders likely couldn’t care less. With several NFL teams in attendance to watch a drubbing of the lowly Cowpokes at Oklahoma State, Hunter and Sanders likely had eyes on late-April. According to Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports, one NFL executive claimed that not only are Hunter and Sanders going to be drafted in the top five picks, but he also believes they will go back-to-back at Nos. 1 & 2 overall.
  • In support of that prediction, Breer noted that the Giants sent a bevy of executives — general manager Joe Schoen, assistant general manager Brandon Brown, director of player personnel Tim McDonnell, and special assistant Jessie Armstead — to Boulder for practices and the game this week to get looks at Sanders with quarterback Daniel Jones already gone. In our latest look at the most-updated draft order (if the season were to end today), the Giants slotted in at No. 2 overall, tied with the Jaguars and Raiders with a 2-9 record. Since then, the Giants and Raiders have both lost additional contests, moving them up to Nos. 1 & 2, respectively, but if the Jaguars also fall tomorrow, they would be reinstated at No. 1.

Giants Expected To Retain GM Joe Schoen; Brian Daboll On Steady Ground?

November 24th, 2024 at 10:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

The past few offseasons have featured momentous swing-and-miss transactions on quarterbacks. The Deshaun Watson and Russell Wilson moves proved the most costly, but they did not (as of yet, at least) lead to GM firings. A spotlight on how the Giants’ ill-fated Daniel Jones contract will impact their current regime is shining, but New York is still only expected to feature one GM vacancy this offseason.

With a third of the season to go, the Giants are still looking to stand pat with Joe Schoen. The third-year GM is not on track to follow Joe Douglas to the chopping block, according to CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones. Although a recent report pegged Brian Daboll as coaching for his job over the homestretch, Schoen may be on steadier ground.

Mara said in October he did not envision Schoen or Daboll being booted before season’s end or in 2025, but the Giants have not won a game since those comments. While momentum for a third Joe Judge year surfaced before his eventual firing, Jones adds Daboll is also still presumed safe due to the owner wanting more stability.

The quick hooks given to Ben McAdoo, Pat Shurmur and Judge are benefiting Daboll, who has gone 8-19 since his 2022 Coach of the Year season. That 2022 showing led the Giants to pay Jones (four years, $160MM), and the team is set to eat the remainder of the QB’s guarantees at signing this year and then $22.2MM in prorated bonus money come 2025. Tommy DeVito will have a significant say in whether Daboll is brought back, and Mara’s past at GM would suggest Schoen is safer than Daboll.

Jerry Reese received an extended chance to return the Giants to contender status, as the two-time Super Bowl-winning GM oversaw four seasons without a playoff berth before the 2016 slate — one coming after a free agency splurge for defensive help — led to a return. Mara canned Reese and McAdoo after an Eli Manning benching late in the 2017 season, but Reese’s extended run preceded Dave Gettleman being given four full seasons; none of those brought a postseason berth. Schoen being dropped after three years, the first of which being viewed as a rebuild, would seem hasty by comparison.

Additionally, Jonathan Jones notes Mara’s involvement in Giants day-to-day operations made the owner well aware why the Giants paid Jones in 2023. This well-chronicled sequence eventually led Saquon Barkley to Philadelphia, and while Hard Knocks portrayed Mara as somber once the running back bolted this offseason, the Giants had long held a Jones-over-Barkley stance in 2023. Mara also stumped for Jones in 2022, proclaiming he would remain the starter despite struggles in prior years. The owner cited an inability to build a team around Jones back then, and although Schoen authorized the QB’s second contract, the owner being onboard with that move points to Schoen having a chance to acquire his own quarterback.

Schoen passed on the Michael Penix Jr.–J.J. McCarthy–Bo Nix trio to draft Malik Nabers this year, doing so after the Patriots rebuffed his Drake Maye-centered trade offer for No. 3 overall. This proved risky, as the 2025 QB class is not held in the same regard as this year’s crop. But Schoen was in Miami for the Hurricanes’ Wake Forest matchup, per Jones; Miami, of course, rosters one of next year’s top prospects in QB Cam Ward. The team has already been tied to Shedeur Sanders as well. With Ward and Sanders viewed as next year’s top two QB prospects, connections to the Giants should persist.

The Giants chose their last QB1 in what was viewed as a down draft, having passed on both Sam Darnold and Josh Allen (to take Barkley) in 2018. Unless the team would be OK with a veteran replacing Jones, it appears another dive into a maligned draft pool at the position is on tap. As it stands, it will be Schoen making that call.

Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders Playing In Shrine Bowl

November 22nd, 2024 at 10:12pm CST by Ely Allen

It’s become clear that scouts only view two quarterbacks in this year’s draft class as elite prospects: Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders and Miami’s Cam Ward. While it’s almost certain that both players will be taking the next step to the NFL following this college football season, Sanders pretty much made it official this week by accepting an invite to play in the East-West Shrine Bowl this winter.

Sanders has been one of two leaders on an electric Buffalos team that is still in the running for the Big 12 championship and a spot in the College Football Playoff. Sanders ranks sixth in the FBS with 322.2 passing yards per game and is tied for second with 27 passing touchdowns, adding four scores on the ground. He has a chance to end the season with a bang by rattling off some wins here to close out 2024 and continue elevating his stock in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Ward is right up there with Sanders. He leads the FBS in both passing yards (3,409) and passing touchdowns (32) and has four additional scrimmage touchdowns of his own (three on the ground and one receiving). He’s led the Hurricanes to a 9-1 record through 10 games, and like Colorado, Miami is in position to appear in their conference title game and secure a spot in the 12-team playoff.

Past Sanders and Ward, though, experts view 2025’s quarterbacks class as relatively barren. In a discussion with Brock Huard of FOX Sports and Steve Serby of the New York Post, ESPN’s Matt Miller claimed that “it’s Shedeur 1…Cam 2, and then…there’s a bit of a gap between (them and) the next crop of quarterbacks,” including guys like Carson Beck of Georgia, Quinn Ewers of Texas, and Jaxson Dart of Ole Miss.

Miller sees Sanders and Ward as the only two likely first-round picks in the class of passers. He projects Beck, Ewers, Penn State’s Drew Allar, Alabama’s Jalen Milroe, and LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier as potential mid- to late-round projects but goes so far as to suggest that Milroe and Nussmeier should return for another year of development in the SEC.

Even though Sanders and Ward are seen as clear favorites and leaders of this class, Miller speculated where the two would fall in last year’s draft class in a discussion with another NYP writer, Ryan Dunleavy. Miller claimed that, despite Sander’s “surgical” accuracy and Ward’s “ability to dial up velocity like crazy,” both would fall lower than four of the first five quarterbacks taken last year in his rankings, Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, and J.J. McCarthy. He believes they compare more favorably with the other two first-round passers taken last year, Michael Penix and Bo Nix.

Just because he views Sanders and Ward more in the realm of Penix and Nix, that doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll be drafted in the 8-12 range like those two were. Teams in need of a new, young passer don’t have the luxury to wait around that long and hope that no one trades ahead or takes a flyer on their future franchise arm. A QB-need tends to make NFL teams antsy, often forcing them to overvalue a passer past their actual worth.

There’s plenty left to be seen through the remainder of the college season, conference championships, and the College Football Playoff. Following all that will be prospect games, like the Senior Bowl and East-West Shrine Bowl, the NFL Scouting Combine, and each school’s pro day. Who knows? Maybe we’ll even see Sanders for the West suiting up against Ward for the East in Frisco, TX, this winter for the Shrine Bowl. Until then, both quarterbacks still have a lot to prove in order to hear their names called early on the first night of the draft next April.

Load More Posts