At the start of the NFL offseason, Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders was viewed as a potential top pick in the NFL draft.
Since then, Sanders’s name has jumped around on draft boards, as he was considered a candidate for the New York Giants at No. 3, the New York Jets at No. 7 and then New Orleans Saints at No. 9. Most recently, he’s been heavily attached to the Pittsburgh Steelers at pick No. 21.
However, two NFL insiders now think it’s possible Sanders drops out of the first round entirely.
CBS Sports' Jonathan Jones reported on Wednesday that some teams he's spoken to gave Sanders a second-round grade. Per Jones, there's a "very good chance" that Sanders will drop to the second round, and it’s possible he’s not even the second quarterback to come off of the board.
"I think that there's a very good chance that [Shedeur Sanders] is not selected on Thursday night."@jjones9 gives the latest on what he's hearing around the league on Shedeur Sanders, heading into draft night. pic.twitter.com/YAu75vEGNC
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) April 23, 2025
NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah has Sanders being selected by the Steelers—which is what Sanders seems to be insinuating at this time, too—but like Jones, believes that if the quarterback doesn't land in Pittsburgh, then he could drop to the second round. There isn't really another team behind the Steelers in the first round that look all that interested in Sanders.
Shedeur Sanders in the Steel City? 👀@Movethesticks can see it. pic.twitter.com/GKUgJbkmcS
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) April 24, 2025
On top of these NFL insiders making these statements on Wednesday, Sanders's draft position on betting websites dramatically moved from 8.5 to 21.5 on multiple draft books, Yahoo! Sports' Ben Fawkes reported, putting him right at the Steelers’ selection of No. 21.
As things stand, the momentum seems to be behind Sanders heading to Pittsburgh, as even Sanders was hinting at being a Steeler in the near-future earlier this week. That said, anything can happen in the draft. The first round can’t get here soon enough.
More NFL on Sports Illustrated
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Two NFL Insiders Think Shedeur Sanders Could Fall Out of the First Round of NFL Draft.
