Shedeur Sanders could very possibly be the #1 overall pick in a fairly open 2025 NFL Draft — but his father Deion is going to have the final say on where the Colorado quarterback begins his NFL career.
Expectations for Shedeur will be high when he enters the NFL — and not only because a 2024 rookie, Jayden Daniels, just led the Washington Commanders to the NFC title game. Shedeur threw for 4,134 yards and 37 touchdowns against 10 interceptions in his final NCAA season with Coach Prime calling the shots. The 22-year-old is ready for the big time and the bright lights of the NFL…but we are still three months away from knowing his destination.
Raiders’ chances to land Shedeur get a big boost
For months, it has been speculated that Shedeur’s preferred NFL landing spot would be Las Vegas, where he would try to revive the moribund Raiders franchise and compete with Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC West. Shedeur’s chances to land in Vegas were harmed by the Raiders’ late-season “turnaround”; the Silver and Black will pick sixth in the 2025 draft, a few spots below Shedeur’s expected draft zone…but minority owner Tom Brady might be able to conjure up some magic that would bring a new franchise QB to LV.
The Raiders have just completed an interview with New York Giants assistant general manager Brandon Brown — an executive who has strong ties to Deion, Shedeur, and Colorado. Brown was interviewed to replace Tom Telesco as the Raiders’ GM, and his hiring would be a strong signal of intent that Las Vegas wants to make Shedeur’s dream come true.
When Brown visited Boulder early in the 2024 season, he offered Shedeur and other Colorado players some advice on what NFL scouts and front offices are looking for when they watch a game.
“When you think nobody’s watching, somebody’s watching,” Brown said when he visited Colorado’s players. “We’re looking at everything, whether it’s your mannerisms, your attention to detail, what kind of teammate you are, how do you train.”
These words stuck with Shedeur, as he produced arguably the greatest season for a Colorado quarterback in the program’s history. Whether the Raiders’ ownership group and its next GM can maneuver into a dream pairing with Shedeur — who may even bring Deion along with him as his first NFL coach — remains to be seen.