With the Shrine Bowl behind them and the Senior Bowl set to take place on Saturday, Feb. 1, some of college football’s top prospects are looking to boost their draft stock as the 2025 NFL Draft rapidly approaches.
One name that continues to garner significant attention, despite not participating in either the Shrine or Senior Bowl, is Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders.
Sanders is widely regarded as a first-round selection and is considered one of the top two quarterbacks in the draft, alongside Miami’s Cam Ward. While the order of selection may vary between Sanders and Ward, both are often considered flip-flopped as the first quarterback off the board in mock drafts and analyst rankings.
Though Sanders won’t play in either of the bowl games, he still made a lasting impression while at the Shrine Bowl last week, where he met with several NFL teams. Reports from ESPN’s Matt Miller describe Sanders as “confident, funny, and comfortable,” adding that he “showed teams how much he loves the game of football while also expressing his willingness to work hard to be great at it.”
The next step for Sanders will be the NFL Combine, although it appears he will not throw at the event. It’s not uncommon for projected first-round quarterbacks to opt out of participating at the Combine, a route taken by last year’s No. 1 overall pick, Caleb Williams.
What stands out in Miller’s projection is the floor for Sanders. According to Miller, Sanders is unlikely to fall any further than No. 6 overall in the draft, which would land him with the Las Vegas Raiders.
If that were the case, Sanders would be under the guidance of new head coach Pete Carroll. Sanders would then be tasked with replacing last year’s primary starter, Gardner Minshew, along with Aidan O’Connell. Minshew, who signed a two-year, $25 million contract last season, is set to earn $12.5 million in 2025, per Spotrac. O’Connell, entering his third year in the league after being drafted by the Raiders in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft out of Purdue, is slated to earn just over $1 million next season. With Sanders potentially joining the team, O’Connell could be cut without much cap impact, making his future uncertain.
Sanders has hinted multiple times on social media that the Raiders would be a team he would like to play for. He’s also expressed interest in being the No. 1 overall pick, which currently belongs to the Tennessee Titans.