The upcoming 2025 NFL Draft is loaded with talent, and the debate over where Shedeur Sanders should be selected is heating up.
Sanders is widely considered one of the two best quarterbacks in the draft, and while many have predicted his stock will fall in the coming weeks, former NFL executive Louis Riddick still views him as a franchise quarterback.
Louis Riddick Shares Shedeur Sanders’ Draft Outlook
With the first wave of free agency shaping the market, many teams — including the Tennessee Titans, who hold the No. 1 overall pick — are in need of a franchise quarterback. The question is, who goes first: Sanders or Cam Ward?
Riddick not only believes Ward will go first overall but also claims the Miami Hurricanes quarterback is “worthy of going first overall.” However, he rates Sanders just as highly and believes he could be a franchise quarterback, just like Ward.
“How do people view Shedeur Sanders?” Riddick said. “I view him as a franchise player. I view him as a franchise quarterback. It would be great again to follow the blueprint of drafting him, have the quarterback room set up to where he can kind of get his bearings, get settled in Year 1, and then take off Year 2,” he said on “Get Up.”
“He has the mental horsepower. He has plenty of arm strength. He has plenty of mobility. He has toughness galore,” Riddick added.
Riddick also addressed the criticism Sanders has faced over his reportedly “brash” attitude in team meetings at the NFL Combine, arguing that it stems from personal biases against his father, Deion Sanders.
“There are personal biases, though, that scouts have, that general managers have against his family overall because of how larger than life Deion is. Some people have an ability to separate personal feelings from the job at hand, which is to evaluate a player and determine whether he fits your organization. Some people don’t. The personal kind of creeps into it because they just don’t maybe like his father,” the former Browns safety said.
Is Shedeur Sanders a franchise quarterback in this #NFLDraft?#NFL #GoBuffs pic.twitter.com/Tn7TlfRPGO
— Rich Eisen Show (@RichEisenShow) March 14, 2025
Riddick also pushed back against criticism of Sanders’ arm strength and athleticism, suggesting there isn’t much difference between him and Ward.
“There is a lot of criticism about he doesn’t have the biggest arm, he’s not a great athlete, he took too many sacks,” Riddick said. “And you’re sitting there going, ‘I don’t see any issues with Shedeur Sanders’ arm, and his athleticism is just fine.’ He can win from the pocket as well as anybody in the draft. There isn’t that big a gap between him and Cam Ward from an athletic standpoint. There just isn’t.”
Sanders has seemingly been targeted more following the NFL Combine, but like Riddick, many analysts continue to rate him highly and consider him a potential top-five pick. He had 4,134 passing yards, 41 total touchdowns, 10 interceptions, and a completion percentage of 74% in 2024 at Colorado.
Sanders’ Draft Position According to PFSN
In Anthony Pasciolla’s most recent mock draft, Sanders is predicted to go in the top three, landing with the New York Giants. He explained why Sanders and New York could be the perfect fit.
“It turns out Shedeur Sanders didn’t wear New York Giants-themed cleats for nothing, even though he isn’t going off the board at the top spot in this scenario. The Giants weren’t able to steal Matthew Stafford away from the Los Angeles Rams, and it remains to be seen if they can land Aaron Rodgers in free agency. Their only promising route may be the draft.
“Sanders is a near-perfect fit in New York. Regardless of how he performs on the field, he’s a popular player and the son of an NFL legend joining one of the biggest markets.”
Doubting Sanders’ on-field talent appears to be an unpopular stance. However, if his off-field persona is enough to hurt his draft stock, it will be up to NFL general managers to decide if the risk outweighs the reward.