The 2025 NFL Draft is shaping up to be a much different story than last year’s version. In 2024, six quarterbacks were taken in the first round. This year, only Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders have clearly separated themselves from the rest of the pack. While Ward looks like a surefire bet, questions continue to swirl around Sanders.
Despite his strong numbers and high-level accuracy, concerns about competition level and other lingering doubts from draft experts have created uncertainty around the Colorado Buffaloes star. That uncertainty led one analyst to compare Sanders to one of the most polarizing quarterbacks of the past decade: Johnny Manziel.
Shedeur Sanders = Johnny Manziel 2.0?
Heading into the 2014 NFL Draft, Johnny Manziel was one of the most divisive prospects in recent memory. His legendary freshman season saw him break NCAA Division I FBS and SEC records while becoming the first freshman to win the Heisman Trophy, Manning Award, and Davey O’Brien Award.
Some, like outspoken sports media figure Skip Bayless, were all-in on the Texas A&M product. When Manziel was selected 22nd overall by the Cleveland Browns, Bayless even claimed he would become a bigger star in Cleveland than LeBron James.
Others weren’t convinced. Former NFL head coach Barry Switzer famously called Manziel “undraftable” and referred to him as “an arrogant little p****.”
According to Kyle Brandt of “Good Morning Football,” Sanders may be similarly polarizing, though for different reasons. After reviewing various mock drafts, Brandt noted how drastically opinions on Sanders vary.
Some mocks have Sanders going as high as No. 2 overall, while others drop him to the 20s. That discrepancy prompted Brandt to say, “I think this is the kind of draft — there aren’t a lot of good quarterbacks, but there’s one incredibly fascinating quarterback, and it’s Shedeur Sanders.”
With so many differing opinions — whether based on talent, pedigree, or personality — Brandt said he’s ready for anything. “There will be nothing that shocks me in that. He goes number one overall? Won’t even shock me. [Or even] No. 32? Second round?”
Could Shedeur Sanders fall in the 2025 #NFLDraft? 🧐@KyleBrandt weighs in his thoughts and more in Hour 1 of the #GMFB Podcast 🎧⬇️ https://t.co/YGNn3VAnVa pic.twitter.com/sNVKvfcZJ5
— Good Morning Football (@gmfb) April 3, 2025
That’s when he brought up the Manziel comp. “The comp that I have for it at the draft is Johnny Manziel. Not the same player, not the same person, but really people showed up to that draft being like, ‘I don’t know based on 50 different factors where he’s going.’”
Manziel’s career, of course, didn’t go well. He played in just five games as a rookie and struggled. He started 10 games in Year 2 with modest improvement, but off-field issues and injuries derailed his career. As Switzer predicted, he was soon out of the league.
While no one hopes Sanders follows a similar path, Brandt offered his own prediction about the polarizing prospect’s future.
“My gut is that he will not get that far, Shedeur. Because I just don’t think that teams, franchises, GMs, can resist the pedigree, the talents, the sizzle, the toughness.”
Brentley Weissman’s latest mock draft from PFSN backs Brandt’s hunch. Weissman has Sanders landing in New York with the Giants as the third overall pick.