Colorado Buffaloes QB Shedeur Sanders is headed to the 2025 NFL Draft as one of the most hyped prospects. He is viewed by most draft experts as one of the two best quarterback prospects in the draft, alongside Miami Hurricanes’ Cam Ward.
While Sanders won’t be participating in the 2025 NFL Combine drills to be held at the Lucas Oil Stadium from February 27 to March 2, he is set to engage in team meetings and interviews with the top brass of several franchises.
Sanders was spotted with hats of three NFL teams while walking around in Indianapolis before traveling to the stadium for the NFL Combine, sending vague hints about the team he would go with.
Shedeur Sanders Spotted With Hats of Browns, Vikings, and Saints at NFL Combine
Quarterbacks can change a franchise’s fortunes, and with Sanders being one of the best available in the draft, many teams would be working to create an opportunity to draft him.
For now, it seems that the Cleveland Browns, Minnesota Vikings, and New Orleans Saints have had talks with Sanders after the quarterback was spotted with the hats of the respective teams in Indianapolis.
Shedeur Sanders is walking around Indianapolis with Browns, Vikings, and Saints hats on his backpack 🤔
pic.twitter.com/KcTpju6DXg— SleeperNFL (@SleeperNFL) February 27, 2025
While the Browns make sense, given that their Deshaun Watson experiment has turned into one of the most expensive failures in NFL history, the Saints and the Vikings are relatively surprising candidates.
New Orleans have reaffirmed their commitment to Derek Carr, and while it could look to add Sanders as a long-term successor for Carr, the Colorado QB is unlikely to agree to warming the bench.
Meanwhile, the Vikings drafted J.J. McCarthy in the first round last year, and even if they re-sign Sam Darnold, having two young quarterbacks on the team doesn’t make sense.
However, in the PFSN’s latest mock draft by Owain Jones, none of the above three teams are picking Sanders. Jones predicts the Browns will pass on him and has Sanders going to the Las Vegas Raiders at No.6.
“If one of the top two quarterbacks is available here, it is difficult to see the Las Vegas passing on one. The Sanders family has a history with the Las Vegas Raiders, who desperately need competent play under center.
“Shedeur Sanders has a pro-ready skill set but doesn’t offer the sky-high ceiling that others do. The steady Colorado passer has great accuracy, processing, and pace control to be a game manager in the NFL.”
Las Vegas, with needs on multiple positions, has been scouring the market for a franchise quarterback but hasn’t found a definite answer in the past few seasons.
Sanders, who finished fourth in the country with 4,134 passing yards and a 74% completion rate (the highest of all QBs in 2024), could be the answer the Raiders need.