2025 NFL Draft Picks: Which Team Will Select Shedeur Sanders?
-
Scott Kacsmar
- April 16, 2025
Most draft classes have a polarizing figure that splits fans and experts alike. For the 2025 NFL Draft, it appears that player is Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, the son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, who was also his head coach in college.
One thing that most people can agree on is that Miami’s Cam Ward is going to be the No. 1 overall pick. His odds to go No. 1 have reached -10000 at some top-rated sportsbooks, so it appears that Sanders will be no better than the No. 2 quarterback in this draft.
Normally, the No. 2 quarterback in a draft class has a good shot at going very high in the draft. But Sanders has a wide range of NFL draft projections as some see him going No. 2 to Cleveland and some think he falls into the 20s or even out of the first round entirely. Some think Jaxson Dart will be drafted before Sanders, making him QB3 in this class.
| Team | Odds | Offered by |
|---|---|---|
| New Orleans Saints | +100 | |
| New York Giants | +325 | |
| Cleveland Browns | +600 | |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | +600 |
One could argue this is only happening because his famous father rubs people the wrong way. Some have suggested that Deion (“Coach Prime”) wants his sons to be drafted as a package duo as his other son Shilo is a cornerback with late-round potential. Some have also floated the idea that he could block his son’s draft and force a trade to another team a la John Elway (1983) and Eli Manning (2004).
Whatever happens, draft night figures to be high on drama and entertainment value when the cameras will be on the Sanders family in the green room as they wait to see which team takes Shedeur.
But what do the sportsbooks think with the current odds for which team will select Shedeur Sanders? We looked at those odds from BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review), and there has been a recent shake-up as a new favorite’s emerged with just over a week before draft night on April 24, 2025.
New Orleans Saints: The New Favorites (+100)
Whether it’s real or a draft smokescreen, there was big news in New Orleans this past week when it was announced that quarterback Derek Carr is dealing with a shoulder injury that could put his 2025 NFL season in doubt if he opts for surgery to fix it.
The news took many by surprise, as even though Carr sat out the final four games of the 2024 season, it’s very unusual timing to announce this type of injury aggravation in April, a full five months since Carr last played in a game.
It’s also conveniently timed with the draft right around the corner. The Saints were already in a bind with having to pay Carr some fairly obscene money for missing the playoffs again, and it’s not like new coach Kellen Moore has any history with him to feel more sympathy about his situation.
It was never a lock that Carr would be back for the 2025 season anyway, but this potential shoulder surgery only makes it more likely that the Saints will look at this draft for their next franchise quarterback.
Coach Moore’s Project?
It just so happens they hold the No. 9 pick, putting them in ripe position to either take a falling Sanders or take a shot on Jaxson Dart from Ole Miss.
With Sanders, Moore would be getting the kind of quarterback he can certainly work some magic with. Sanders is a pocket passer with good accuracy and enough mobility to thrive in the NFL. He won’t be able to run past defenders like Lamar Jackson, but he’s like a deluxe version of Teddy Bridgewater from a decade ago with some obvious NFL genes on his side from his dad.
But Sanders has some stubbornness with holding the ball and taking bad sacks, something that can be coached out of him. It’s a task Moore would be up to, and they certainly have some downfield receiving talent in New Orleans with Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed.
With the Carr news, the Saints become a logical fit for a player who has seen his draft stock slip in this process to the point where he could very well be there at No. 9 for them to take without any trades.
New York Giants: The Big Apple (+325)
The New York Giants have the second-best odds to land Sanders, but this feels like a team that’s focusing on getting Travis Hunter (the Colorado stud who won the Heisman) or Abdul Carter (top-ranked edge rusher) with the No. 3 pick in the draft. Recent odds have favored Carter going to the Giants.
There’s also the fact that the Giants have already signed veteran quarterbacks like Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston to decent-sized contracts in free agency. Is either a long-term answer for head coach Brian Daboll? Probably not, but they can at least start and buy him time to beef up this offense with Malik Nabers and possibly getting Hunter in the mix too with that No. 3 pick.
All things considered, it might be in the Giants’ best interest to take Hunter or Carter and worry about their quarterback of the future in another draft.
Cleveland Browns: Another QB-QB Start to a Draft? (+600)
The Browns are tied for the third-best odds to take Sanders, but it’s interesting as they hold the No. 2 pick and could make this yet another NFL draft that starts with two quarterbacks in two picks. A typical story in this league.
But after the Browns checked out Colorado’s stars in private, the main takeaway from NFL reporter Adam Schefter was that they really liked Travis Hunter, and that could be their pick at No. 2 now as a wide receiver and/or cornerback.
Naturally, Schefter’s report saw oddsmakers adjust things to make Hunter the favorite to go No. 2 to the Browns. That may be what happens, but at least there is an argument that the Browns need a quarterback after getting nothing out of Deshaun Watson to this point. They traded for Kenny Pickett, but that doesn’t feel like the long-term answer either.
But in another recent move, the Browns brought back veteran Joe Flacco, who helped lead them to the playoffs two seasons ago. They also have been linked to possibly trading for Kirk Cousins (Falcons) as he has a history with coach Kevin Stefanski back in their days at Minnesota together.
It seems like the Browns have enough ideas at quarterback, and if they don’t love Sanders to death as a prospect, they shouldn’t be using that No. 2 pick on him, which is going to cause him to freefall a bit if the Giants aren’t interested either at No. 3.
Pittsburgh Steelers: The Sleeper? (+600)
We’ve already laid it out to where the Browns (No. 2) and Giants (No. 3) are likely to pass on Sanders, leaving it up to the Saints (No. 9) to make their decision. But if the Saints decline too, then we could really see Sanders fall as the next group of teams are fairly set at quarterback for now.
That’s why the other team with +600 odds to take Sanders is the Pittsburgh Steelers, who technically don’t have a quarterback yet, as Aaron Rodgers hasn’t signed despite weeks of drama already. Even if Rodgers does sign in Pittsburgh, he’s going on 42 years old, so that shouldn’t change their decision to use a 1st-round pick on a quarterback in 2025.
But the Steelers pick at No. 21. Historically, that’s a terrible range to take a quarterback, and it’s already blown up twice in Pittsburgh’s face with Mark Malone (1980) and Kenny Pickett (2022). Neither was a worthy replacement for Terry Bradshaw or Ben Roethlisberger.
If you’re Mike Tomlin, do you really want Coach Prime in your ear when you’re already trying to manage a locker room with George Pickens and DK Metcalf as your wide receivers? There’s a mutual respect between Deion and Tomlin if you’ve ever listened to Sanders praise him while he was a media member on NFL Network, but things can get different in 2025 when he’s now a coach and his son is in the NFL. That might play into the decision too.
It’s also possible the Steelers take Jaxson Dart instead, or they may just say to hell with the quarterback class, sign Old Man Rodgers, and draft an edge rusher.
Conclusion: Who Drafts Shedeur Sanders?
It’s one of the most intriguing storylines in this draft, but it really looks like the Shedeur Sanders draft decision comes down to New Orleans or Pittsburgh. If neither pulls the trigger, then good luck to him going in the first round. He might even land in Cleveland at No. 33 in that situation.
But the weird timing of the Carr news feels like a legitimate shift is taking place, and the Saints are going to end up drafting Sanders with the No. 9 pick. Kellen Moore will try to bring him along the way he got to work with Dak Prescott, Justin Herbert, and Jalen Hurts in his NFL coaching stops.
Deion was drafted by Atlanta, a division rival to New Orleans, but you have to believe that’s a city he can vibe with his son going to as the new face of the franchise. I’d expect all smiles if he’s the No. 9 pick next Thursday night.
But if he’s waiting for hours after that, get your popcorn ready for a long night.
NFL Pick: Team to Draft Shedeur Sanders – New Orleans Saints (+100) at BetOnline
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.
