Mel Kiper Jr. reveals whether Shedeur Sanders could slide in 2025 NFL Draft

Shedeur Sanders has been the talk of the draft as April rolls around, and we’re grow closer towards finding out where the former Colorado star will land in the NFL. While Mel Kiper Jr. can see him going as high as No. 3 to the New York Giants, a slide in the first round isn’t out of the question either. 

During an appearance on ESPN’s Get Up on Tuesday, Kiper evaluated all options for Sanders. Even with their recent signings of Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston, the Giants are in the cards, but if they opt to look elsewhere in the 2025 NFL Draft, Sanders might have to wait a bit to hear his name called. Kiper threw out the Saints, Steelers and Rams as potential options throughout the first round. 

“It’s happened a lot over the years. I went back to 1970. If you want the best opportunity to get a quarterback, based on the numbers, that’s in the top five of the draft. Now, that sliding quarterback — we’ve had eight. According to my rankings and my mocks that I’ve had going back to 1970, six of those eight were big hits. Two were busts — that was Jimmy Clausen and Brady Quinn, the two Notre Dame quarterbacks. So, if Shedeur does slide, it bodes pretty well for him and the team that drafts him,” Kiper stated. “The top five is the best spot to get that guy though, in terms of the history of the draft. But in terms of Shedeur, New Orleans is sitting there at No. 9. Pittsburgh sitting there at No. 20. The Rams are sitting there at No. 26. 

“So again, you talk about, ‘If we don’t get Shedeur, we can get somebody else.’ What if those guys are gone? You’re not going to have like five or six guys after the top one or two. It’s not going to happen. So, if you identify the one or two guys you really like, you want to move forward with as your developmental quarterback, you better get one of those guys. You can’t lose them. So this notion, trade out, move around, do this — there’s no guarantee you’re going to get that player. 

“For Shedeur Sanders, I agree — he’s not rated, in terms of my rankings, and a lot of people I’ve been looking to in the league, that high. So the Giants though, they’re the team picking No. 3. We know they always force quarterbacks up there. My point would be, if you don’t get Shedeur, and you don’t take Shedeur, who is that developmental quarterback going to be? Because they’re going to draft a quarterback within the first two rounds of the draft.”

Evidently, Kiper believes the Giants are going to pick a quarterback within the first 64 picks anyway, so Sanders at No. 3 would make the most sense. However, if general manager Joe Schoen wants the best player available at the spot, it might be hard to pass up Sanders’ college teammate Travis Hunter, or Penn State’s Abdul Carter if they’re available when they’re on the clock. 

Regardless, Mel Kiper Jr. realizes there’s one team that will be elated to bring Shedeur Sanders to their franchise later this month. Whether it’s the Giants at No. 3, the Saints at No. 9, the Steelers at No. 21 or someone else within the first 32 picks, his NFL future seems bright. We’ll just have to wait and see which jersey he’s wearing in 2025.