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Shedeur Sanders: New betting favorite emerges after NFL Draft slide

IMG_6598by:Nick Kosko•04/25/25•

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Shedeur Sanders’ draft betting odds took a massive shift, according to DraftKings Sportsbook. Previously, the Colorado QB was -500 to be selected by the Cleveland Browns Thursday night.

With the Browns trading back and not selecting him, Sanders was projected pretty much all over the place. Going into Friday night for rounds two and three, a new favorite emerged.

And, it was a team that was previously linked with Sanders near the top of the draft. In fact, it might be a logical fit.

DraftKings revealed the Las Vegas Raiders are now -185 favorites to select Sanders while the Browns shifted to +230 ahead of round two. The Raiders currently have veteran Geno Smith under center going into 2025.

There are four other teams in the running, at least in terms of the best odds. Sanders could get drafted by the Steelers (+320), Saints (+850), Rams (+1300), or Jets (+1500).

The Colorado quarterback said, “We didn’t expect this,” but it adds “more fuel to the fire.” That was Sanders’ instant reaction to not getting drafted Thursday night.

“I feel like with God, anything possible,” Sanders said. “I don’t feel like this happened for no reason. All this is is fuel to the fire. Under no circumstance, we all know this shouldn’t have happened, but we understand we’re on to bigger and better things. Tomorrow’s a day, and we’re gonna be happy regardless.”

Before the draft, there was speculation about where Sanders would land since his stock seemed to be falling. The thought was either the New York Giants, New Orleans Saints or the Pittsburgh Steelers would select Sanders, but all three teams went in different directions in the draft.

Sanders has had his share of critics during the draft process but has had notable figures showing him support, including Nick Saban. “I do think I’m a Shedeur fan,” Saban said on ESPN’s College GameDay. “Because I think he played in a little different style in college because of the players around him, he had to scramble more. But when he can drop, set his feet, and throw on time he’s the most accurate guy from the quarterback position as anyone.”

Daniel Jeremiah of the NFL Network ranked Sanders as the 20th-best prospect in his top 150 rankings. “Sanders is a slightly undersized quarterback with outstanding touch, accuracy and toughness. He operates out of the ‘gun and is crisp in his footwork/setup,” Jeremiah wrote.

“When he has time and space in the pocket, he throws from a strong platform, showcasing a compact, smooth delivery. He really keeps his left arm tucked close to his body, which aids his ball placement. He relies more on timing and anticipation than pure velocity. He isn’t a sudden/twitchy mover when pressured, and that’s part of the reason why he took so many sacks over the past two seasons. Still, the main culprit was poor protection.”

Brian Jones contributed to this report.