{"id":227030,"date":"2025-04-09T11:00:41","date_gmt":"2025-04-09T15:00:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/?p=227030"},"modified":"2025-04-08T22:38:20","modified_gmt":"2025-04-09T02:38:20","slug":"nfl-insiders-hint-at-top-nfl-draft-prospect-shedeur-sanders-unexpected-fall-and-potential-trade-up-scenarios","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2025\/04\/09\/nfl-insiders-hint-at-top-nfl-draft-prospect-shedeur-sanders-unexpected-fall-and-potential-trade-up-scenarios\/","title":{"rendered":"NFL Insiders Hint at Top NFL Draft Prospect\u2019s Unexpected Fall and Potential Trade-up Scenarios"},"content":{"rendered":"

The NFL Draft is like a fourth-quarter Hail Mary\u2014chaotic, unpredictable, and capable of rewriting legacies in seconds. Imagine Tom Brady<\/a>\u2019s sixth-round slide meeting Aaron Rodgers\u2019 2005 freefall, but with a twist only 2025 could deliver. Enter Shedeur Sanders<\/a>\u2019 draft pick drama. Once viewed as a surefire top-five lock, the Colorado quarterback now dangles in a draft-day limbo, sparking debates louder than a heated tailgate argument over Marino\u2019s \u201984 season. The buzz? Teams are circling like hawks, ready to pounce if his stock slips further.<\/p>\n

So, where\u2019s the fire behind the smoke? ESPN<\/em>\u2019s Adam Schefter dropped a bombshell on\u00a0The Pat McAfee Show<\/em>: \u201cRight now, a couple weeks out, I don\u2019t think Shedeur Sanders is going No. 2. And, again, the signs point to him not going No. 3 either.\u201d<\/em> Instead, Schefter flagged the Saints (No. 9) and Steelers (No. 21) as top contenders, with dark horses like the Giants or Browns<\/a> potentially trading up. \u201cThis is to me is going to be the great question of round 1,\u201d<\/em> he said. \u201cWhere does Shedeur Sanders go?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

The Slide: From Surefire to Speculation<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Six months ago, Shedeur Sanders\u2019 draft pick chatter echoed the hype around Peyton Manning. Now? Analysts compare his tumble to Rodgers\u2019 infamous 2005 slide. Scouts whisper about pro-style readiness, while insiders note teams like the Giants<\/a> cooling on him. The Athletic<\/em>\u2019s Dianna Russini added on her Scoop City <\/em>podcast, \u201cI don’t really think that means that they’re not going to draft a QB. I just think now the draft becomes super interesting with what the Giants are going to do if they decide to go best player available.\u201d<\/em> If Sanders slips past No. 3, the Raiders<\/a> (No. 6) and Jets (No. 7) loom as threats\u2014or stepping stones\u2014to New Orleans.<\/p>\n

Schefter\u2019s Saints-Steelers theory hinges on history repeating. \u201cThere was a time we said Rodgers wouldn\u2019t slide to 23,\u201d<\/em> he mused. Pittsburgh, armed with pick 21, hasn\u2019t sent brass to Sanders\u2019 workouts, but Schefter insists: \u201cThe only quarterback that they would consider, me reading between the lines, would be Shedeur.\u201d<\/em> Could the Steelers<\/a> mimic the Packers<\/a>\u2019 Rodgers gamble? Steelers Nation is already dusting off Terrible Towels in hope.<\/p>\n

\n

A discussion with @tyschmit<\/a> about some of the potential landing spots for Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders.<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfa7 https:\/\/t.co\/0Ox8ODjMq2<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/MaHBY756S9<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 8, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Wild Cards and Whispered Rumors<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Beyond the Saints and Steelers, three under-the-radar teams lurk. The Dolphins<\/a>, Cardinals<\/a>, and Rams<\/a>\u2014all quarterback-needy\u2014could reshuffle the deck. Miami\u2019s Tua Tagovailoa faces durability questions, Arizona\u2019s Kyler Murray has skeptics in ownership, and the Rams\u2019 Stafford isn\u2019t getting younger. Schefter floated Arizona as a sleeper: \u201cWhat if all of a sudden they take Shedeur Sanders and then put it in a position where they can move on from Kyler Murray?\u201d<\/em> Meanwhile, PFSN<\/em>\u2019s latest mock drafts Sanders to the Jets<\/a> at No. 7, proving nothing\u2019s certain until Roger Goodell steps to the podium.<\/p>\n

Saints and Steelers: Shedeur Sanders\u2019 Draft Pick Front-Runners?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

New Orleans sits at No. 9 like a kid eyeing the last slice of pecan pie. Landing Sanders would electrify a fanbase craving a successor to Brees\u2019 legacy. But skeptics argue: Can he handle a pro system? Schefter remains bullish: \u201cNine to New Orleans\u2026 those are the two scenarios in my mind that are most plausible right now.\u201d<\/em> Saints<\/a> GM Mickey Loomis, known for draft-day wizardry, might need to channel his inner Sean Payton to seal the deal.<\/p>\n

Pittsburgh, meanwhile, is the quiet storm. With rumors swirling about Rodgers\u2019 indecision<\/a>, the Steelers could pivot to Sanders as their future. Schefter noted, \u201cI can\u2019t imagine he\u2019s gonna slide to 21. Would Pittsburgh be willing to trade up to a certain point to go get Shedeur Sanders, if he gets past those other spots?\u201d<\/em> If so, Mike Tomlin\u2019s knack for molding raw talent could turn Sanders into the next Big Ben\u2014or at least buy time until Rodgers faxes his answer.<\/p>\n

Shedeur Sanders\u2019 draft pick saga is a cocktail of suspense, strategy, and second-guessing. Will he defy the slide like Rodgers? Or become a cautionary tale? As Schefter said, \u201cThis is a fluid process, and it changes.\u201d<\/em> One thing\u2019s certain: On April 24, every GM\u2019s poker face will be tested.<\/p>\n

In the words of\u00a0Friday Night Lights\u2019<\/em> Coach Taylor,<\/em> \u201cEvery moment is a chance to prove who you are.\u201d For Shedeur Sanders, draft night isn\u2019t just a moment\u2014it\u2019s a reckoning. So, grab your bourbon and buckle up: This ride\u2019s wilder than a NASCAR finish.<\/p>\n

Main Image: \u00a0Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The NFL Draft is like a fourth-quarter Hail Mary\u2014chaotic, unpredictable, and capable of rewriting legacies in seconds. Imagine Tom Brady\u2019s sixth-round slide meeting Aaron Rodgers\u2019 2005 freefall, but with a twist only 2025 could deliver. Enter Shedeur Sanders\u2019 draft pick drama. Once viewed as a surefire top-five lock, the Colorado quarterback now dangles in a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5474,"featured_media":227163,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[36,33,8,25,17,34,4,28,20,6,9],"tags":[275,4674,404,32477,331],"class_list":["post-227030","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl-news","category-cardinals","category-browns","category-packers","category-raiders","category-rams","category-dolphins","category-saints","category-giants","category-jets","category-steelers","tag-aaron-rodgers","tag-kyler-murray","tag-matthew-stafford","tag-shedeur-sanders","tag-tom-brady"],"modified_by":"Drew Crabtree","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/227030","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5474"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=227030"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/227030\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":227164,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/227030\/revisions\/227164"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/227163"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=227030"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=227030"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=227030"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}