Shedeur Sanders vs. Cam Ward: Which QB should go first in 2025 NFL Draft?
As the college football season unfolded, it became increasingly clear that one quarterback stood above all the rest when it comes to the NFL Draft: Shedeur Sanders.
The Colorado signal-caller has been rock-solid all season, guiding the Buffs to a 9-3 record and a date with BYU in the Alamo Bowl (Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET). And Sanders remains at the top of the odds board, sitting at -200 (bet $10 to win $15 total) this week to go No. 1 overall.
But another player has been gaining some late steam: Miami‘s Cam Ward, who has led his team to a 10-2 mark and matchup against Iowa State in the Pop-Tarts Bowl (Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET). The Canes’ star is second in betting odds to go No. 1 overall, at +170 (bet $10 to win $27 total).
With the race seeming to heat up, we thought it would be fun to have our experts examine these two quarterbacks more closely and chime in on which QB deserves to be drafted first.
Jason McIntyre, Rob Rang, Bucky Brooks and RJ Young were up to the task. Here’s what they had to say.
Jason McIntyre: Cam Ward
I had Cam Ward No. 1 in my mock draft, and for most teams that are QB-needy, I’d take Ward. He’s an extremely gifted thrower, moves fluidly in the pocket, and watching him this season lead the Miami Hurricanes back to relevance — he turns 23 in May and maturity won’t be an issue.
[Jason McIntyre’s mock draft: Giants grab Ward at No. 1, Raiders get Sanders]
The one team that definitely makes sense for Shedeur Sanders is the Las Vegas Raiders. The Raiders thought they had their “face” of the franchise in Jon Gruden, and that failed miserably. Sanders is a big-time star, but I see a lot of backyard football in him — similar to Caleb Williams.
But Sanders has only played football for his dad dating back to high school, where his dad was the offensive coordinator at Trinity Christian in Texas. Then they both went to Jackson State. Then they both went to Colorado.
If your team drafts Shedeur, just know that the clock instantly begins ticking on Deion Sanders being your next head coach. I’m not sure how many coaches will push back against this ahead of the draft.
Rob Rang: Shedeur Sanders
No quarterback improved his NFL draft stock more in 2024 than Ward, but in the race to be the first signal-caller selected in the 2025 NFL Draft, Sanders remains well ahead of him.
Statistics can be bent to prove a lot of things, but in the case of Sanders’ FBS-leading 74.2% completion rate this season, the numbers bear out what’s on film — the simple fact that “Deion’s kid” is the most accurate quarterback in the country.
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