Quarterback prospect Shedeur Sanders finally threw in front of NFL evaluators this offseason, throwing over 60 passes at Colorado’s showcase for draft-eligible players. The throwing session confirmed what everyone already knew; Sanders is a polished quarterback prospect with elite accuracy.
However, the 60+ passes didn’t help solve the mystery of Sanders’ draft stock. The belief remains that he could go anywhere from second overall to somewhere later in the first round. One thing that did emerge after the pro day is a connection between Sanders and the New Orleans Saints.
The quarterback prospect was asked about possibly playing for Kellen Moore, and he raved about the player Moore was, while expressing how it’d be great to learn from someone who played the position at the highest level. In addition to those comments, the Saints now have the best odds to land Sanders, according to multiple sports books.
Saints are the favorites to draft Shedeur Sanders
When the offseason started, this didn’t seem like a possibility. With New Orleans picking at No. 9, Sanders was originally expected to be selected by one of the quarterback-needy teams ahead of the Saints. Of course, that could still happen, but with Cam Ward seeming like a lock at No. 1, and the other teams in the top 10 acquiring veteran quarterbacks, if Sanders isn’t selected by the Cleveland Browns at two, he could be available for New Orleans.
That would be big for the Saints, who haven’t drafted a first-round quarterback since 1971 when they selected Archie Manning with the second-overall pick. Since then, New Orleans has either had a quarterback, or been too low in the draft to select one of the top two quarterback prospects in a given class.
Entering the 2025 Draft, the Saints don’t have a quarterback of the future. Instead, they’re bringing Derek Carr back for a third season, and also have Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener on the roster. If Sanders is there at No. 9, the franchise will have to seriously consider drafting him.
Of course, there’s more to the evaluation than just Sanders’ availability. New Orleans will have to ask itself if it likes Sanders more than Rattler, or some of the other quarterback prospects the team could probably select on day two of the draft. If the answer is yes, the Saints need to get their guy.