One of the hottest topics going into the 2025 NFL Draft is, has been and will continue to be just where exactly Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders is going to be selected.
Some have recently speculated whether he'll fall out of the first round entirely. Meanwhile, there are still whispers that have a few teams thinking about Sanders within the top 10 picks.
One of those teams, to no one's surprise at this point, is the New Orleans Saints. Owning the no. 9 overall pick, New Orleans could be in prime position to come away with Sanders if they so choose. But, will they make that choice?
Saints beat reporter Jeff Duncan, of The Times-Picayune/NOLA dot com, recently let us in on some massive draft intel.
Don't be surprised when the Saints pass on Shedeur Sanders in the first round
"I'm not sure who the Saints are going to pick at No. 9 on Thursday night," Duncan wrote.
"But I think I can safely say that it won't be Shedeur Sanders."
For a team that is highly unsure at the quarterback position when it comes to their plans in 2025, those are some strong words.
Sure, Sanders is a polarizing prospect and some firmly believe he is not worthy of being a first-round selection. But, for a franchise like New Orleans to pass on a potential long-term quarterback solution, they'd have to be pretty darn sure he wasn't the answer.
Passing on Sanders at no. 9 all but guarantees the Saints will not end up with him by the end of draft weekend. New Orleans won't pick again until no. 40 overall on Day 2 of the draft, and by then, they'll have seen teams like the Browns and Giants have multiple shots at selecting Sanders.
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If the Saints want Sanders, he's got to be the pick at no. 9, if not somehow landed in a trade-back scenario.
The level-headed portion of Who Dat Nation will likely be in favor of passing on Sanders and will instead hope for a top offensive lineman, among other potential prospects. It does make sense getting more of a sure thing and a cornerstone player while putting the quarterback position off just one more day (or year, for that matter).
If not Sanders, who do the Saints target at quarterback in this draft? Well, as we've also heard recently, New Orleans may have their eyes on two specific prospects in the second round.
What will they do? We're hours away from finding out. Stay tuned.