Despite rising buzz around Shedeur Sanders as a top prospect for the 2025 NFL Draft, a new mock draft from ESPN suggests scouts may not be sold on him as a top-10 pick just yet.
In a mini mock draft conducted by ESPN’s Matt Miller, NFL scouts who were assigned to make selections for teams they had no affiliation with left Sanders out of the top 10 entirely. These picks were made based on team needs and each scout’s personal evaluation of the upcoming draft class.
One notable example was the New Orleans Saints at No. 9. While some speculation linked them to Sanders, the assigned scout passed on taking a quarterback altogether. The reasoning? A lack of conviction in the available QB prospects and a belief that addressing other roster holes took priority.
‘I thought about quarterback here, but there’s no one in this draft that I love,’ the scout said. ‘There isn’t that conviction to spend a top-10 pick on a guy when this roster has so many holes… Even with the Carr injury situation, we believe reaching for a quarterback would be a mistake given where they rank on our board’.
This comes amid growing chatter that the Saints may be eyeing Sanders as Derek Carr deals with a shoulder injury that could jeopardize his 2025 availability. Bleacher Report’s scouting department even projected New Orleans trading up to No. 6 to secure Sanders in their own mock draft. And according to the NFL Mock Draft Database, Sanders is the most frequently mocked pick to the Saints across major platforms.
Still, this ESPN mock highlights the disconnect between media hype and how some scouts currently view the 2025 quarterback class. It’s not that Sanders isn’t talented, it’s that scouts may not yet see a can’t-miss quarterback worth a premium pick.
While history shows that quarterback remains the most coveted position in the draft, teams have to weigh upside against immediate roster needs. For now, Sanders remains a top prospect to watch, but his top-10 status might not be as solid as it seems.
