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Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn.
While it’s almost impossible to dampen the enthusiasm around any NFL draft, it’s also OK to admit some years are more exciting than others.
Coming off a draft in 2024 that set records for most quarterbacks picked in the first round as well as most offensive players picked to open the first round and offensive players picked, total, in the first round, 2025 was bound to be a bit of a letdown.
That doesn’t mean there can’t still be some fireworks, and ESPN’s Field Yates predicts the Washington Commanders and Cleveland Browns could be behind what would amount to the biggest story of the draft. Yates’ prediction has the Commanders trade the No. 29 overall pick in the first round to the Browns in exchange for the Browns’ second round pick (No. 34 overall) and a fourth round pick (No. 104 overall) so the the Browns can select Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders.
It’s a move might actually melt the internet, as it would reunite Sanders with his college teammate and the Browns’ projected No. 2 overall pick in wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter.
It would also help the Commanders get some sense of balance back by adding another pick. Washington enters the draft with only 5 picks total.
“Sanders — my No. 16 overall player — would reunite with Hunter,” Yates wrote on April 24. “Predicting landing spots for quarterbacks beyond (Cam) Ward has proved difficult this year, but if Sanders gets past Pittsburgh at No. 21, Cleveland could get good value here. He’s accurate and throws with touch, and he’d improve the Browns’ QB outlook. They currently have Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett, with Deshaun Watson out because of a torn Achilles.”
Sanders Dropping Like Rock Headed Into Draft
The general viewing public could be in for an Aaron Rodgers-esque fall for Sanders in the first round after his draft stock has gone down like the Hindenburg over the last month.
“When the evaluation process started in January we were speaking like who would be the quarterback to go first and it was a toss up between Ward and Sanders,” ESPN’s Ryan Clark said on “First Take” on April 24. “But that separation was created pretty quickly … but sometimes you can fall to a better situation and it’s not where you were drafted but who you were drafted to.”
If it’s just about the numbers, Sanders has few peers. Over 4 college seasons at Jackson State and Colorado he made 50 starts, threw for 14,137 yards, 135 touchdowns and 27 interceptions while completing 70.1 percent of his passes. In 2024, Sanders threw for a career high 4,134 yards to go with 37 touchdowns and a career high 10 interceptions.
The main criticism of Sanders seems to be over his demeanor. One anonymous NFL assistant coach’s quote about Sanders in a story from NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero caught fire in the days leading up to the draft.
“The worst formal interview I’ve ever been in in my life,” the assistant coach told Pelissero about Sanders. “He’s so entitled. He takes unnecessary sacks. He never plays on time. He has horrible body language. He blames teammates. … But the biggest thing is, he’s not that good.”
