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The 2025 NFL Draft begins Thursday, April 24 with the first round from Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Tennessee Titans hold the No. 1 pick in the draft and are expected to take Miami Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward. Two-way star and Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter is expected to be the No. 2 pick for the Cleveland Browns, who could also be considering Penn State pass rusher Abdul Carter at the spot. Carter is the favorite to go No. 3 to the New York Giants according to DraftKings, but there are rumblings New York could go with a quarterback instead. Could Colorado star Shedeur Sanders be the pick for the Giants instead of Carter or Hunter?

The Las Vegas Raiders were considered a landing spot for Sanders for a long time prior to their offseason trade for Geno Smith, re-uniting the former Seahawks quarterback with head coach Pete Carroll. The Raiders might be leaning towards filling a need at another offensive position, as they are +100 favorites to pick Boise State star running back Ashton Jeanty at No. 6. If Las Vegas does pass on Jeanty to fill a different need, where would the running back end up?

Favorites to draft Sheduer Sanders

  • Steelers +190
  • Browns +200
  • Giants +215
  • Raiders +700
  • Saints +750

Sanders was phenomenal in his second season at Colorado, throwing for 4,134 yards and 37 touchdowns while leading the Buffaloes to a 9-3 record. The quarterback also ran for four scores. Even though he threw 10 interceptions compared to just three in 2023, Sanders increased his completion percentage from 69.3% to 74% and his yards per attempt from 7.5 to 8.7. He did benefit from having Hunter, who racked up 1,258 yards and 15 scores, on his team but also got big contributions from LaJohntay Webster and Will Sheppard. Both the Browns and Giants do have needs at quarterback but it appears they are content to wait to address the position. New York is +215 to take Sanders, slightly behind Cleveland at +200. The Raiders are +700 to draft Sanders, but the favorite to snag the Colorado quarterback at the moment is actually the Pittsburgh Steelers at +190.

The Steelers are in the market for a quarterback after letting both Russell Wilson and Justin Fields walk in free agency. Pittsburgh was reportedly considering bringing in Aaron Rodgers but it appears that ship has sailed. Sanders is unlikely to be around by the the time the Steelers are on the clock 21st pick in the first round, as his over/under for draft position is set at 8.5. The New Orleans Saints are an intriguing spot for Sanders with the ninth pick, especially with Derek Carr's future in limbo due to a recently discovered shoulder injury. The Saints are +750 at DraftKings to take Sanders.

Given all the latest intel, it's hard to see Sanders going ahead of both Hunter and Carter even if the Browns and Giants do need to address the quarterback position. Even though the Steelers are favored to land the Colorado passer, they would likely have to trade up to get ahead of quarterback-needy teams like the Raiders at No. 6, the New York Jets at No.7 and the Saints at No. 9. Pittsburgh GM Omar Khan recently said the team is more likely to trade back or stay put than trade up, so Sanders probably doesn't get to the Steelers. One team outside the top 10 with a need at quarterback is the Indianapolis Colts, who are priced at +3500 to pick Sanders. Indianapolis does appear to be giving Anthony Richardson one more chance to secure the job but the Colts might not pass up the chance to grab Sanders should he fall outside the top 10.

Favorites to draft Ashton Jeanty

  • Raiders +100
  • Jaguars +150
  • Bears +350
  • Broncos +750
  • Patriots +800

Jeanty was neck-and-neck with Hunter in the Heisman Trophy race, rushing for 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns while leading Boise State to the Mountain West title and College Football Playoff. Jeanty nearly doubled his yardage total from 2023, where he put up 1,347 yards on 6.1 yards per carry. Even though Jeanty struggled in the CFP quarterfinal against Penn State where he averaged 3.5 yards per carry and lost a fumble, the running back has plenty of good landing spots early in the 2025 NFL Draft.

The Raiders are poised to grab Jeanty but are not the clear-cut favorites per the oddsmakers. DraftKings has the Jacksonville Jaguars at +150 to take Jeanty at No. 5. Given Travis Etienne's injury history and poor 2024 season, Jeanty could be an intriguing piece for new head coach Liam Coen to work with. The Chicago Bears, who are looking to revamp their offense with new head coach Ben Johnson, are +350 to get Jeanty. The Bears already have D'Andre Swift under contract but could looking to move him this offseason. The Denver Broncos, who lost Javonte Williams in free agency, are +750 to pick Jeanty. It's unlikely he is still on the board by the time Denver picks at No. 20, especially since DraftKings has Jeanty's over/under on draft position at 6.5.

The Dallas Cowboys have been a popular spot for Jeanty in mock drafts despite them signing Williams in free agency. Jerry Jones has never been shy about making a big move to keep his team in the news, and the Cowboys did take Ezekiel Elliott with a high pick back in 2016. Dallas could focus on running the ball more under new head coach Brian Schottenheimer, so Jeanty would make sense. The Cowboys are +2000 to pick Jeanty and they'd need Jacksonville, Las Vegas and Chicago to pass on the running back for him to get to No. 12.

Check out the best bets for the NFL Draft from Jason La Canfora and Jordan Dajani!