Deion Sanders once predicted Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter to be the top two picks in the 2025 NFL draft. CBS Sports' Ryan Wilson projects the next best thing: Hunter going No. 2 and Shedeur going No. 3.
It gets better for Shedeur. He goes to his preferred landing spot, the Las Vegas Raiders. The only catch is Miami's Cam Ward going ahead of him. Hunter would land with the New England Patriots, an oft-rumored landing spot for No. 12.
Interestingly enough, Wilson claimed Ward would've been the fifth-highest-drafted QB in the 2024 class.
"Cam Ward would've likely been no better than QB5 in last year's draft class, but he's QB1 in 2024. Teams had a late Day 2/Day 3 grade on him over the summer, but he's made big strides this season; he's playing more from the pocket, he's getting the ball out on time and he's doing a better job of getting through his reads. We know about the athleticism and arm strength, but he's gotten better each year he's been in college, too," Wilson wrote.
That implies Shedeur's draft stock was saved by staying an extra year at CU.
Was the 2024 draft class that much better? That's a question that cannot be answered right now. We have to see the 2025 class enter the league before beginning. And the 2024 class won't be judgeable after at least two or three years in the NFL.
Shedeur and Hunter could shatter those narratives at the next level.