Shedeur Sanders becoming a first-round pick could depend on NFL owner involvement

With just over a week to go before the 2025 NFL Draft kicks off, Shedeur Sanders’ draft projection is all over the place. Despite the Cleveland Browns needing a new franchise quarterback, doubts are starting to spread about Sanders being a top-five pick.

Then, there’s the New Orleans Saints, who are managing Derek Carr’s shoulder injury, which was recently made public despite it being a longstanding internal issue. Could Sanders be in play with the ninth pick for New Orleans? It depends on who you believe.

Of course, we can’t forget about the Pittsburgh Steelers, who are still waiting to hear from Aaron Rodgers on his playing future. Then, there’s always the surprise team that comes out of nowhere, like we saw with the Atlanta Falcons selecting Michael Penix despite signing Kirk Cousins to a $180 million contract just two months prior.

As the first round of the NFL Draft draws near, what’s the latest rumor on Sanders’ draft stock?

NFL insider says Deion Sanders’ draft slot could be reliant on ownership

It’s safe to say that Shedeur Sanders is one of the most polarizing draft prospects in this year’s talent pool. Some think he’s worth a top-10 pick, while others wouldn’t select him until the latter portion of the first round, if at all on the first day.

Yet, since he’s a quarterback, people love to overanalyze Shedeur’s NFL Draft landing spot as it will likely be a popular topic right through the moment he’s eventually selected.

However, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, whether Sanders becomes a first-round pick or not could ultimately depend on when an NFL franchise owner gets involved.

“I’ve had more than one person say to me that if Sanders goes in the first round, it’ll be because an owner got involved. That, of course, is a bit of a guess from a few guys who are clued into how Sanders is viewed. But it’s also a bit of a window into the way evaluators are looking at the Colorado star.”

Being the son of Deion Sanders, Shedeur enters the draft as one of the most high-profile prospects in the talent pool. He also has connections in several front offices, even extending all the way up to ownership with teams like the Dallas Cowboys, Las Vegas Raiders, and more.

In other words, if Sanders begins to slip, the idea of an NFL owner getting involved seems like a very reasonable outcome.