Deion Sanders certainly has a way of at least trying to speak things into existence. Although his Colorado program faltered after an exciting start to last season, he’s already looking toward the NFL for what his two superstar players will face in the 2025 draft.
Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders and wide receiver/cornerback two-way stud Travis Hunter figure to be high first-round picks next year, but Coach Prime has made it clear that they won’t necessarily be beholden to whomever is in position to acquire them. He also said he expects neither to fall out of the top four overall picks.
“Anywhere from [picks] one through four. One of them is going to be one, and the latter one will not go behind four.
Now all this is subjective, because I know […] where I want them to go. So certain cities, it ain’t going to happen. It’s gonna be… I’m sorry, it’s gonna be an Eli.”
Eli Manning famously snubbed the then-San Diego Chargers, who wanted to take him with the No. 1 overall pick in 2004. Instead, the Bolts agreed to a trade with the Giants that still netted them a long-term franchise QB in Philip Rivers, but had to watch Eli win two Super Bowls in New York.
This was a hot topic of debate recently when Robert Griffin III suggested Caleb Williams should “pull an Eli” and not play for the Chicago Bears. Sure doesn’t seem like that’s going to go down, even though the Washington Commanders hold the No. 2 overall pick, badly need a QB, and Williams is originally from the D.C. area. Ironic that RG3 saw his own career go up in flames in Washington.
A big reason why Deion’s words carry so much weight here is because he, like Eli’s father Archie Manning before him, actually has the pull with his last name alone to make some sh*t like this happen. None of us have to like it, but that’s just the reality of the situation.
In all likelihood, if Hunter is forced to play for the team that drafts him like 99.999999% of other draftees in the history of the NFL, Shedeur will play for the team of his choosing. How that goes over in an NFL locker room is a whole other story. No doubt that Shedeur can ball, though.
Part of me does admire that Coach Prime wants the best for his son and Hunter, who he’s said is almost like another son to him. Ugh. Can’t do it, sorry.
Immediate counterpoint: If you’re a competitor and want to prove you’re the best, wouldn’t you want to go to a bad situation and turn it around? I’m just hoping that the draft breaks in such a way that Hunter and Shedeur goes to teams that Deion doesn’t block them from. I know he’s used to dealing with a bunch of noise and nothing about the spotlight seems to faze him.
In case you’re unaware, I’m a total freak about the NFL Draft. Before you check out my post-Combine mock, how about we look ahead to the 2025 NFL Draft and think about the suitors who should be in the market for Hunter and Shedeur?
Deion did say about a week ago that he doesn’t want Shedeur playing for a cold-weather team. Using the latest Super Bowl odds from DraftKings to determine who’s expected to be picking near the top of the order, some logical teams who should be picking early are the Panthers, Patriots, Titans, Broncos, Raiders and Giants. If cold weather is indeed a deal-breaker, go ahead and rule out New England and Eli’s team.
Another team with slightly better odds is the Saints. New Orleans plays in the NFC South with a home dome stadium. The rival Falcons play indoors as well. Tampa Bay is very warm. Carolina is not what you’d consider a frequently frigid environment. If Derek Carr isn’t excellent this season, the Saints seem like the ideal destination for Shedeur, who’d likely be starting fresh with a new coaching staff in that scenario. Shedeur in Vegas would be pretty sick in the AFC West, too, and it’s possible since the Raiders aren’t in range for one of the top QB prospects this year.
As for Hunter, he can shine wherever he goes in my opinion. If he weren’t to go to the Raiders or Saints, I could see him teaming up with Kyler Murray to help the Arizona Cardinals pull off an epic franchise revival.
Way too early to forecast where either player might land. What is easy to see is that anywhere from one to three teams will be struggling through a horrible 2024 campaign, desperately need the services of Shedeur or Hunter, and will apparently not be able to draft and keep them. That’s how Coach Prime rolls.
