“Cam Ward nor Shedeur Sanders are top 5 talents”: Ex-NFL star bluntly assesses the poster boys after reflections on draft’s history

Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders are likely going to be the consensus QB1 and QB2 of the 2025 NFL draft. The two excelled at the collegiate level and are set to make the much-anticipated jump to the professional level.

While Ward and Sanders are elite prospects, ex-NFL star Emmanuel Acho made a blunt assessment regarding their abilities. When asked about the players' talents heading into the draft, he said:

"If we are being honest, the quarterback is the most important position. But if you're just grading the talent of those two quarterbacks, I don't think Cam Ward nor Shedeur Sanders are top five talents.

"When it pertains to the history of top five overall picks, when you talk about talents coming out of college, I don't see them comparing to the Cam Newtons, Kyler Murrays and the Joe Burrows. I don't know that either of them are top five picks."

Acho isn't the only NFL insider who thinks neither Ward nor Sanders is a top five talent.

NFL.com's Daniel Jeremiah recently released the fourth edition of his 2025 NFL draft prospect rankings.

According to Jeremiah, Cam Ward is the eighth-ranked player in the draft. That's significantly better than Shedeur Sanders, as the Colorado favorite earned the 19th rank on the list. The next quarterback on the list is Jaxson Dart, and the Ole Miss product is ranked 36th.

What are Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders' draft projections?

USA Today, ESPN, NFL.com and CBS Sports are projecting that the Tennessee Titans will select Cam Ward with the first pick in this year's draft. Ward, from the Miami Hurricanes, is the consensus favorite and could become the latest QB to earn the first pick tag.

On the other hand, the CBS Sports has the Cleveland Browns selecting Shedeur Sanders at Pick 2, ESPN has the New York Giants selecting him at Pick 3, and USA Today has the New Orleans Saints trading up to Pick 3 in order to select Sanders.

Sanders' draft night already looks more cumbersome than his fellow Ward's. However, Sanders is no stranger to thriving under adversity, and he'll surely relish the challenge ahead.