"Having a Geno Smith night": Bomani Jones warns Shedeur Sanders of possible 2025 NFL draft pitfall

Shedeur Sanders has been touted as one of the two most promising quarterbacks in the 2025 NFL draft class. This year’s group of prospects is considered shallow, somewhat comparable to the 2021 class, making it difficult for analysts to accurately predict where Sanders will land.

Wave Sports + Entertainment's Bomani Jones watched Geno Smith fall into the second round of the 2013 NFL draft despite a prolific career at West Virginia. Jones believes the same could happen to Shedeur Sanders.

“I would not be surprised if Shedeur wound up having a Geno Smith night if he shows up on Night 1 and it goes all the way through,” Jones said on Friday on his podcast, "The Right Time with Bomani Jones."

Jones said teams today are looking for quarterbacks with elite physical traits rather than those who simply have an intangible appeal.

“It would not shock me. … Teams are not really going for the ‘It’s just something about him’ guys. They’re looking for big dudes with tools, right? Some exceptional or — perhaps, they’d like even more — collection of exceptional talents that you possess."

"I don’t think any of us can point to Shedeur and say, ‘What is the exceptional talent he possesses?’ What you can say is, ‘He’s got the willingness to stand in there and wait for the play to develop and he’ll, you know, be the tough guy and make that throw.”

Jones said he couldn't identify many other distinguishing traits in Sanders' game.

“What team is going to say to themselves, ‘This is the future?’” Jones said.

Where could Shedeur Sanders land?

Shedeur Sanders has drawn comparisons to former Pittsburgh Steelers first-round pick Kenny Pickett, whom the Cleveland Browns traded for Monday. With the No. 2 overall pick, Sanders could land in Cleveland’s quarterback room alongside Pickett.

However, Pickett appears to be a viable starting candidate, as Deshaun Watson is expected to miss the entire season. It's also possible Sanders falls out of the first round entirely.

Nick Baumgardner of The Athletic projects Sanders being selected at No. 28 by the New York Jets in his latest mock draft. The Jets recently signed former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Justin Fields in free agency, raising questions about whether Sanders would be a logical fit in New York.

Regardless of where he's drafted, Sanders' landing spot will be a major talking point.