"I'm concerned" - Ex-Raiders GM believes Shedeur Sanders' stock will take significant slide on draft day

Modified Apr 08, 2025 13:08 GMT

NFL: Super Bowl LIX-NFL Honors Red Carpet - Source: Imagn — "I'm concerned" - Ex-Raiders GM believes Shedeur Sanders' stock will take significant slide on draft day - Source: Imagn

Former Las Vegas Raiders general manager Mike Mayock thinks Shedeur Sanders will slide down the draft board.

Sanders is a polarizing figure entering the draft, and many are torn on his draft stock. Some expect him to be a top-10 or top-5 pick. However, Mayock believes Sanders could slide down the draft.

“I think Shedeur might slide a bit here, Rich. I don't think he's going in the first nine, and I have a concern beyond that about how far it'll go... I think Pittsburgh is a really intriguing fit for him," Mayock said on The Rich Eisen Show at 4:44. "I like Mike Tomlin, I like Arthur Smith, they need a young quarterback even with Aaron Rodgers, it'd be an awesome fit for the kid to come in and learn. Just about every quarterback in college football coming into the NFL is not ready for prime time.

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"They're just not ready, you know there's so many things they have to learn, and trying to force-feed them on day one is difficult… But I'm concerned, I just want a right fit for the kid, I like the kid, I like his dad, I want him to end up in the right place regardless of what the number is in what round," Mayock added.'

As Mayock says, he thinks Sanders will be a draft day slide, but he does think the Pittsburgh Steelers at 21st overall could be a logical landing spot for the Colorado Buffaloes' quarterback.

Where is Shedeur Sanders expected to be drafted?

Heading into the college football season, Shedeur Sanders was considered to be in the running for the first overall pick.

However, after the season ended and all the interviews had been done, Sanders' stock fell. One anonymous quarterback's coach said he was brash and arrogant in his pre-draft interviews, which will hinder his draft stock.

According to the odds, Sanders is a -200 to be selected over 8.5 picks, meaning ninth overall or later. At -200, that implies a 66.7% chance that Sanders will not hear his name called in the first eight picks.

Sanders went 353-for-477 for 4,134 yards, 37 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions as he led the Buffaloes to a bowl game.

The 2025 NFL Draft is set for April 24-26 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

About the author

Cole is an NHL, NFL and College Sports reporter at Sportskeeda with over 7 years of experience writing for publications like CBC, USA Today, SMG, BJPENN, Sherdog and SB Nation.

An NHL fan his whole life, Cole played rep hockey in Canada from age 5 until 17 and grew up rooting for Martin St. Louis and the Tampa Bay Lightning. His all-time favorite players are Vincent Lecavalier and Steven Stamkos, while Jon Cooper is his favorite coach of all time.

Cole attended Sheridan College and received his journalism degree in 2019. After decades of watching and reporting, he considers his knowledge of sports as his primary strength. He ensures that the same story has been reported by at least two reputed reporters before creating it.

Cole enjoys playing golf and spending time with friends and family when not reporting breaking stories. His favorite sports moment is from the 2010 Olympics, when Sidney Crosby scored the golden goal in overtime to beat Team USA for the gold medal.

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Edited by Cole Shelton