2025 NFL Draft: Saints pass on Shedeur Sanders to draft Cam Jordan's future successor with No. 9 pick in latest mock

Saints pass on Shedeur Sanders to draft Cam Jordan's future successor with No. 9 pick in latest mock

Modified Apr 23, 2025 14:56 GMT

NCAA Football: Colorado NFL Showcase - Source: Imagn — Shedeur Sanders draft stock slides as Saints predicted to land Cam Jordan's successor in 2025 NFL Draft (Credits: IMAGN)

Shedeur Sanders might not end up in New Orleans as ESPN analyst Peter Schrager predicts the Saints not picking a quarterback at No. 9 in the 2025 NFL Draft. Schrager threw a curveball on Wednesday by selecting Georgia edge rusher Mykel Williams in his latest mock draft.

On the other hand, Sanders is sitting at No. 5 on Mel Kiper Jr.’s big board. However, Schrager doesn’t see New Orleans biting. He believes the Saints will focus on replacing veteran pass rusher Cameron Jordan, who’s nearing the twilight of his NFL career. Shrager wrote:

"I don't see quarterback Shedeur Sanders as the pick here, despite all the assumptions when the Derek Carr injury news trickled out earlier this month. (Does anyone actually know what the story is there?)

Instead, I see the Saints with one of the early "wow" picks of Round 1, grabbing an elite defender who'll carry the torch from Cameron Jordan for the next decade."

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Williams is a defensive menace out of Georgia and is projected to be the kind of pick who can anchor the Saints’ front line for the next decade.

As for Sanders? He’s sliding. Schrager has him falling to the Pittsburgh Steelers at No. 21. He cited their desperate need for a QB1 and a solid pre-draft meeting with the Colorado star.

Also read: "He wants to respond": Shedeur Sanders reveals Coach Prime's desperation to react during his intense NFL draft process

Anonymous coach criticizes Shedeur Sanders' attitude

Just one day out from the 2025 NFL Draft, the knives are out—and this time, they’re pointed straight at Shedeur. An anonymous NFL assistant coach didn’t hold back his assessment of the 23-year-old quarterback in a quote to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

“He’s so entitled. Worst formal interview I’ve ever been in. He blames teammates, has horrible body language, and he’s not that good.”

It’s unclear whether this is a genuine concern or just classic draft-week smoke to get Sanders to slide. Another NFC scouting director flagged concerns, saying Sanders could face a “culture shock” in the NFL after spending his whole career coached by his father, Deion Sanders.

Also read: Shedeur Sanders keeps his eye on the bigger picture as clears his stance on if he’ll be drafted before Coach Prime

About the author

Prasen is an NFL/College Sports analyst at Sportskeeda. A B.Tech/Civil Engineering graduate, he has two years of experience writing content.

For Prasen, providing historical angles relevant to the story is important, as it can give the reader useful information and help them relate it to the present. He thinks this keeps the content unique rather than just a bland reporting of facts. Prasen believes in fact-checking and researching relevant information as per the headline and context. He hates clickbait or misleading the reader.

A fan of the Colorado Buffaloes since Deion Sanders took over as coach, Prasen expects Coach Prime to make the Buffs a national championship contender. Nick Saban is his favorite all-time coach, while Baker Mayfield and Caitlin Clark are his favorite players. Prasen considers Vince Young coming up clutch for the Texas Longhorns in the dying seconds of the 2017 national championship game against the USC Trojans as the most iconic moment of all time.

Per Prasen, College Sports is competitive and garners attention but it is just the beginning, where a student-athlete can show their skills and potential to make it to the big leagues. When he is not researching and writing, Prasen’s hobbies include pursuing higher studies and playing sports.

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Edited by nagpaltusharn25