Shedeur Sanders slides to Saints in Mel Kiper's latest mock draft

On Tuesday, ESPN NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. released his latest 2025 NFL mock draft and predicted that Colorado Buffaloes QB Shedeur Sanders would be drafted much lower than many analysts are currently projecting.

In that mock draft, Kiper had Sanders being selected No. 9 overall by the New Orleans Saints.

As Kiper noted:

"If Sanders doesn't go to the Giants, there aren't many clear landing spots for him in the top 10 ... and he could slide... This is a great outcome for New Orleans, though. I like this match a lot... Playing in the NFC South with good weather and a few indoor stadiums would ease any arm strength concerns."

Kiper then continued by highlighting his belief that Sanders would not start in 2025 for the Saints if he was selected by the franchise.

"And he wouldn't be forced to play right away. Derek Carr, 34, will be with the Saints for at least another season; Sanders could learn behind him before taking over."

The mock draft is notable and does outline a potential scenario on draft night, one where Sanders is not selected as high as many are projecting. Until this point, it has been anticipated that Sanders would be picked within the top three and be a starter on opening day of the 2025 season.

Are the Saints a good fit for Shedeur Sanders?

The Saints are a strong fit for Sanders should he be drafted by the New Orleans franchise. The team has an elite offensive unit that features stars in WR Chris Olave, WR Rashid Shaheed, and RB Alvin Kamara. In addition, the franchise now has an offensive minded head coach in Kellen Moore, who has had success working with QB Dak Prescott, QB Justin Herbert, and QB Jalen Hurts in his career.

If the Saints do select Sanders, they will be selecting an elite QB who can lead the franchise for years to come. Sanders is extremely accurate, has a big arm, has a high football IQ, and is quite mobile as well.

2024 saw Sanders finish with 4,134 passing yards, 41 total touchdowns, and a completion percentage of 74.0%. He was the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award winner, the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year, and a First-team All-Big 12 in 2024.

Only time will tell whether the Saints do select Sanders, however, the move could be beneficial for all parties involved if Kiper's prediction is correct on draft night.