Being the No. 1 pick or even being selected in the top five of the NFL Draft comes with a lot of fanfare. Shedeur Sanders, the enigmatic quarterback out of Colorado, certainly has a lot of hype entering the 2025 draft. Where he will land and how high will be one of the big storylines in Round 1 on April 24.
According to NFL insider and FOX analyst Joel Klatt, Sanders knows it won’t necessarily be where he goes in the draft but to who and how he can succeed with his new team.
NFL Insider Joel Klatt Believes Shedeur Sanders Focused on ‘Long Game’
Speaking on the latest episode of the “Up & Adams” podcast, Klatt said Sanders might understand this more than most.
“I think players are more savvy now, and they realize that the second and third contracts are more important than being the No. 1 pick,” Klatt explained. “Especially him. He understands it’s more the long game than the short run.”
Players who do well as they approach free agency are rewarded with big contracts. And you don’t have to be a top pick to fall into that category.
Look no further than Super Bowl 59 winner Jalen Hurts. A second-round pick in 2020, Hurts signed his second deal with Philadelphia in April 2023. It fully guaranteed him $110 million at signing.
Hurts’ division-mate, Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott, a fourth-round selection in 2016, has had multiple contracts thanks to the franchise tag. He recently did a contract restructure which guarantees him $129 million. The list of high-paying contracts for mid-round first-round picks and later goes well beyond that pair.
Klatt also contends fit is important for Sanders, instead of going to a potential disaster like the New York Giants.
“Let’s face it, New York,” Klatt said, “are we sure that that regime is going to be there? From his perspective.”
“Maybe in the back of his mind, he’s thinking he’d rather be in an organization like Pittsburgh, who has been sustained success over generations,” Klatt added. “And maybe he’d rather be with an offensive-minded coach like Kellen (Moore) at the beginning of that tenure (with New Orleans).”
As polarizing a prospect as there is in this year’s draft, Sanders led the NCAA in completion percentage (74.0%) and the Big 12 in completions (353), passing touchdowns (37, also second in the nation), and passing yards (4,134). He also scored four rushing touchdowns.
Where will Sanders land? Perhaps in the top 10 of the 2025 NFL Draft, but what will really matter isn’t where Sanders begins his career but how that second (and potentially) third contract will look.