- NCAA. Shedeur Sanders announces he will be declaring for the 2025 NFL Draft after Colorado practice
- NCAA. Deion Sanders can't stop winning and life is good at Colorado even when the Buffs don't play
Shedeur Sanders is NFL-bound. That announcement had long been expected -- but now that it's official, all eyes are on the Colorado quarterback's destination at the next level.
Sanders -- the son of Colorado head coach and NFL legend Deion Sanders -- has excelled in his second season in Boulder, leading the Buffaloes to a 6-2 record and bowl eligibility for the first time since 2020. In a draft class considered a bit weak on potential franchise quarterbacks, Shedeur has shot toward the top of most draft boards, although his father figures to play a part in wherever the 22-year-old ends up as a pro.
Can Shedeur revive the Raiders?
Sanders has never been lacking in confidence, and he will need to tap into a wellspring of optimism if he is turn around the Las Vegas Raiders' fortunes.
Continued speculation continues to link Shedeur to Vegas in the 2025 draft. For one, the quarterback has posted "thank you God" on X/Twitter following each Raiders loss...although that phenomenon could be more coincidental than anything, given that religion is a huge part of the Sanders family dynamic. Plus, some Raiders fans have made it clear that they don't want any Sanders family drama on their team.
However, the 2-7 Raiders epitomize the phrase "beggars can't be choosers". Las Vegas ranks 27th in ing touchdowns and has no long-term solution at quarterback on the roster. Furthermore, the Raiders' decision to trade star receiver Davante Adams to the New York Jets certainly wasn't going to make the team better; Antonio Pierce's men have lost five consecutive games, three of them by multiple scores, and it is already clear they will be limping to the finish line in 2024.
If the season ended today, the Raiders would own the sixth overall pick in the draft. But with one of the harder remaining schedules in the NFL, Las Vegas could easily move up in the final draft order -- putting the team in position to land its first franchise quarterback since Derek Carr, and to escape the NFL's doldrums after two decades in the league's wilderness.