Quarterback 'Starved' Team Could Trade Up to No. 1 Pick for Shedeur Sanders

Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders has seen his draft stock steadily improving this season, and now one NFL expert believes he may have risen all the way to the top of the NFL Draft board.

Sanders has helped lead the Buffaloes to a 7-2 record, the team's best since finishing 10-4 back in 2016. Sanders is completing 72.9% of his passes this season and averaging 320.6 yards per game, throwing 24 touchdowns with six interceptions. 

Though Kyle Crabbs of The 33rd Team predicted that Miami's Cam Ward would be the first quarterback off the board in the 2025 NFL Draft, going to the New York Giants with the No. 2 overall pick, he noted that another team could be willing to make a big move to ensure they land Sanders.

Crabbs predicted that Sanders would be taken three picks later, going to the Las Vegas Raiders with the No. 5 pick. He added that Sanders is such a good fit for the Raiders, they may be willing to jump up to the top of the draft board to take him if needed.

"I love this fit for Shedeur, so much so that I'd likely project a trade to No. 1 overall to make it happen if I were sick enough to include trades in an early November mock draft," Crabbs wrote.

Crabbs added that the Raiders are desperate to land a franchise quarterback and have a committed ownership group.

"The Raiders have been starving for a quarterback since moving on from Derek Carr and cannot afford to strike out at the position again," Crabbs wrote. "The team added Tom Brady to their ownership group this season, has a well-invested offensive line, and is one of the most prestigious organizations in league history. It feels, to me, like a great fit."

There could be some competition for Sanders as his stock continues to rise. ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith suggested on "First Take" that the Dallas Cowboys could "tank" the rest of the year after a season-ending injury to Dak Prescott, taking Shedeur Sanders in the draft and hiring his father, Deion Sanders, as head coach.