2 weeks Ago By Dan Treacy
Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders were considered 1A and 1B at the quarterback position on many big boards just a few months ago, but the gap between the two is far wider than anyone expected in the eyes of NFL evaluators. While Ward was the expected pick at No. 1 overall by the time draft day arrived on Thursday, Sanders' wait turned out to be far longer than anyone anticipated.
The Saints passed on the Colorado star at No. 9, the Steelers passed at No. 21, and the Giants sent him spiraling toward the second round when they traded up to select a different quarterback at No.
25. As it turns out, the run on quarterbacks before Sanders' selection didn't stop there. 📲 Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp Here's a look at each quarterback taken before Sanders in the 2025 NFL Draft.
QBs drafted before Shedeur Sanders Cam Ward Round: 1 Overall pick: 1 College: Miami Team: Titans While Ward and Sanders were considered potential No. 1 picks a few months before the draft, it was clear in the weeks leading up to the first round that Ward would be the Titans ' choice at No. 1 overall.
The Miami quarterback's selection was no surprise on Thursday night, as he completed his journey from Incarnate Word to Washington State to South Beach and now to Nashville, where he will get the chance to be the Titans' franchise quarterback from day one. With a slew of quarterback-needy teams behind the Titans in the draft order, including the Browns and Giants, Sanders was hoping his wait wouldn't be too long following Ward's selection. The wait ended up being longer than anyone anticipated.
SN's NFL DRAFT HQ: Live tracker | Pick-by-pick grades | Day 2 mock draft Jaxson Dart Round: 1 Overall pick: 25 College: Ole Miss Team: Giants The Steelers' decision to pass on Sanders and select DT Derrick Harmon with the No. 21 pick made it clear the Colorado QB would likely need a team to trade back into the first round if he wanted to hear his name called on Thursday night. When the Giants moved up to No.
25 in a deal with the Texans, that looked like the spot for Sanders. Instead, New York selected Jaxson Dart, making him the franchise's potential solution at quarterback. Dart was a rapid riser throughout the draft process and was labeled a potential first-rounder, but few expected him to actually be the second quarterback off the board.
The 21-year-old threw for 29 touchdowns and six interceptions in his final season at Ole Miss, leading the SEC in passing yards and showcasing some athleticism with 495 yards on the ground. Sanders might not have had a clear path to the starting job with the Giants, considering coach Brian Daboll already declared Russell Wilson the team's Week 1 starter over Dart, but the choice erased one more potential landing spot for the falling quarterback. MORE: Shedeur Sanders breaks silence on draft slide Tyler Shough Round: 2 Overall pick: 40 College: Louisville Team: Saints The Saints landed their quarterback at No.
40 overall, but it wasn't Sanders. New Orleans selected Louisville's Tyler Shough, adding the 25-year-old to a quarterback room that has significant uncertainty surrounding Derek Carr and few proven options outside of Carr. Shough is set to turn 26 early in his rookie season, making him one of the oldest quarterbacks drafted this early, but his size and impressive production when healthy in college reportedly impressed evaluators leading up to the draft.
Shough will have a chance to become a long-term starter in New Orleans, removing another potential landing spot for Sanders..
