Quarterback Shedeur Sanders, expected to hear his name called early in the 2025 NFL Draft in April, is making the rounds at the East-West Shrine Bowl location but won’t play in the college All-Star game.
Instead, he’s taking part in meetings at the game site in Denton, Texas, giving NFL team officials a chance to gain insight into the former Colorado quarterback.
Count Tennessee Titans coach Brian Callahan among those who are impressed with Sanders, whose father is Pro Football Hall of Fame member Deion Sanders and was his college coach.
“You can tell he’s been raised right,” said Callahan, per the Titans’ website. “He’s mature, he has a really poised way about him, and he seems like a really good kid. I enjoyed talking to him. And, you could tell he’s a guy who has been in the spotlight. He knows how to handle himself, he’s been paid money, so he has a financial perspective.
“It was a really good first impression.”
The Titans have the No. 1 pick in the draft and likely are looking to move on from quarterback Will Levis, whether through the draft or free agency.
ESPN reported Saturday that the meeting with the Titans included a FaceTime call with Deion Sanders. Per the report, he also met with the Cleveland Browns, who have the No. 2 pick, and the New York Giants, who will select third. Those teams also have a quarterback on their wish lists.
The Shrine Bowl, set to be played Thursday, is the first chance for teams to get a look at players. There’s also the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., ahead of the NFL Scouting Combine, which opens a month from now in Indianapolis.
The 6-foot-2, 215-pound Sanders played in 13 games in the 2024 season, completing 74 percent of his passes (353 of 477) for 4,134 yards with 37 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
“The thing that stands out the most is his toughness,” Callahan said of Sanders. “He took some pretty big shots and he kept rolling. He can stand in the pocket and deliver it. He can move and create a bit, he has some ability to move out the pocket, and he does create on his own. He’s not a high-end dynamic scrambler necessarily, but he is productive when he does. And he really has a good feel for anticipation and timing, you can tell he’s been coached in that regard. Those things show up on tape.”
Another top quarterback, Cam Ward of Miami, is not at the Shrine Bowl.
ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. lists Sanders and Ward 1-2 in his ranking of top quarterbacks.
–Field Level Media
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