Of all the storylines surrounding the 2025 NFL Draft next spring, this will end up the biggest one. Keyshawn Johnson recently asked Sanders what the unofficial prerequisites will be for an NFL team to draft his son. While he did say he will control things privately, he was on the public stage outlining what he needs to see from the franchise and/or decision makers themselves to be considered Shedeur’s future employer.
Here are the requirements:
1: Have experience handling a quarterback from the start of his career.
2: Have someone in the building that understands “what they’re doing” when it comes to developing a quarterback.
3: Have the support within the infrastructure of the organization.
4: Understanding of direction and vision.
Reading between the lines, Deion is going to look at the history of these teams and the decision makers behind them to give either thumbs up, or thumbs down, prior to draft weekend. In order for me to rank the likely destinations, let’s look at the QB-needy teams in the top ten that could be potential landing spots and briefly discuss their history in these areas.
Last three first round quarterbacks under this ownership (record with team)
Marcus Mariota (29-32)
Jake Locker (9-14)
Vince Young (30-17)
Last three quarterback draft picks by General Manager Ron Carthon (former role)
Will Levis (2023 – round 2)
Brock Purdy (2022 – round 7) Director of Personnel
Trey Lance (2021 – round 1) Director of Personnel
Last four starting quarterbacks under Head Coach Brian Callahan (former role)
Joe Burrow – Offensive Coordinator
Andy Dalton – Offensive Coordinator
Derek Carr – Quarterbacks
Matthew Stafford – Quarterbacks
Last three first round quarterbacks under this ownership (record with team)
2019: Daniel Jones (24-44-1)
2004: Eli Manning (117-117)
1979: Phil Simms (95-64)
Last three quarterback draft picks by NYG General Manager Joe Schoen (former role)
Jake Fromm (2020 – round 5) Assistant General Manager
Josh Allen (2018 – round 1) Assistant General Manager
Nathan Peterman (2017 – round 5) Assistant General Manager
Last four starting quarterbacks under Head Coach Brian Daboll
Daniel Jones – Head Coach
Josh Allen – Offensive Coordinator
Matt Cassel – Offensive Coordinator
Matt Moore – Offensive Coordinator
Last three first round quarterbacks under this ownership (record as starter)
2007: JaMarcus Russell (7-18)
1991: Todd Marinovich (3-5)
1980: Marc Wilson (31-19)
Last three quarterback draft picks by LV General Manager Tom Telesco (former role)
Matt Duggan (2022 – round 7) General Manager
Justin Herbert (2020 – round 1) General Manager
Easton Stick (2019 – round 5) General Manager
Last two starting quarterbacks under Head Coach Antonio Pierce
Gardner Minshew – Head Coach
Aidan O’Connell – Interim Head Coach
Last first round quarterback under this ownership (record as starter)
2023: Bryce Young (4-17)
Last three quarterback draft picks by CAR General Manager Dan Morgan (role)
Bryce Young (2023 – round 1) Assistant General Manager
Matt Corral (2022 – round 3) Assistant General Manager
Jake Fromm (2020– round 5) Director of Pro Personnel
Last four starting quarterbacks under Head Coach Dave Canales
Bryce Young – Head Coach
Baker Mayfield – Offensive Coordinator (TB)
Russell Wilson – Offensive Coordinator (SEA)
Last three first round quarterbacks under this ownership (record as starter)
None
Last three quarterback draft picks by NO General Manager Mickey Loomis (role)
Spencer Rattler (2024 – round 5) General Manager
Jake Haener (2023 – round 4) General Manager
Ian Book (2021 – round 4) General Manager
Head Coach Dennis Allen was fired this season
So, there you have it. If Deion believes his son will be a top ten pick and the current draft order stays the same, it is a five-team race. Tennessee, New York (N), Las Vegas, Carolina, and New Orleans. Considering what was said in terms the prerequisites of quarterback-support and the history of where the shot callers are coming from, here is how I rank the likely destinations for Shedeur.
1. Tennessee
This centers around the history of both Carthon and Canales. Carthon comes from the San Francisco front office tree, where the support for quarterback Brock Purdy has been remarkable. Add in the fact that Callahan has worked with some of the best quarterbacks in the league helps, as does the fact his father (Bill) is coaching up the offensive line. Shedeur would be protected and supported here with proven leadership all around him.
2. Las Vegas
The Vegas vibe seems eerily similar to what Deion is creating at Colorado. Branding opportunities and life beyond the gridiron will undoubtedly factor into the decision. This town is as good as any for the marketing opportunities. Telesco understands how to build a good roster, but this will likely be paired with a new Head Coach. Simply put, Pierce has zero experience developing a pro shot caller and who ownership opts to bring in to wear the headset could mean everything to Deion.
3. New York Giants
There have not been many (if any) franchises further down the ladder than the Giants since Eli Manning retired. There are not many (if any) cities that are harder on losing teams and players than New York. This would be a roll of the dice but the fact Schoen and Daboll come from the Buffalo tree could swing Deion in his favor. The organization botched the Daniel Jones situation in more ways than one, thus how much recency bias impacts the decision will mean everything. The roster, however, is better than people think.
4. Carolina
The Panthers are currently stuck with the 2023 number one overall pick Bryce Young under center, a quarterback NOT chosen by the current regime. The biggest dealbreaker here could be ownership. David Tepper is a volatile personality that has not proven loyalty or industry success yet. Canales has worked with quality quarterbacks, but he has yet to develop a rookie from scratch. And Morgan is an unproven General Manager that has yet to prove he can build a roster.
5. New Orleans
This can all change with a change in leadership. They will have a new Head Coach this upcoming winter and they could see a change of the guard in the front office. The lack of direction in the post-Drew Brees/Sean Payton era could cause a lot of questions in Deion’s mind, however. This ownership has, amazingly, never taken a quarterback in the first round. They are unproven in an area where Deion is adamant they need to be proven. There are too many reasons to believe this simply cannot and will not happen. New Orleans could be the team that is already crossed off.