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With the draft order being finalized, here’s a look at where Shedeur and Travis may end up.
As the NFL regular season comes to a close, the futures of Colorado’s Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders are becoming clearer. The action from week 18 had major implications for CU’s superstars, as we saw a dramatic shift in the selection order near the top of the draft.
Over the last three weeks, the teams most had projected to pick first have all won a game or two, squandering their chances to pick near the top. It looked like a sure thing that either the Raiders, Giants, or Patriots would pick first just a few short weeks ago, but that’s not exactly how things shook out. Instead, the Titans and Browns pulled off successful tank jobs to secure top picks.
Here’s a look at the finalized top ten picks:
Draft Order
- Titans
- Browns
- Giants
- Patriots
- Jaguars
- Raiders
- Jets
- Panthers
- Saints
- Bears
With this order being official, let’s take a look at some of the best potential landing spots for Sanders and Hunter when the draft rolls around this April.
Shedeur Sanders
With most people viewing Shedeur as either the best or second-best quarterback in the draft, we can likely pencil him in as a top-five pick. Three or more quarterbacks have gone in the top five picks in both 2023 and 2024. This is just the way the modern NFL is, with the best teams having one thing in common: an all-pro quarterback.
With the Titans having taken a quarterback just two seasons ago and with them firing their general manager, there’s no telling what they will do with the first overall pick. For now, it seems like the Titans will probably take Cam Ward at #1. There have been rumors circulating the internet that the Titans and head coach Brian Callahan favor Ward over Shedeur, but take those with a grain of salt. If the Titans decide to stick with 2023 second-round pick Will Levis, I think they’d look to trade back and give up the number one overall pick to a team looking for a quarterback. Either way, it doesn’t look like Shedeur will end up in the Music City.
With the Titans allegedly being low on Shedeur, the other QB-needy teams at the top of the draft will be ready to strike and snag their franchise guy. These teams include, and probably be limited to, the Browns, Giants and Raiders.
All three of these teams have good draft capital and need a new franchise quarterback. Despite the Browns having the best pick of the group, they will still have Deshaun Watson under contract next year at a price tag of $46 million and a cap hit of $73 million. What the Browns will do is still unpredictable, but expect the QB-desperate Raiders and Giants to jump at the chance to pick Shedeur if he’s still on the board when they’re on the clock. Who knows, maybe the Browns, Giants or Raiders can trade up with Tennessee to get Shedeur...
Travis Hunter
Travis’ outlook is a little less complicated. He could go to any team in the top five or ten that isn’t in the market for a QB, likely either the Patriots or Jaguars. It wouldn’t be surprising if the prospect of being a Jag is more enticing to Hunter, as he would be moving back home, being raised in both Florida and Georgia.
Travis is a unique player that requires a unique situation. With him being so skilled at playing both receiver and corner, he’ll need to go into a position where he can play on both sides of the ball for a team. That could put him in a spot where he falls to a team that will allow him to play his style of football, instead of being picked near the top of the draft. We’ve never seen a player like Travis declare for a modern NFL Draft, so seeing where he lands will be one of the biggest storylines of the night.
by Jacob.Thompson
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