The 2025 NFL Draft is only a few short weeks away, and after that, the debate over where Shedeur Sanders will be selected will finally be put to bed. 

The Colorado quarterback’s draft stock has risen and fallen over the past few months, and one analyst made a surprise insinuation during ESPN’s “First Take” this week. 

Louis Riddick said he hoped Sanders didn’t get selected in the top three picks of the draft and even suggested that the QB’s camp wouldn’t mind if that was the case. 

“This young man’s going to be just fine. And you know what? I hope he doesn’t go in the top three picks. I hope he doesn’t,” Riddick said on air. “And I think his camp would tell you the same thing. There are other teams they want to go to, absolutely.”

The тιтans, Browns and Giants are set to make the first three picks in the draft — in that order — and all three could use help at the quarterback position. 

But signs would seem to point to two of those teams looking elsewhere. 

The speculation has been that the тιтans will take Miami product Cam Ward at No. 1 and Sanders’ Colorado teammate, two-way star Travis Hunter, could go at No. 2. 

Penn State pᴀss rusher Abdul Carter, who is visiting with the Giants this week, is another potential top-three pick.

Last weekend, the тιтans canceled a planned private workout with Sanders. 

Sanders’ draft stock has taken a hit with some projecting he could fall all the way down to the 21st pick, which belongs to the Steelers, or even into the second round. 

The NFL prospect has a scheduled visit with the Steelers and plans to visit the Raiders at their Las Vegas facilities as well before the NFL draft takes place later this month in Green Bay. 

In an interview with NFL Network late last month, Sanders had said that he wasn’t paying attention to any of the outside noise leading up to draft day. 

“We always understood to block out the noise, even from Jackson State and Colorado,” Sanders said. “It’s a lot of critics, it’s a lot of hate. But we know what to do, we know how to handle that in every way. So we remain happy.”