NFL Scout Says There's 'Real Chatter' Shedeur Sanders Could Be Drafted After Dart

There is reportedly some belief within the NFL that Ole Miss' Jaxson Dart will supplant Colorado's Shedeur Sanders as the second quarterback selected in the 2025 NFL draft.

According to Zac Jackson of The Athletic, an anonymous high-ranking AFC scout said there is "real chatter" around the league that Dart could be taken ahead of Sanders, which was incomprehensible just over a month ago.

ESPN's Matt Miller backed Jackson's report, noting that he spoke to a scout who predicted Dart would go before Sanders.

The scout added that multiple teams have Dart ranked ahead of Sanders on their draft board due to the belief that Dart has "better physical traits" and "more developmental upside."

While there does seem to be some smoke around the idea that Dart has surpassed Sanders, NFL executives called the state of the quarterback class "unpredictable" and "all over the place" in speaking to Jackson.

An AFC scout agreed that the quarterback situation is too tough to call, telling Jackson:

“This year, even now just two weeks out, I think everybody has a different opinion of these guys. Four [quarterbacks] could go in the first round. ... There are a bunch of different ways it can go depending on how teams really feel about these quarterbacks."

All signs point toward Miami's Cam Ward being the first quarterback taken, likely to the Tennessee Titans at No. 1 overall, but things volatile after that.

Sanders has long been in the conversation to be the top quarterback in the 2025 draft, especially following his excellent 2024 season at Colorado when he completed 74.0 percent of his passes for 4,134 yards, 37 touchdowns and 10 interceptions en route to being named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year.

Dart is set to enter the league with a more expansive body of work, having started 41 games at USC and Ole Miss.

He threw at least 20 touchdown passes in three straight seasons at Ole Miss, including his career-best 2024 campaign when he completed 69.3 percent of his passing attempts for 4,279 yards, 29 touchdowns and only six picks, while also rushing for 495 yards and three scores.

On the B/R NFL Scouting Department's latest big board, Sanders is ranked as the No. 23 overall player and No. 2 quarterback in the draft, while Dart is the No. 57 overall player and No. 3 QB.

Additionally, the B/R NFL Scouting Department did not project Dart as a first-round pick in its most recent mock draft, whereas it had Sanders going ninth overall to the New Orleans Saints.

Of course, NFL draft analysts and experts aren't always privy to what NFL decision-makers are thinking, and it only takes one team to shake up the conventional wisdom of the draft.

That means Dart may very well be in play as the second quarterback off the board, which would perhaps be a controversial selection given where the pecking order universally stood until recently.