During a guest appearance on “First Take,” ESPN NFL Draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. was asked which quarterback from the 2025 NFL Draft will have the best career in the pros.
Kiper shared his bold prediction and backed up his claim with a detailed breakdown of stats and analysis that turned heads and quickly went viral.
Mel Kiper Jr. Has Shedeur Sanders As His QB1 Over Cam Ward
With the 2025 NFL Draft fast approaching, much of the discussion has centered on the draft’s top two quarterback prospects: Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward.
Ward is widely regarded as the top quarterback in the class, with most mock drafts predicting that the Miami prospect will be taken in the top two picks. While Sanders is a household name with star potential, he has fallen out of the top five in some mock drafts and some analysts are predicting a slide due to character concerns.
In Kiper’s latest mock draft, he predicts that Ward will be the first quarterback selected — just as Anthony Pasciolla projects in PFSN’s latest mock draft. However, Kiper believes that’s a mistake. If he were calling the shots, he would go with Sanders as the top QB off the board.
When asked by host Molly Qerim which quarterback will perform better in the NFL, Kiper gave a surprising response.
“I’m gonna go Shedeur Sanders. I’m gonna be steadfast in that. I’ve had him at number one, QB1, all along, really since last year,” Kiper said.
Qerim’s surprise could be heard in the background, but once Kiper started talking, he barely paused for air.
“Love everything about the kid,” he said before backing up his claim. “He dealt with NFL conditions. Shannon (Sharpe) and Stephen A. (Smith), we talked about that. ‘Who had to deal with what you’re going to deal with in the NFL? What you’re gonna have to survive in the NFL?’ He survived hit after hit. How he did it, I don’t know.”
.@MelKiperESPN ranks Shedeur Sanders over Cam Ward as a better NFL quarterback 👀
“He dealt with NFL conditions. … You can win big in the NFL going about your business like Shedeur Sanders does.” pic.twitter.com/qqY7cnhpAW
— First Take (@FirstTake) March 18, 2025
Kiper proceeded to recount Sanders’ stats from his time at Colorado before raving about his accuracy and arguing that Sanders “can win in the NFL” despite not having an explosive arm (“neither did Johnny Unitas, Peyton Manning, [or] Tom Brady”) or explosive legs (“Patrick Mahomes ran a 4.8 40”).
Kiper believes Sanders can win in the NFL and believes teams shouldn’t worry about his physical limitations.
Does Kiper Have a Point About Sanders?
In short, yes, he does. The biggest difference between college football and the NFL is that at the pro level, quarterbacks face the best of the best every week. The ability to perform under pressure and adversity is essential, and Sanders proved in college that he could handle plenty of it while still producing impressive numbers.
However, the physical punishment Sanders took in college due to holding onto the ball too long is a concern. If he doesn’t speed up his decision-making in the NFL, it could hurt him—both in terms of his production and durability. With defensive linemen faster and stronger than ever, the speed of the pro game will be an adjustment.
That said, Sanders’ ability to move within the pocket and stay poised in tough situations will serve him well at the next level. Still, he’ll learn quickly that in the NFL, holding onto the ball too long is a recipe for trouble.
Ward possesses many outstanding qualities of his own, and which quarterback goes first may come down to team preference rather than raw talent.
Regardless of which player is drafted higher, both will be expected to perform under the spotlight as early first-round picks.