Turns out, Shedeur Sanders might’ve spoken too soon. The Colorado Buffaloes quarterback once hyped himself as the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. But reality, as it often does, had other plans. First came the buzz around Miami Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward, who quickly turned into a serious contender for that top spot. That alone sent ripples through the hype built around Shedeur. And just when he was still digesting that gut punch, here came another hit—this time in the form of Jaxson Dart.

Exactly a month ago, Lane Kiffin stirred the debate by resharing a post questioning if Dart could surpass Sanders as QB2 in the 2025 NFL Draft. The post highlighted Dart’s impressive stats—11.9 average depth of target, a 7.1% big-time throw rate, and 10.7 yards per attempt—achieved with less time to throw (2.77 seconds). Sanders’ declining draft stock shifted him from QB1 to QB2, while Dart’s ascent to QB3 led some oddsmakers to surprisingly list them both as potential top QB picks with +1800 odds, trailing only Cam Ward. ESPN’s Todd McShay also suggests a downward trend for Sanders, further boosting Dart’s rising profile.

What fueled this shift? It wasn’t just McShay’s analysis. An AFC quarterback coach’s blunt take on Shedeur fanned the flames. And now, people are beginning to wonder—does this mean Deion Sanders’ $7.6 billion “dream team” vision for his son is crashing down?

We all know how Deion has been more than just a coach to Shedeur—he’s been his guide, his advocate, his shield. Critics often accused Coach Prime of mollycoddling his grown-up son, but Deion didn’t flinch. He stood firm in doing what he believed was best. Back in March, at the ProMat Conference in Chicago, Deion even hinted at a dream landing spot: the New York Giants. “Let’s hope it’s New York,” he said. And for a moment, it felt like things might align. Brian Daboll’s Giants, still hunting for stability under center, seemed like a real possibility.

But then McShay dropped a reality check.

On the April 22nd episode of the Todd McShay podcast, he walked us through the Giants’ situation. “I’ve been saying for two weeks now that it doesn’t make football sense to me that Brian Daboll would want Shedeur Sanders.” But what is going to hold the Giants back while making the move for the Buffs quarterback?

McShay noted, “You look at his track record, at the mobility component of it. I don’t think.” But what makes him pin his stakes on Dart? “Jaxson Dart doesn’t drive the ball vertically all that great, but he’s got a little more energy on, like, intermediate throws than Shedeur does.” It’s no secret the Giants are scrambling after a brutal three-win campaign in which they started four different quarterbacks. In that case, Daboll must be in search of a long-term solution.

Already, the Ole Miss quarterback has surpassed Eli Manning in the Ole Miss record books. Dart threw for 10,617 yards, while Eli Manning’s numbers were 10,119 yards. That alone might spark some interest in New York. Plus, what might add to Shedeur’s fear is the fact that the Ole Miss quarterback has worked closely with former Giants head coach Joe Judge during his final season.

On that note, McShay dished out a clear picture. “People in the personnel department, the scouting department that prefer Shedeur. They were actually pushing for Shedeur, maybe at 3. Daboll is not a Shedeur guy, and Daboll prefers Jaxson Dart…..I do not know, but there’s speculation in league circles that there’s a push from Daboll to use this first pick on the quarterback. Let’s call it Jaxson Dart.” The New York Giants head coach’s doubts about drafting Shedeur are proving true. Thanks to analyst Tom Pelissero. 

Jaxson Dart comes off as Shedeur Sanders’ biggest roadblock 

Now that the 2025 NFL Draft is knocking on the door, the fans must be inquisitive to know some inside scoop. That’s when NFL Network insider Pelissero granted their wish. On April 22, he came up with a comprehensive analysis of the NFL executives and coaches’ take on the 18 quarterbacks available in the Draft. Already, Shedeur had caught enough side-eyes.

The analyst quoted one of the scouts who said, “I was watching the receiver. And multiple times I was like, Whoa, who’s the quarterback? Let me rewind that and see that f—— throw.” Whereas another tagged the meeting with the Buffs quarterback as the “worst formal interview” in his life. But what made him deduce Shedeur’s points?

“He’s so entitled. He takes unnecessary sacks. He never plays on time. He has horrible body language. He blames teammates… But the biggest thing is, he’s not that good.” Yes, the good old off-field shenanigans hoopla. But when the focus panned towards Dart, criticism did not stand a chance.

In Tom Pelissero’s report, an AFC quarterback coach shared his take on the Ole Miss Rebels quarterback. To quote him, “If I had the No. 1 pick and I had to pick a guy and my job was on the line, I would try to get Jaxson Dart in the conversation.” That’s exactly where Shedeur wished to see himself in the pro league, right? That’s how fairy tales sometimes hit a plot twist.