Shedeur Sanders’ landing spot and other rumors ahead of Round 2 of the NFL Draft

The first round of the 2025 NFL Draft is in the books.

But with six rounds remaining, and over 200 selections to go, we are a long way from writing the full story. In a matter of a few hours, the Cleveland Browns will be back on the clock to open the second night of the draft, and given that, the rumors are still swirling around Lambeau Field.

Before the Browns are on the clock, let’s dive back in.

Without a doubt, this is the dominant storyline after Thursday.

In the months leading up to the 2025 NFL Draft speculation followed Shedeur Sanders everywhere he went, from the Shrine Bowl to the NFL Scouting Combine and then to the Colorado Showcase event. Would he be one of the first players taken? Would he be the first QB taken? Where would he come off the board on Thursday night?

However, that conversation slowly shifted, and in the hours leading up to Round 1 a new question emerged: Would he come off the board Thursday night?

Ultimately, he did not. Now, everyone is searching for an answer.

Two factors may be at work here. One, his evaluation was not a clean one, as there are concerns about his style of play. He was sacked over 90 times the past two years at Colorado, and while some of it was due to an offensive line that struggled to protect him, there were also moments when Sanders invited pressure in the pocket and made the situation worse.

If that does not work on Saturdays, it certainly will not work on Sundays.

Then there is the — relative — lack of QB-needy teams in this draft cycle. Yes, teams like Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and New Orleans might still address quarterback, and the Giants could have gone in a different direction rather than trading back into the first for Jaxson Dart, but those teams could also wait and address QB tonight, or punt the decision altogether to the 2026 NFL Draft and ride it out with veteran options.

NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero addressed the “slide” on Good Morning Football Friday morning.

“I think that where we fall short at times, as the media, is allowing certain things to get ahead of what people within the NFL actually see,” Pelissero said. “If you talk to scouts and coaches around the NFL, there was one guy in this draft who was a surefire starting quarterback, in terms of profile, and that was Cam Ward. The rest of them — Shedeur Sanders, Jaxson Dart, who goes to the Giants after they trade up, Jalen Milroe, Tyler Shough — they’re all somewhere in that first-, second-round border type of scenario.

“For the Giants, they like Jaxson Dart’s athletic ability, they like his size, they like the fact that they can run the football with him, run RPOs and read options, which really isn’t Shedeur Sanders’ game. With Shedeur, you gotta have a really clear vision. You gotta believe that he’s gonna be able to adjust his game, at least somewhat, from what he did at the college level to the NFL, in terms of getting the ball out faster, not taking as many sacks, being more efficient as a quarterback. And when there’s only so many teams that are even in the first-round quarterback market, you can say, ‘Yeah, he’s sliding,’ but is it actually a slide?”

That slide likely ends tonight, if it was a slide at all.

According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, the Pittsburgh Steelers are taking calls on the availability of wide receiver George Pickens, and are “open” to conversations:

Why might this matter? Well, if you are trying to find a landing spot for Sanders, Pittsburgh remains an option. But without a second-round selection, the Steelers are not on the clock again until No. 83, the 19th selection in the third round. Acquiring a second-round pick via a Pickens trade — or enough capital to swing a subsequent trade for a second-round pick — could be what the Steelers are driving towards.

While Sanders sliding out of the first round dominated headlines, he was not the only player expected to come off the board on Thursday who is waiting to hear their name called on Friday. Michigan cornerback Will Johnson also slid out of the first round, despite being one of the top players in the draft according to consensus rankings.

According to Adam Schefter, Johnson has a knee issue that has teams wary about his longevity in the league

Despite those concerns, Johnson is one of the best players available, and with several teams looking to address cornerback here on Day Two, his slide should end shortly after the second round begins.

The second night of the NFL Draft could see several “position runs” given the talent that remains on the board.

Let’s start with wide receiver. Only three wideouts came off the board on Thursday night — Arizona’s Tetairo McMillan, Ohio State’s Emeka Egbuka, and Texas’ Matthew Golden — but several talented players are still on the board. Look for players like Luther Burden III, the Iowa State pair of Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel, Mississippi WR Tre Harris, and TCU’s Jack Bech to come off the board tonight, perhaps all in the second round.

Running backs could also play a big role tonight. Ashton Jeanty and Omarion Hampton were drafted on Thursday, but the Ohio State duo of TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins are still on the board, as is Kaleb Johnson from Iowa.

Dylan Sampson and Cam Skattebo are also options tonight for teams looking to add at running back.

On the defensive side of the ball, Johnson is one of several cornerbacks that could come off the board. Look for Trey Amos, Shavon Revel Jr., Benjamin Morrison, Azareye’h Thomas, Darien Porter, and Jacob Parrish to hear their names called tonight.

Then there are the pass rushers. Mike Green and Donovan Ezeiruaku were two EDGE defenders considered first-round picks, but both are still available as the night begins. Nic Scourton, J.T. Tuimoloau, Landon Jackson, Oluwafemi Oladejo, Princely Umanmielen, Jordan Burch, and Jack Sawyer lead a host of pass rushers who are likely picked tonight.