NFL mock draft from Sports Illustrated has a QB not named Shedeur Sanders to the Panthers

Shedeur wasn’t the top QB off the board here.

Obviously, the buzziest name in the 2025 NFL Draft is Shedeur Sanders, the Colorado QB who is Deion’s son and who could go as the top quarterback off the board.

Our 2025 mock from Christian D’Andrea had Sanders to the Carolina Panthers. But in the latest mock draft from Sports Illustrated, it’s Miami’s Cam Ward who is the top QB, with him going No. 2 to the Panthers. Sanders goes No. 3 in this scenario to the Cleveland Browns, which we’ve seen before.

So what’s the deal with Ward here? It’s a sign that the Panthers have given up on Bryce Young. Here’s more from SI’s Daniel Flick:

The Panthers benched 2023 No. 1 pick Bryce Young after just two games, and veteran backup Andy Dalton is 1–4 in his five starts. Carolina’s offense is No. 28 in the NFL in passing and, if it continues down the path of giving up on Young, will need a new long-term answer under center. Enter Ward, who leads college football in passing yards (2,538) and touchdowns (24) while completing 68.7% of his passes.

Be sure to check out the latest 2025 NFL mock draft from our Christian D’Andrea!

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