49ers insider Grant Cohn had an interesting thought experiment about whether San Francisco should draft Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders if he falls to the 11th spot in the 2025 NFL Draft. The player is one of the better players in his position in this rookie class.
The 49ers don’t have an immediate need for a quarterback because Brock Purdy has done well as a starter in the last three years. They have reached two NFC Championships and one Super Bowl in that period. However, he struggled last year as San Francisco failed to reach the playoffs.
Despite that, reports are emerging that Brock Purdy wants around $60 million per year as his new contract. If there is a protracted holdout there, Grant Cohn believes that the 49ers might have to draft another quarterback, writing for Sports Illustrated,
“Brock Purdy reportedly wants nearly $60 million per season. If they don’t feel comfortable making him the second-highest-paid quarterback in the NFL behind Dak Prescott, they might have to draft another quarterback just in case.”
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The insider feels that if there is no agreement between Purdy and the team, San Francisco could trade him. In that case, they might have to draft a quarterback to compete with Mac Jones. If Shedeur Sanders is still available, Cohn believes that he will be a good fit for Kyle Shanahan’s scheme, continuing,
“But if the 49ers refuse to pay Purdy what he wants and he threatens to hold out, they could trade him. In which case, they just might want to draft a quarterback to compete with Jones and Mordecai. Which brings us back to Sanders. He doesn’t have a big arm and he’s not extremely mobile, but he’s an accurate pocket passer, which means he’s a good fit for Kyle Shanahan’s offense.”
However, the 49ers insider also conceded that it is unlikely Shedeur Sanders will fall that far because there are other quarterback-needy teams earlier in the draft.
“Of course, Sanders probably won’t fall to the 11th pick. But if he does, it will be fascinating to see what the 49ers will do.”
Can 49ers still get Shedeur Sanders for Kyle Shanahan in 2025 NFL Draft?
While it is true that Shedeur Sanders likely won’t be available so far below in the draft, they can try to pull off an audacious trade like they did when they got Trey Lance a few years ago. The Browns, who have the second pick, probably won’t draft a quarterback because of Deshaun Watson’s guaranteed deal and also because they traded for Kenny Pickett.
If they are amenable to dropping back and having more rookie picks to plug their roster, San Francisco can try to get either Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward, depending on if the Tennessee Titans either of those players with the first pick.
