Mel Kiper Jr.: Shedeur Sanders, Carson Beck Tied for QB1 in 2025 NFL Draft Rankings

Mike Chiari@@mikechiariFeatured Columnist IVSeptember 4, 2024

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After the first full week of the 2024 college football season, ESPN NFL draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. has a stalemate atop his quarterback rankings for the 2025 NFL draft.

During an appearance Wednesday on ESPN’s Get Up, Kiper said Georgia’s Carson Beck and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders are tied as the No. 1 quarterback in his rankings:

Get Up @GetUpESPN.@MelKiperESPN says Carson Beck and Shedeur Sanders share the No. 1 spot for best QB in the 2025 NFL Draft class 👀 pic.twitter.com/TxTjYyei3a

It wasn’t a shocking revelation from Kiper since most early mock drafts for 2025 have had Beck and Sanders as the first two quarterbacks off the board.

Beck and Sanders have their respective teams off to 1-0 starts, although it is fair to say the Bulldogs and Buffaloes won in entirely different fashions in Week 1.

Georgia entered the season as the No. 1 team in the nation and proved why it was deserving of the distinction, beating then-No. 14 Clemson in a 34-3 blowout.

Beck’s numbers weren’t necessarily spectacular in the win, but he was highly efficient, going 23-of-33 for 278 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions, while also rushing for 19 yards on three carries.

His showing was impressive since it was done against a supremely talented defense and a team that was expected to be a College Football Playoff contender entering the season.

Sanders’ Week 1 numbers jumped off the page far more than Beck’s, as he completed 26 of his 34 passing attempts for 445 yards, four touchdowns and one interception to go along with 17 rushing yards on six totes.

In contrast to Beck, Sanders did his damage against an FCS school in North Dakota State, although the Bison are as good as it gets at that level, having won nine national titles from 2011 to 2021.

An important caveat regarding Sanders is that he was similarly spectacular to start last season, going 3-0 out of the gates and putting up big numbers in wins over TCU, Nebraska and Colorado State.

However, Colorado won only one game the rest of the year, and while Sanders finished with good stats, he took a beating behind a patchwork offensive line.

If Sanders’ line can better protect him throughout the 2024 season, he has a chance to be the first quarterback and possibly even the first player off the board in the 2025 NFL draft.