Month: March 2025

Every NFL prospect is currently sliding under the microscope for evaluators to come away with their impressions and whether or not they’ll eventually have their clubs select them at the 2025 NFL Draft later this spring. Throughout this evaluation period, which includes the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, a clearer picture should develop, specifically as it relates to the quarterback class.

Unlike years past when there has been a clear pecking order, the 2025 class is a little more muddied. NFL Media reported Saturday that Miami’s Cam Ward has begun separating himself as the QB1. Beyond that, however, it’s currently unknown who’ll come off the board next.

That nugget should raise some eyebrows, particularly as it relates to the stock of Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders. Throughout the early stages of the pre-draft process, he’s been billed as the second-best quarterback in the class and has been mulled as a potential top-five or top-three pick. In a recent mock draft, CBS Sports NFL Draft analyst Josh Edwards has the New York Giants selecting Sanders with the third overall pick. Currently, he’s CBS Sports’ No. 24-ranked prospect overall and the No. 2-ranked quarterback.

So, if all of a sudden it’s a question if he’ll even be the second-best quarterback taken, that could signal him falling further down the board on draft day. Moreover, it could also suggest the possibility of another prospect rising through the ranks and crashing into the first-round conversation. After Sanders, CBS Sports ranks Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart (48th-ranked prospect overall) and Texas’ Quinn Ewers (No. 107) as the next best quarterbacks followed by Syracuse signal-caller Kyle McCord (No. 109) and Alabama’s Jalen Milroe (No. 118).

Sanders, who initially began his collegiate career at Jackson State and transferred to Colorado as his father Deion Sanders took the head coaching gig, turned in a 2024 season in which he led the Buffalos to a 9-4 record and completed 74% of throws for 4,134 yards, 37 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. That led to first-team All-Big 12 honors along with being named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year.

The Deebo Samuel era in the Bay Area has reached its end. The San Francisco 49ers have agreed to trade the star receiver to the Washington Commanders, per CBS Sports lead NFL Insider Jonathan Jones. As for the compensation, the Commanders are sending a fifth-round pick to the Niners in exchange for Samuel, per ESPN.

While this trade is agreed to between both sides, it cannot become official until the start of the new league year on March 12. The Commanders, however, took to social media to signify that some news had just gone down.

Samuel’s departure from the 49ers had been looming for quite a while, and general manager John Lynch had told reporters this week at the NFL Scouting Combine that the team was “going to honor” his trade request. They have, and now Samuel is heading to Washington where he’ll join an offense headlined by NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels, who will be throwing him the football.

Along with the Commanders, who ultimately landed Samuel, Jones reports that the receiver garnered interest from several teams, including the Houston Texans and Pittsburgh Steelers. Meanwhile, The Athletic reports that the Commanders and 49ers discussed potentially including defensive lineman Jonathan Allen — who recently requested a trade — in this deal. However, he was ultimately left out with just a fifth-rounder heading back to San Francisco.

player headshot
team logo
Deebo Samuel
SF • WR • #1
TAR
81
REC
51
REC YDS
670
REC TD
3
FL
1
View Profile
The crux of Samuel’s trade request stemmed from the wideout entering the final year of his contract. He’s currently due a base salary of $1.17 million and has no guaranteed money remaining on his deal, so it’s likely that the Commanders will also be inking him to some sort of an extension to help facilitate the deal and integrate him into the organization. ESPN does report that Washington will take on the remainder of Samuel’s contract, which includes his $17.55 million total salary for 2025.

Samuel, 29, had spent his entire career with the 49ers up until this trade. The team drafted him in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft out of South Carolina. Last season, he totaled 51 receptions for 670 yards and three touchdowns over 15 games played. He also rushed for 136 yards and a touchdown.

With Samuel gone, the Niners will look toward 2024 first-round pick Ricky Pearsall along with veteran Jauan Jennings to step up in Kyle Shanahan’s offense. At the moment, Brandon Aiyuk, who is coming off a torn ACL, also factors into the equation of added targets with Samuel gone, but he’s also been the subject of trade talks this offseason.

As for the Commanders, they get a much-needed secondary pass-catching option for Daniels. After fellow star Terry McLaurin, Olamide Zaccheaus was the No. 2 wide receiver in Washington’s offense last season with 506 yards receiving. Tight end Zach Ertz, who is set to be a free agent, was second on the team in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns behind McLaurin, so Samuel comes in as the clear No. 2 option.

Deebo Samuel may not be the only San Francisco 49ers receiver on the move this offseason. While Samuel has since been traded to the Washington Commanders, general manager John Lynch acknowledged this week that teams have also called the organization regarding the availability of fellow wideout Brandon Aiyuk. Lynch added that the team is listening to those calls.

“Yeah, that typically happens with really good players,” Lynch said Wednesday in Indianapolis at the NFL Scouting Combine, via 49ers Webzone. “I remember, I think two years ago, having similar conversations. You get calls, and you always listen to calls.”

player headshot
team logo
Brandon Aiyuk
SF • WR • #11
TAR
47
REC
25
REC YDS
374
REC TD
0
FL
0
View Profile
The fact that San Francisco is at least listening to those calls suggests that it’s not out of the question that it moves off Aiyuk this offseason. If that ultimately comes to pass, it would be a rather remarkable calendar year between the team and the wideout. Talks of the Niners moving on from Aiyuk was a main storyline last offseason and bled into training camp before the two sides ultimately agreed on a four-year, $120 million extension.

Just months after inking that extension, Aiyuk’s 2024 season was cut short after he suffered a torn ACL and MCL in the club’s Week 7 matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs. Given his uncertainty heading into 2025 because of that injury, it’ll be curious to see if that dents his value on the trade market.

Aiyuk has spent his entire career with the 49ers ever since the organization selected him with the No. 25 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft out of Arizona State. His best season in the league came in 2023 where he tallied 105 catches for 1,342 yards receiving and seven touchdowns. Before suffering his season-ending injury last year, he had 25 catches for 374 yards.

As for where Aiyuk could end up if the 49ers do decide to trade him, let’s take a gander at a trio of landing spots.

Pittsburgh Steelers
It’s no secret the Steelers are in the market for a wide receiver, as they’ve been looking to add to that position group over the past calendar year. In fact, Aiyuk was one of their targets last summer, and Pittsburgh reportedly had a deal in place with San Francisco to deal for the receiver before he ultimately decided to stay with the 49ers and sign his extension. Could Pittsburgh simply call Lynch up and spark those conversations again with just some tweaks on those initial parameters?

Los Angeles Chargers
While the Chargers did hit on Ladd McConkey in the second round of last year’s draft, the team is still pretty thin at wide receiver. Sure, it has Quentin Johnston, who was more productive in his second season in the league, but Joshua Palmer is set to hit free agency, further denting the depth at the position. Los Angeles has the sixth-highest amount of cap space in the league this offseason at $66.4 million, so the Chargers should be able to manage Aiyuk’s contact. More importantly, a trade for Aiyuk would give Justin Herbert another elite weapon as the Chargers contend in an increasingly more competitive AFC West.