Though the 2024 NFL season and the 2025 NFL Playoffs are still going strong, with the Super Bowl rematch of the Philadelphia Eagles versus the Kansas City Chiefs officially set for the Saints' home, the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, for the fans of 30 other teams, it's officially 2025 NFL Draft season, baby.

Now sure, technically free agency comes before the draft, and every head coaching gig isn't filled just yet, but the draft is where the magic happens in the NFL, with top-tier collegiate talents finding their professional homes and the hopes of landing a Hall of Fame-caliber diamond in the rough like Jason Kelce running through dreams like sugarplums on Christmas Eve.

And the first stop on the road to the draft? Well that would be the East-West Shrine Game, which provides top-tier collegiate talent with a chance to interface with NFL coaches and show what they can do against their peers.

With dozens of players surely draft-bound from the event's 100-player roster, this is the game to watch for hardcore draft heads, but which players should fans keep a close eye on? Well, these three options will certainly leave the week with the most buzz regardless of how many snaps they take in the game.

Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) celebrates a third quarter touchdown pass against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Folsom Field.
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1. Shedeur Sanders, Colorado… maybe

When it comes to the 2025 East-West Shrine Bowl, there's Shedeur Sanders, and then there's everyone else in terms of NFL prospects.

The son of Deion Sanders with a highlight reel filled with incredible throws, exquisite escapability, and enough athleticism to make fans go wild, there's a chance the University of Colorado QB could hear his name called as the first player picked in the 2025 NFL Draft if he plays his cards right.

But for that to happen, Sanders needs to actually be healthy enough to walk across the stage to shake Rodger Godell's hands, which means not taking any unnecessary hits at an exhibition game.

Fortunately, Sanders still used his time effectively in Arlington, Texas, delivering some all-time great quotes on why he should be the top player in the 2025 NFL Draft.

“It's not what I think, it's what I know I could bring,” Sanders said via CBS Sports. “It's just [about teams] understanding my personality and being able to see it. They see media, they see cameras, they see everything. Not everyone has the best and greatest intentions to represent me well …. I like that I'm able to get in the forefront of everything, and they're able to understand me and ask me whatever question they want. I'm not ducking. I ain't hiding. I'm right here alive in the flesh, able to answer whatever questions.

“You got to cut on the tape. I know I'm worthy of doing everything I put my mind to, so I'm always worthy of doing whatever … Decision-making, that's the biggest and best thing you can do as a quarterback. That's what my skill set is, decision-making. I don't let anything alter my mind and let anything get in the way of me not being in my right mind. Decision-making at the quarterback position from my skillset is what I like to do, sit in the pocket and throw it. That's the best attribute.”

Will Sanders make an appearance in the East-West Shrine Bowl? Probably not, but after spending time with coaches from three of the teams drafting in the top-10, it's hard to argue that he didn't use his time effectively.

Colorado Buffaloes safety Shilo Sanders (21) reacts in the second quarter against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Folsom Field.
Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

2. Shilo Sanders, Colorado 

While Shedeur may opt against playing in the East-West Shrine Bowl, his brother, Shilo, is far more likely to take the field in order to show why he's anything but a throw-in with his brother.

Standing 6-foot, 195 pounds, Sanders appeared in 18 games for the Buffalo from 2023-24, amassing 111 tackles, five fumbles, and a pick over his career in Boulder. Though his draft stock is very much to be determined, with his combined performance likely deciding whether he's drafted in the second round or the fifth round – to note the extreme ends of the spectrum – Sanders has to really show out this offseason to get where he wants to be.

Discussing that very situation with reporters during his Shrine Game media session, Sanders noted that he's looking to make a name for himself unique from his father, who is a Hall of Fame defensive back in his own right.

“I mean I don't call myself Coach Prime's son,” Shilo said via Sportskeeda. “That's y'all that call me that. I've been making a name for myself for a long time. If you just wanna keep calling me that then that's cool. We're not really focused on that. I mean that's our dad he's great. So if you wanna say those are Prime's sons, it is what it is. We are Prime's sons.”

Is Sanders a polarizing prospect? Yes. Will some teams view him as a special teamer while others see him as a starting-caliber Cover 2 safety with box potentially? Sure thing. Will whichever team that drafts Shedeur have incredible pressure to overdraft Shilo to maintain the package deal? Yes, as well. But in the end, Shilo will succeed or fail based on his own merits, which he seemingly understands very well.

Michigan defensive lineman Kenneth Grant (78) celebrates a tackle against USC during the first half at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024.
Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

3. Kenneth Grant, Michigan

Stepping away from the Sanders brothers to another incredibly worthy prospect, if there's a second East-West Shrine Bowl player who comes off the board in the first round, it will probably be Michigan defensive tackle Kenneth Grant.

A four-star prospect out of Merrillville High School who chose Michigan over other Big 10 options and beyond, Grant rapidly built himself up playing on the same defensive line as Mason Graham and never looked back. Standing 6-foor-3, 339 pounds, Grant finished out his college career in Ann Arbor with 69 total tackles, 11.5 tackles for a loss, and 6.5 sacks over his 41-game run with the Maize and Blue.

In a league where stuffing the run is growing increasingly important and big nose tackles like Jordan Davis and T'Vondre Sweat are being drafted high,  Grant had a chance to join that legacy, especially considering teams like the Los Angeles Rams, the Cincinnati Bengals, and Jim Harbaugh's Los Angeles Chargers could all be on the lookout for a supersized tackle for fortify their defensive front.

Projecting where Grant could go in April in his latest official mock draft, ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. sent the Michigan Man to South Philadelphia, replacing fellow Wolverine Brandon Graham in spirit but not position.

“GM Howie Roseman favors the trenches in Round 1, so don’t be surprised if he finds another impact defensive tackle with the Eagles’ first pick. Yes, it would be the third time in four years that he used a Day 1 selection at the position (Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis), and according to ESPN Research, we’ve seen a team do that only three times in the common draft era. But hey, if the Eagles are picking at No. 32, it means they won the Super Bowl, and the strategy is working,” Kiper Jr. wrote. “Plus, Milton Williams is a free agent. Grant’s instincts and ability to bat balls at the line of scrimmage would be welcomed in Philadelphia.”

Would the Eagles opt to replace Williams and potentially Davis in the future with Grant as Carter's long-term partner? Considering the team's needs at defensive end, that feels unlikely, but hey, the spirit of the pick holds true: Grant will help some team at a position of need and probably make an impact in the playoffs as a result.