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Jeff Legwold
BOULDER, Colo. — For the horde of NFL talent evaluators and some bleachers full of fans, Colorado coach Deion Sanders said Friday that they all got to see the top two players available in this year’s NFL draft.
Quarterback Shedeur Sanders and Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter were among the 16 Colorado players who took part in the school’s showcase event for scouts, coaches and personnel executives from every NFL team. And Deion Sanders said the two marquee players confirmed what he has known for a long time.
“It’s tremendous,” Sanders said. “… They should be going 1-2 [in the draft], that’s the way I feel about it. They are the two best players in this draft. … The surest bets in this draft are those two young men, and I didn’t stutter or stammer when I said that.”
Neither Shedeur Sanders nor Hunter took part in most of the position drills or physical testing, but Sanders had a throwing session for just under an hour and Hunter was one of the wide receivers who participated. Neither player worked out at the scouting combine earlier this year, so it was the first time Sanders had thrown in such a setting since the end of the season. He showed some full seven-step drops and play-action from the shotgun and under center.
“I think I did pretty good, to my expectations,” said Sanders, who set the career FBS accuracy mark in his two years at Colorado (71.8%) to go with his 4,134 passing yards and 37 touchdowns last season. “I know I did the best in college football right now, for sure.”
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Asked after the throwing session whether he believed he was the best quarterback in the draft, Sanders said: “I feel like I’m the No. 1 quarterback, and that’s what I know. But at the end of the day, I’m not stuck on that because it’s about the situation, so whatever situation, whatever franchise believes in me, I’m excited to go. … I’m comfortable in any situation.”
Players Hunter, who did not speak to the media after the workout, and Sanders met with the
Quarterback Trey Lance reached agreement on a one-year deal worth up to $6.2 million with the Los Angeles Chargers, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Friday.
Lance and Taylor Heinicke are now the backups behind Chargers starter Justin Herbert.
Herbert has been one of the most durable quarterbacks in the NFL over his first five seasons. He started 62 consecutive games to begin his career, which was the second-longest active streak in the NFL, before a fractured right index finger in Week 14 of 2023 ended his season.
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Still, Herbert has played through injuries, and although he didn’t miss a game in 2024, he was often hobbled and missed snaps or quarters. The injury bug began in training camp when a plantar fascia diagnosis kept him out for two weeks. Herbert suffered a high ankle sprain in Week 2 that he aggravated the following week, and he navigated a thigh bruise and a separate ankle injury later in the year.
Lance gives the Chargers another competent backup option — along with Heinicke, who appeared in four games last season — if Herbert misses time. The signing also likely means that Easton Stick, the Chargers’ third-string quarterback last season, will likely not be back.
The No. 3 pick in the 2021 draft by the San Francisco 49ers, Lance remains something of a mystery even after four seasons in the league.
He started four games in two years with San Francisco, posting a 2-2 record while throwing for 797 yards, 5 touchdowns and 3 interceptions on 56-of-102 passing. An ankle injury cost him his starting job, leading to Brock Purdy’s run of success with the Niners.
In 2023, the Dallas Cowboys acquired Lance for a fourth-round pick in last year’s draft, but he did not play a snap in 2023 and saw only spot duty in 2024 until starting the regular-season finale against the Washington Commanders — completing 20 of 34 passes for 244 yards without a touchdown or interception, and running for 26 yards on six carries in a 23-19 last-second loss.
He also played the majority of the snaps in last year’s preseason for the Cowboys, completing 73 of 113 passes for 662 yards and two touchdowns, but he threw five interceptions in the preseason finale against the Chargers.
Lance, 24, is younger than 2024 first-round picks Bo Nix and Michael Penix Jr. Former coach Mike McCarthy said Lance just needed to continue to gain experience because he played only 19 games at North Dakota State before entering the NFL.
ESPN’s Kris Rhim and Todd Archer contributed to this report.
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Marc Raimondi
Former Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones, one of the best players in franchise history, announced his retirement from the NFL on Friday.
The 36-year-old Jones, who made the announcement on the app Squad, was a seven-time Pro Bowl selection and two-time first-team All-Pro during his 13 NFL seasons. He twice led the NFL in receiving yards (2015, ’18) and is the Falcons’ all-time leader in receptions (848) and receiving yards (12,896).
His 60 receiving touchdowns rank second in Falcons history behind Roddy White (63).
“I’m making this announcement today because of the city of Atlanta,” Jones said. “Thank you, man. I appreciate y’all. It’s nothing but love. I’m doing this on 404 day. It was a hell of a ride. … This was for the city, man, I appreciate you all.”
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— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) April 4, 2025
Jones last played for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2023, catching 11 passes for 74 yards and three touchdowns in 11 games.
He had three games with more than 250 receiving yards in his career — tops in NFL history. His five consecutive seasons of 1,400 receiving yards also is an NFL record.
Jones was taken sixth overall in the 2011 draft out of Alabama by the Falcons. He started 13 games as a rookie and went on to amass six seasons with more than 1,000 receiving yards and at least six touchdown catches, joining Matt Ryan as the best quarterback-wide receiver combination in franchise history.
He had 19 catches, 334 receiving yards and three touchdowns in three postseason games as the Falcons reached the Super Bowl during the 2016 season.
Overall, Jones caught 914 passes for 13,703 yards and 66 touchdowns. He played for Tennessee in 2011 and Tampa Bay in 2022.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Ryan McFadden
HENDERSON, Nev. — The Las Vegas Raiders are releasing cornerback Jack Jones after attempting to trade him, sources confirmed to ESPN.
The Raiders will save $3.4 million in salary cap space by moving on from Jones.
Jones played in 24 games with the Raiders after the franchise claimed him off waivers in 2023, following his release from the New England Patriots, where he played just one full season.
In 2024, Jones started in 16 games and totaled a career-best in tackles (69), passes defended (16) and interceptions (3). However, Jones gave up 698 yards, 9 touchdowns and a passer rating of 108.9 on 88 targets as the nearest defender.
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Following the departures of Jones and Nate Hobbs, who joined the Green Bay Packers on a four-year deal, the Raiders’ cornerback room features Jakorian Bennett, 2024 fourth-round pick Decamerion Richardson, M.J. Devonshire, Kyu Blu Kelly, Eric Stokes and Darnay Holmes.
Bennett, Stokes and Richardson play mostly on the outside, and Holmes is the team’s lone nickel cornerback. At the annual league meeting, general manager John Spytek said the team has to figure out the nickel spot.
“The nickel is a critical spot in Pete [Carroll]’s and [defensive coordinator Patrick Graham’s] defense,” Spytek said. “… We stress the importance of that position in our defense. They’re asked to do a lot, and they can be hard to find.”
Expect the Raiders to use this month’s draft to improve their depth at cornerback. Las Vegas could target Michigan cornerback Will Johnson in the first round. Meanwhile, players such as Maxwell Hairston (Kentucky) and Trey Amos (Ole Miss) could be potential Day 2 picks.
The news of Jones being released was first reported by NFL Network.