Insider Notes on Deion Sanders' impact on Mike Tomlin's Steelers drafting Shedeur Sanders, 49ers' interest in Oluwafemi Oladejo, and more
We are in the home stretch of the lead into the 2025 NFL Draft. After a weekend in which many in the league celebrated the Easter holiday, expect an overload of rumors and news beginning Monday afternoon. Here’s an update on what I heard over the weekend.
49ers are very high on Oluwafemi Oladejo
If you’ve read any of my articles or reports since last season, you’ll know I continually heaped praise on UCLA pass rusher Oluwafemi “Femi” Oladejo. He was on my risers list during the season, and I wrote as well as tweeted about him often during the Senior Bowl.
We also did a terrific interview on Oladejo here at Sportskeeda prior to the combine.
During the Senior Bowl, I mentioned that the San Francisco 49ers are very high on Oladejo, and that remains true. It’s also a topic I spoke about at length last week with Stephanie Sanchez during her 49 Karats podcast.
In conversations late last week, I was informed that Oladejo will end up being selected anywhere from pick 30 to 45. Besides the Niners, who hold pick 43, I’m told the Philadelphia Eagles with the last pick in Round 1, as well as the Tennessee Titans and New England Patriots at the top of Round 2, are possibilities to pull the trigger on Oladejo.
Raiders are happy with their interior offensive line
After the press conference from Pete Carroll and John Spytek last week, many feel it’s a lock that the Las Vegas Raiders will select Ashton Jeanty with the sixth pick of the draft.
Yet in speaking with league sources since that press conference, no one told me Jeanty is a lock, as some “think” it’ll be the running back, while others just don’t know.
Most all I’ve spoken with still believe Armand Membou is in the conversation once the team is called to the clock. Just about everyone believes the Raiders will look to upgrade their tackle position at some point in the draft.
On the flip side, I’m told the team is happy with the depth chart on the interior of the offensive line and believes it will have four players who’ll compete for three spots.
Jackson Powers-Johnson, Jordan Meredith, Dylan Parham, and free agent signing Alex Cappa will battle it out for the center and guard positions.
I’m told Cappa, who for all intents and purposes signed a one-year deal in free agency, is viewed solely as a right guard, while Meredith, who lined up at left guard last season, will get reps at center in camp this summer.
Mike Tomlin need not worry about the Deion Sanders factor while drafting Shedeur Sanders?
Since the Shrine Bowl, I have mentioned multiple times that teams would consider the “Deion factor” in their final analysis of whether to draft his son, quarterback Shedeur Sanders.
Teams realize they must be comfortable with the possibility of Deion Sanders publicly criticizing the team and head coach who drafts his son when things don’t go well. And I’m told it’s criticism that many coaches don’t want to deal with.
Just last week, I mentioned that Mike Tomlin favors the Pittsburgh Steelers selecting Shedeur and likes the quarterback’s potential.
Soon after that article was posted, several people told me that Tomlin won’t have to deal with the same level of criticism from Sanders, as the belief in league circles is that the Hall of Fame cornerback won’t go after the Steelers head coach as he would coaches of other teams.
I also mentioned that Tomlin is content going into the season with Mason Rudolph as his starting quarterback. In those same conversations, I was told players on the Steelers roster also support Rudolph and have no problem moving forward with him as the team’s No. 1 signal-caller.