After months of build-up and anticipation, Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders’ draft night ended with a thud.
Sanders, whose draft projections had varied wildly heading into the start of the NFL Draft on Thursday, April 24, was not selected in the first round.
The reigning Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year and the son of NFL Hall of Famer and University of Colorado coach, Deion Sanders, many expected Shedeur, 23, to hear his name called in Green Bay, Wisconsin on Thursday night.
Alas, Shedeur was forced to wait to potentially find out his NFL fate when the second round of the Draft begins on Friday, April 25.
For a deep dive into Shedeur’s draft saga, keep reading.
Why Has There Been So Much Debate About Shedeur Sanders?
For one thing, his father.
Deion, 57, has become a polarizing figure in college football — with some fans embracing his larger-than-life, flashy way of handling business, while others push back against his theatrics.
The former Dallas Cowboys star has not been shy about hyping up Shedeur, as evidenced by a May 2024 post via X that resurfaced after his son’s draft fall on Thursday.
In a response to a fan critical of Shedeur’s play, Deion responded, “He will be a top 5 pick. Where yo son going ? Lololol I got time today. Lololol.”
That, of course, did not pan out.
In the lead-up to the Draft, much was made about Shedeur’s perceived cockiness and ego, as well.
“The worst formal interview I’ve ever been in in my life,” an anonymous NFL coach told NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero. “He’s so entitled. He takes unnecessary sacks. He never plays on time. He has horrible body language. He blames teammates … but the biggest thing is, he is not that good.”
At the NFL Combine in February, Shedeur addressed some of the narratives that he seemed unable to shake.
“You think I’m worried about what critics say or what people have to say?” he asked reporters. “You know who my dad is? They hate on him, too.”
What Did Deion Sanders Say About Shedeur Sanders’ Draft Slide?
The morning after Round 1 of the NFL Draft, Deion turned to scripture.
“My bible says God uses the foolish things to confound the wise & he chose the weak things of the world that he may put to shame the strong!” Deion posted via X on Friday, April 25. “Please know God ain’t done & God is just really getting started. Enjoy this lesson & stop stressing. #CoachPrime”
What Did Shedeur Sanders Say About Not Getting Drafted in Round 1?
After the conclusion of Round 1, Shedeur posted a video from his family’s home in Texas where he and his supporters watched the Draft instead of attending in person.
“We all didn’t expect this, of course,” Sanders said. “But I feel like with God, anything’s possible — everything’s possible.”
He continued, “I don’t feel like this happened for no reason. All this is of course fuel to the fire. Under no circumstance — we all know this shouldn’t have happened. But we understand, we’re on to bigger and better things. Tomorrow’s the day. We’re going to be happy regardless.”
Who Got Picked Ahead of Shedeur Sanders?
Heading into the night, there were three teams that made the most sense as a landing spot for Shedeur: the Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Giants.
The Browns ended up trading down to No. 5 and selected University of Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham. Cleveland traded with the Jacksonville Jaguars, who took Shedeur’s Colorado teammate and Heisman Trophy winner, Travis Hunter.
The Steelers also neglected to select a quarterback, instead drafting University of Oregon defensive tackle Derrick Harmon.
Meanwhile, the Giants traded back in the first round, swapping picks with the Houstons Texans. At No. 25, New York drafted Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart.
What Are Analysts Saying About Shedeur Sanders?
ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith called out “the media” for contributing to Shedeur’s surprising Draft slide.
“The anonymous stuff that was being thrown out there. What do they say about Shedeur Sanders?” Smith, 57, said Friday on First Take. “All of a sudden, he shows up at the Scouting Combine and he doesn’t work out. All of the meetings, it was the arrogance and all of the stuff. I’m saying forget all of that.”
Smith argued the “biggest issue” with Shedeur was the idea of teams “having to deal” with his father, Deion.
“In this particular instance because he was being coached by his Dad, folks weren’t confident they were getting the right, accurate information about him,” Smith said.
First Take cohost Marcus Spears pushed back against Smith, saying, “People want to create this conversation like it had something to do with his attitude or had something to do with [Deion].”
“I have not heard anyone on this network say that Shedeur Sanders is not a good quarterback,” Spears, 42, added. “But we got to stop with this narrative like the things that were said about him caused him to not get taken in the first round and he had this immediate immense elite talent that these other guys had.”
Meanwhile, Fox Sports’ Joel Klatt defended Shedeur in the midst of the conversation about his NFL viability.
“Shedeur represents everything that I dislike about the NFL Draft,” Klatt said on Thursday. “It’s only one thing — and it’s narratives. It’s narratives built up that are lazy and quite frankly, trash. When you come out as an anonymous source about some meeting that you had — you don’t think that some kid measured up to what you wanted him to be when he walked in your room — I think that that’s trash. Shedeur Sanders is gonna be a good quarterback in the National Football League.”
Round 2 of the 2025 NFL Draft airs live Friday, April 25 at 7 p.m. ET on ABC, ESPN and NFL Network.
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