Former Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders started draft season a couple of months ago as a contender to be the number 1 pick in the NFL Draft. For reasons unknown, his draft stock dropped so far that he wasn’t taken until the 144 pick in Round 5 on Day 3 of the draft by the Cleveland Browns.
Five other quarterbacks were taken ahead of the son of NFL Hall-of-Famer Deion Sanders. He was a Heisman Trophy finalist in December. Now, he’s the biggest story in college and pro football for all the wrong reasons.
Through it all, he remained true to his Christian faith on X:
Another day another opportunity to get a chance to play the game I love. Thank you GOD #LEGENDARY
— Shedeur Sanders (@ShedeurSanders) April 26, 2025
Thank you GOD for EVERYTHING
— Shedeur Sanders (@ShedeurSanders) April 26, 2025
Throughout his college career, he proved that he has elite skills. He was considered by some to be the best pocket passer in the class, though his arm strength has come into question despite throwing a good deep ball. Questions surrounding his game included holding onto the ball for too long and not having the elusiveness often needed by NFL quarterbacks.
But the biggest knock, according to buzz leading up to the draft, was his personality. Rumors circulated that his pre-draft interviews were very bad. One anonymous source said his interview was “the worst ever.”
Conspiracy theories were already hitting when he wasn’t taken in the first round. When he wasn’t taken in the second or third rounds, the internet was practically on fire. Even the Colorado Football TikTok account posted a creepy “villain arch” video:
@cufb303 Shedeur is coming for all the teams that skipped him 🙌 #coloradofootball #deionsanders #coachprime #shedeursanders #nfl #fyp #tik
The NY Times attributed his fall to teams being unwilling to draft a backup quarterback who will have more name recognition and a built-in fan base bigger than their starting quarterback:
Sure, several teams can holster a backup of Sanders’ stature with minimal distractions — the Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals top the list — but there are far more that can’t.
The teams with more tepid QB situations will deal with a constant barrage of questions. Every loss and every interception will invite questions about the backup quarterback. Remember, former New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick was asked in 2014 if it was time to bench Tom Brady for Jimmy Garoppolo. If Brady wasn’t immune then, who would be now?
These might sound like excuses, but they’re actual factors in the decision-making process. Maybe the starting quarterback is mentally strong enough to handle that pressure, but what about the rest of the locker room? What about the coach and the general manager?
Whatever the reason for his legendary drop in the draft, one thing is certain. He will enter the 2025 season with a gigantic chip on his shoulders and an unexpected reason to prove the league wrong. Tom Brady, arguably the best quarterback of all time, was drafted in the 6th round at pick #199.
