Quarterback Shedeur Sanders’ extensive NFL Draft wait has been described as anywhere between a slide and a freefall. In reality, many personnel executives and coaches around the NFL had predicted what ended up unfolding Thursday night.
Sanders was not selected in the first round of the NFL Draft, but two other quarterbacks were. Miami’s Cam Ward was the Tennessee Titans’ pick at No. 1, and Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart was the second quarterback off the board, going to the New York Giants after they traded up to No. 25.
That means Sanders’ patience will be tested into Friday night’s second (and possibly third) round.
The former Colorado quarterback has been the center of so much hype over the past couple years, starring for a program that he helped lead back to prominence with his father, Pro Football Hall of Famer and Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders, and Shedeur Sanders was perceived for months as a strong candidate to become the first QB off the board.
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But the hype was more of a disservice on a night like Thursday, as the world wondered why TV cameras kept focusing on Sanders’ draft party while other prospects heard their names called by league commissioner Roger Goodell. Those same cameras showed Sanders laughing as news broke on social media the Giants were selecting Dart. Sanders has lived such a public life, in part because of his own film production crew, that any associated drama will become overly magnified.
But again, and in reality, the NFL didn’t view Sanders as a first-round prospect. This wasn’t about anonymous quotes crushing a prospect. This was the league — all 32 teams spent time on the clock at one point Thursday night — publicly declaring they didn’t see him as a first-round talent.
After the Pittsburgh Steelers bypassed Sanders for Oregon defensive tackle Derrick Harmon at No. 21, The Athletic surveyed 10 coaches and high-ranking NFL executives to see if they were surprised Sanders was still on the board.
All 10 said no.
A handful of them have been in the QB market and did plenty of work on Sanders throughout the draft process.
Maybe he’ll prove them wrong.
After all, Sanders helped revitalize a floundering Colorado program that was largely irrelevant for two decades before his arrival, and he finished eighth in the Heisman Trophy voting in 2024. If Sanders uses this league-wide slight to fuel his journey, one uncomfortable weekend in the spotlight could transform into a career-long revenge tour. Just ask Lamar Jackson.
That’s for down the road, though. Strictly relating to the draft, the league simply didn’t view Sanders as an elite prospect — and hasn’t for a while. His arm strength and accuracy have been described by league evaluators as good but not great, and his shorter throws tended to flutter, particularly at his pro day. He plays with nice creativity, but he doesn’t add a dynamic running element.
There were also legitimate questions, which had been circulating through front offices, over his ability to grow into a leader and carry a locker room. There were questions about whether Sanders was as dedicated to the game as everything that comes with it.
Shedeur Sanders response to not getting Drafted in the First Round 👀
“We all didn’t expect this…Just more fuel to the fire”
“Tomorrow is the day, We going to be happy regardless”
🎥 : @DeionSandersJr pic.twitter.com/D2IEsZiGai
— We Coming 🦬 (@SkoBuffsGoBuffs) April 25, 2025
Ultimately, decision makers were split over their concerns with Sanders. Most polled by The Athletic, either Thursday or in the months leading up to the draft, were more concerned with Sanders’ talent than anything off the field. Some said the personality nitpicks wouldn’t be an issue if he had put together better tape.
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These weren’t reactionary opinions in the moment, either. Throughout the pre-draft process, evaluators consistently told The Athletic they wouldn’t rank Sanders ahead of any of the six first-round quarterbacks in the 2024 class. Another said Sanders would get a third-round grade in a year with better QB prospects.
Aside from Sanders’ spotlight and name recognition, the uncertainty within the QB class played into his perceived stock. Ward was an unfamiliar commodity after one high-profile season and only really established himself as the top pick last month. From there, it was a challenge to discern between Sanders, Dart, Louisville’s Tyler Shough, Alabama’s Jalen Milroe, Ohio State’s Will Howard and Texas’ Quinn Ewers.
None are perfect prospects.
Entering the opening round, Sanders’ ceiling could have been viewed as No. 3 to the Giants, but those chances had been waning in recent weeks, particularly when it became clear they couldn’t move up for Ward. Instead, the Giants opted for Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter. At the time, league sources said the Giants were already working on a trade to move into the back half of the first round for their QB of the future, noting Dart had gained strong momentum in their eyes.
The Cleveland Browns, also rebuffed in their attempts to move up for Ward, weren’t serious contenders for a first-round quarterback. The Las Vegas Raiders (Geno Smith) and New York Jets (Justin Fields) filled their vacancies with veterans.
That essentially whittled Sanders’ market to the New Orleans Saints at No. 9 and the Steelers. The Saints were hot on the trail of the second wave of quarterbacks throughout the pro-day circuit, but they would up selecting Texas tackle Kelvin Banks Jr at No. 9. The Steelers, who have been in the mix for Aaron Rodgers and went to dinner last month with Milroe, also passed.
As the Giants traded up for Dart, Sanders’ fate had been sealed. He’ll wait until Friday.
It might seem surreal, but that’s how the league has viewed Sanders for quite some time.
(Photo: Christian Petersen / Getty Images)
This news was originally published on this post .
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