On April 24, the city of Green Bay held the first round of the 2025 NFL draft. After months of preparation, interviews, and combined results, it was finally time for teams to select their future stars.
Going into the draft, there were several standout college superstars who were projected to be first round selections. Cam Ward, the highest-ranked player, was correctly predicted to be picked as the Tennessee Titans’ first overall pick. Cam Ward was an incredible Miami quarterback with league comparisons to players like Patrick Mahomes. Other notable highly ranked prospects were Colorado’s Travis Hunter and Penn State’s Abdul Carter.
Travis Hunter, the number one ranked player in the country, had an incredible 2024 college season. Hunter was a dominant two-way player, a player who does very well in both the offensive and defensive positions of their sport. The Jacksonville Jaguars went on to select Hunter with the second overall pick. Edge Rusher Abdul Carter had a standout season as well, showcasing his inability to be stopped due to his athletic nature. The New York Giants chose to select Carter with the third overall pick.
While all these players stood out for their talents and skill, none received more media attention and excitement than Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders. Through years of learning and training under his father, defensive Hall-of-famer Deion “Primetime” Sanders, Shedeur showcased impressive talent throughout his college career and was projected to be a top 10 pick in the 2025 draft. However, this draft took an unexpected turn for the young quarterback regarding his position on his new team.
The Cleveland Browns have endured unceasing heartbreak throughout its time in the NFL. Specifically, the Browns had shown a trend in struggling in the quarterback selection. In March of 2022, the Cleveland Browns traded away three first round picks for who they believed would be the future of their franchise: Texan quarterback Deshaun Watson. Deshaun Watson had proven himself to be an incredible talent throughout the 2019 and 2020 season; however due to legal trouble, Watson was suspended and never fully recovered. The Browns had traded their future away for a player who no longer played like himself. Watson struggled with injuries throughout his Browns career, leaving them with no choice but to find a new quarterback for the 2025 season.
Early into the offseason, when pre draft talks first began, it was projected to be a toss up between Sanders and Ward for the first overall pick. Both players had showcased their remarkable talent on the field; however, it was how they carried themselves off the field that resulted in their different outcomes. Cam Ward was, more or less, known as a humble and calm person. He was a football player and stayed out of the spotlight when he wasn’t on the field. Sanders, however, had a much different public perception. Growing up with unlimited money and opportunities, Sanders has been seen as entitled by many NFL fans. Between the way he talks, the chains he wears, and his frequent media presence, Sanders has been perceived to be a potential diva. As the draft approached, Sanders began interviewing with several teams that were interested. It was here that his draft stock began to decrease. While he remained a projected top 10 pick, Sanders was no longer collectively considered a potential first overall pick. No one, however, expected him to be the pick he ended up being.
With the fifth overall pick in the NFL draft, the Cleveland Browns ended up selecting defensive lineman Mason Graham out of Michigan. In a shocking turn, the Browns had chosen against drafting a quarterback in the first round. However, Sanders remained confident that he would be selected soon and with the Las Vegas Raiders in likely need of a young quarterback, NFL fans believed he would be picked as well. Thus, it was a surprise when the Raiders passed up on him as well. Then, with the New Orleans Saints selecting tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. and the Giants trading up for Ole Miss quarterback Jaxon Dart, it became increasingly clear that Sanders wouldn’t even be selected in the first round.
Day two of the draft was more of the same for Shedeur. Pick after pick, teams continued to pass on Sanders . With the Saints drafting Louisville quarterback Tyler Shough, NFL fans and players around the country were left wondering what possibly could have happened to tank his draft stock. During the NFL combine, Sanders decided to opt out of the on-field drills, claiming that he wanted to be in full condition for throwing in front of scouts at Colorado’s pro-day. While this isn’t entirely uncommon for highly ranked quarterbacks to do, in combination with prior perceptions of his attitude, this wasn’t a great look. However, what people really suspect happened with Sanders was a very poor performance in his pre-draft interviews. Prior to each draft, highly ranked players may meet with interested teams as a way for the teams to get to know them better. Seeing as these are not disclosed to the public, it is suspected that Sanders tanked the interviews.
It took six rounds and 144 picks for Shedeur Sanders to be selected by the Cleveland Browns. Sanders was a player that Cleveland could have selected fifth-overall, and no one would’ve batted an eye. Not only were five other quarterbacks
chosen before Sanders, but he wasn’t even the first quarterback selected by the Browns. The night prior, in the third round, they had selected Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel. On top of that, the Browns had acquired two additional quarterbacks in free agency during the offseason: Super Bowl champion Joe Flacco and former first round pick Kenny Pickett. According to the current depth chart, Sanders is the QB 5, meaning he will have to fight for a spot on the team since only about 3 quarterbacks actually play. Sanders went from an expected franchise player to fighting for a spot on one of the weakest performing rosters in the NFL.
The downfall of Shedeur Sanders may be short lived, however. Many believe that this experience was enough to knock Sanders down a peg. After falling to such a late pick, the pressure on the rookie is significantly lighter. In fact, Sanders may even go forward with a chip on his shoulder, motivated to prove the teams that wrote him off wrong. For now, NFL fans will just have to wait and see if this collapse will make Sanders fall apart, or if it pushes him to shine brighter than he ever had.
