Shedeur Sanders' dramatic NFL draft slide seems deeper than pure football

USA Today

26-04-2025

Shedeur Sanders' dramatic NFL draft slide seems deeper than pure football
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NFL Draft: Sanders falls out of Round 1, Jags take Travis Hunter at No. 2
USA TODAY Sports' Mackenzie Salmon breaks down the biggest storylines from Round 1 of the 2025 NFL Draft.
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Legendary.
There's a new twist to that theme with Shedeur Sanders. After his precipitous slide out of the first round on Thursday night, the most polarizing player in the NFL Draft suddenly has another whole package of drama attached to his compelling storyline.
So, nobody thought the Colorado quarterback and high-profiled son of Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, was worth a first-round pick?
As Shedeur himself put it in addressing the partygoers who came to help celebrate his big draft moment at the bash staged at his father's ranch in Texas, this statement about his draft stock has added some fuel to the fire.
"Under no circumstance, we all know this shouldn't have happened," Sanders said at the end of an event that morphed from festive to somber.
Was that the reaction of someone entitled? Or just the truth?
Given all of the negativity heaped on Sanders in the weeks leading up to the draft – including shots from anonymous sources who attacked him as arrogant and entitled -- I'm having a hard time shaking the feeling that the snub went beyond football.
Sure, nitpicking is allowed – and expected as part of the due diligence of talent evaluations – when it comes to breaking down prospects. But in Sanders' case, even if his correctable flaw of holding onto the football too long can be fixed (like flaws that can be found with any given prospect), it strikes me as a culture pick, too. Or non-pick.
Shedeur is flashy, for sure. Like father, like son, in that regard.
If that's what tipped the scales for some teams – and especially the New York Giants – then shame on them.
Sanders was one of the most productive quarterbacks on the college landscape last season, passing for more than 4,000 yards with 37 touchdowns and an NCAA-leading 74% completion rate. He plays a premium position. And the NFL, with some teams searching for their franchise anchors for decades, seemingly never can have enough quarterbacks. You'd think that would been enough to at least get him in the first round.
If you wonder how Sanders, as the face of a franchise, would represent himself – and the franchise – in the face of adversity and the intense spotlight, then consider the level-headed maturity he demonstrated on Thursday night as his draft bash fizzled.
He didn't hide and run for cover. No, Sanders assured his supporters that he would embrace whatever the coming days present. Sure, he had to be embarrassed. Yet it was an undeniable stand-up moment that provided another example of what his father said about his youngest son being built for dealing with adversity.
Still, it's fascinating that there wasn't a single team inspired enough to make an aggressive move for him as his stock tumbled during the first round.
The Giants did exactly that, but not for Sanders. The G-Men, who drafted Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter with the third pick overall, traded back into the first round to select former Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart with the 25th pick.
And the Giants also made a significant offer to the Tennessee Titans, presumably in the days before the draft, to secure the top pick overall, to use on former Miami quarterback Cam Ward.
Remember this. The Giants could have had Sanders, but instead preferred Dart.
Maybe Dart will turn out to be the next Phil Simms or Eli Manning for a franchise that only a few years ago rolled out the red carpet for since-discarded Daniel Jones. It's also possible that in a league with a 50-50 hit-or-miss rate for first-round quarterbacks, the Giants may have overplayed their hand.
This, of course, is what makes the draft so compelling – especially in the ensuing years as the decisions play out on the field. Re-drafts, 20/20 hindsight and man-to-man comparisons will allow the draft analysis to flow on for years to come.
In Sanders' case, though, it feels weird. And not only because the Giants passed on him. Other QB-needy teams, like the Cleveland Browns and New Orleans Saints, also were moved enough on Sanders to deal back into the first round to get him.
2025 NFL DRAFT PICKS: Tracker, analysis for every selection in Rounds 2 and 3
And the Pittsburgh Steelers, who ended Thursday night without owning a second-round pick, passed on Sanders at the 21st slot and opted for former Oregon defensive lineman Derrick Harmon. If the Steelers stand pat with their lineup of picks, they won't have another selection until the latter half of the third round, 83rd overall.
Of course, there are all sorts of possibilities for how this unfolds from here. The options surely include teams that wouldn't project Sanders as an immediate starter, but a viable possibility in time. The Las Vegas Raiders and Los Angeles Rams, with veteran QBs in tow, would be two teams worth watching.
Then again, the most important thing is that Sanders lands with a team that will afford him an opportunity to ultimately prove himself.
There's no need to fret it now. Sanders can take the first-round setback and use it as a huge chip on his shoulder. Remember, Lamar Jackson, two-time NFL MVP, launched his NFL career as the fifth quarterback drafted – and final pick in the first round. Tom Brady was a sixth-round pick who went on to win seven Super Bowls. Dak Prescott was a fourth-round pick who is now the NFL's highest-paid player.
In other words, Sanders' NFL journey is hardly doomed because he didn't get picked in the first round. As you've heard before, it's not how you start…
And for Sanders, he's had to pay quite a tax for his mission to become a legend.
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