Shedeur Sanders falls to day 3 of
NFL draft with 5 QBs picked ahead of Coach Prime's son
[April 26, 2025]
By STEVE MEGARGEE
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Shedeur Sanders is still waiting to hear his
name called in the NFL draft — after three rounds, 102 picks and
five quarterbacks selected ahead of Coach Prime’s highly touted son.
The Colorado quarterback was widely considered a first-round talent.
But his stunning slide continued Friday night when his name wasn’t
called in the second or third round.
Sanders was arguably the most recognizable player in the country
entering the draft — largely because of his father, Deion Sanders,
the Pro Football Hall of Famer who brought an innovative,
publicity-seeking approach to college coaching at Jackson State and
then Colorado. Shedeur Sanders played for his dad at both schools
and finished eighth in Heisman Trophy voting last season as the pair
revitalized the Buffaloes program.
NFL talent evaluators were apparently less impressed than draft
analysts realized. Few if any mock drafts had Jaxson Dart, Tyler
Shough, Jalen Milroe or Dillon Gabriel getting picked before
Sanders, but that’s what happened.
“Thank you GOD for EVERYTHING,” Sanders posted on X during the third
round.
Wherever he ends up, Sanders will make millions of dollars less than
he would have if he’d been selected in the first round. For example,
if he’d gone to the quarterback-needy Pittsburgh Steelers at No. 21
overall, he’d be in line for an $18 million contract. A fourth-round
pick can expect a rookie deal worth between $4.9 million and $5.3
million.
President Donald Trump mused in a social media post that teams were
“STUPID” for passing on Sanders — before the second round began.
Sanders initially was rated by some draft analysts as a better QB
prospect than Miami’s Cam Ward, who ultimately went No. 1 overall to
Tennessee. But as the draft drew closer, concerns began to emerge.
One issue: Sanders was sacked 94 times over his last two college
seasons. There also were worries about his arm strength and
questions about how well he would adapt to playing for someone other
than his dad. And given his high profile, teams might be reluctant
to pick him if they view him as a backup.
“All I can say is this,” said Cleveland Browns general manager
Andrew Berry, who took Gabriel in the third round. “The time that we
spent with Shedeur and what he’s done throughout his college career
is impressive. He’s an impressive young man. He’s a really good
quarterback. Sometimes fit comes into play. I’d also say this —
there are three or four more rounds of the draft. It’s less about
where you get picked than what you do after you get picked. Getting
to know him over the course of the spring, he has a ton of resolve.
And I think he’s going to find himself in a really good spot.”
For a few moments Thursday, it appeared Sanders’ wait might be over
when the New York Giants traded up to the 25th pick, but the team
opted for Dart out of Mississippi.
The lone quarterback selection of Friday's second round came when
New Orleans passed on Sanders in favor of Shough, a 25-year-old who
finished his college career at Louisville after stops at Oregon and
Texas Tech. Shough was chosen 40th overall.
Saints veteran quarterback Derek Carr has what general manager
Mickey Loomis described as a “shoulder issue,” leaving his
availability uncertain heading into offseason workouts.
The Seattle Seahawks took Milroe out of Alabama in the third round
with the 92nd overall pick.
“I think you just the feel the urgency and the passion for his
vision he wants for his career, where he wants to go," Seahawks
coach Mike Macdonald said. “And he’s incredibly determined. This guy
is a tireless worker. Highly respected by his teammates. Highly
intelligent. And he’s just really determined to become a great
player and a great quarterback.”
Two picks after Milroe, the Browns selected Gabriel, who played at
Oregon last year after stints at Central Florida and Oklahoma.
Cleveland had five picks in the first three rounds and has a clear
need at quarterback after the team got little production out of
Deshaun Watson, who will miss the upcoming season with a torn
Achilles tendon. Gabriel joins Kenny Pickett and 40-year-old Joe
Flacco in the Browns' quarterback room.
[to top of second column] |
Shedeur Sanders looks on at his jersey retirement ceremony during
Colorado's NCAA college football spring game, Saturday, April 19,
2025, in Boulder, Colo. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)
“We really felt strongly about Dillon throughout
this process,” Berry said. "That’s not to say that we didn’t meet
with other quarterbacks that we thought were really talented players
and good people.”
Pittsburgh also was considered a potential landing spot for Sanders,
who visited the Steelers' facility before the draft. The Steelers'
only quarterbacks are Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson following
the offseason departures of Russell Wilson and Justin Fields.
The Steelers took Oregon defensive lineman Derrick Harmon with the
21st overall pick Thursday. They didn't have a second-round pick,
but Sanders was still available when their turn came again in the
third round.
Pittsburgh instead used the 83rd overall pick on Iowa running back
Kaleb Johnson.
Sanders didn’t travel to Green Bay for the draft. Instead, he
watched the proceedings with his family in Canton, Texas.
“Tomorrow’s the day. We’re going to be happy regardless,” Sanders
said in a video posted on YouTube Thursday night.
Maybe not.
Another player regarded as a potential first-round selection had a
longer wait than expected. Michigan cornerback Will Johnson, who was
in the green room during Thursday's first round, went to the Arizona
Cardinals in the second round with the 47th overall pick.
A reported knee issue caused Johnson’s stock to fall.
“It’s just frustrating,” Johnson said. “I know what I’m dealing
with, and I know I’m healthy and I know how my body feels. I’m just
going to go out there and show that on Sundays and show everybody
what they missed out on.”
The second round featured several trades.
Seattle and Miami traded up to get picks early in the round. The
Seahawks chose South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori with the 35th
overall pick. The Dolphins took Arizona guard Jonah Savaiinaea at
No. 37.
Buffalo moved up 16 spots to take South Carolina defensive tackle
T.J. Sanders at No. 41. The Bills dealt their 56th, 62nd and 109th
picks to Chicago while getting the Bears' 72nd and 240th picks in
return.
T.J. Sanders will have an immediate opportunity to make an impact
with offseason free-agent addition Larry Ogunjobi expected to miss
the first six games for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing
drug policy.
The second round also included the selection of three more players
from national champion Ohio State, which had four players taken in
the first round. The Buckeyes' running back tandem went early in the
second round, with Quinshon Judkins going 36th overall to Cleveland
and TreVeyon Henderson going 38th to New England. Indianapolis took
edge rusher JT Tuimoloau at No. 45.
Seven of the first 45 selections played at Ohio State.
___
AP Sports Writers David Brandt, Andrew Destin, Will Graves, Joe
Reedy and John Wawrow contributed to this report.
All contents © copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved
 |
