The spotlight of the 2025 NFL Draft is on Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders. Once a contender for the No. 1 overall pick of the draft, Sanders has found himself falling down draft boards. Sanders was passed over in the first round, then the second round, and even the third round. The third round was perplexing, considering two quarterbacks were drafted late.
With that, Sanders is now available to be drafted entering Day 3 on Saturday, Apr. 26. The NFL world is undoubtedly stunned that no team, especially those in need of a quarterback, aren't considering Sanders, who has received praise for his accuracy in the pre-draft process and during his playing days at Colorado and Jackson State. Yet, here Sanders sits, not a part of an NFL team, entering Saturday morning.
Here is every quarterback that has been drafted before Sanders.
Cam Ward to Tennessee Titans, No. 1 overall pick
It was the worst kept secret that the Tennessee Titans were going to use the No. 1 overall pick on Miami quarterback Cam Ward. Initially declaring they would take the best player available, they changed their stance during the pre-draft process after seeing Ward up close during workouts and interviews. With that, it became apparent that the Titans would select Ward in hopes that he would be their quarterback for the foreseeable future.
Sanders may have been under consideration months ago, but the Titans set their focus on Ward.
Jaxson Dart to New York Giants, No. 25 overall pick
One team that was linked to Sanders for months was the New York Giants. The Giants brought a merciful end to the Daniel Jones experiment, and their goal was to find their quarterback of the future.
Even though the Giants were expected to use the No. 3 pick overall on Penn State's Abdul Carter (which they did), there was buzz they were still considering Sanders. After taking Carter, the Giants traded back into the first round, gaining the No. 25 pick from the Houston Texans. With that selection, the Giants drafted...Ole Miss' Jaxson Dart.
The buzz leading into the NFL Draft was that Giants head coach Brian Daboll was high on Dart as a quarterback prospect. Parts of Dart's game has been compared to Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills, who Daboll coached when he was the team's offensive coordinator. Now, he'll look to develop Dart into the Giants' starting quarterback of the future.
Tyler Shough to New Orleans Saints, No. 40 overall pick
Sanders fell to Round 2, but the expectation was that he would at least be taken early. However, entering Friday night, the latest buzz was that Louisville's Tyler Shough had a strong chance to be the third quarterback drafted in 2025, over Sanders.
Sure enough, it happened, as the New Orleans Saints selected Shough with the 40th overall pick. Shough has received plenty of positive feedback through the pre-draft process, but will be 26-years-old during his rookie season. New head coach Kellen Moore decided he wanted to work with and develop Shough, not Sanders.
Jalen Milroe to Seattle Seahawks, No. 92 overall
After a 52-pick break, Jalen Milroe was officially the fourth quarterback selected. With the 92nd overall pick, Milroe landed with the Seattle Seahawks.
The Seahawks recently gave Sam Darnold a three-year, $100.5 million contract in free agency, but there is a way to get out of it after the 2025 season. Milroe isn't ready to start at the NFL level, but he does possess incredible upside, and is ridiculously fast. As of now, Milroe would be the QB3 in Seattle behind Darnold and Drew Lock.
Dillon Gabriel to Cleveland Browns, No. 94 overall
This was probably the most shocking pick. The Cleveland Browns needed a quarterback, as they had a depth chart topped by Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett with Deshaun Watson dealing with an injury. The Browns could have feasibly added Sanders, especially with a third-round pick.
Instead, they drafted Oregon's Dillon Gabriel. This was a stunning pick, as Gabriel was projected to be a Day 3 pick. Yet, head coach Kevin Stefanski liked what he saw while scouting Gabriel and opted to bring him in.
With the Browns taking Gabriel, they can officially be removed as a landing spot for Sanders.