It was anyone's best guess as to where and when Shedeur Sanders was going to get selected in the 2025 NFL Draft. Sanders probably wasn't going to go No. 1 overall, but there was a chance he'd get taken in the top three. If the Cleveland Browns and New York Giants passed, there was a chance he'd go later in the first round, with teams like the New Orleans Saints and Pittsburgh Steelers as potential options.
Even if Sanders somehow fell out of the first round, there was reason to believe he'd be selected sometime in Day 2 of the NFL Draft and be one of the first three quarterbacks taken overall. Well, Sanders will now be a fourth-round pick and the sixth quarterback taken in the best-case scenario. That's how poorly things have gone for him.
"This ain't God...This the devil."pic.twitter.com/UcFUVzUMMQ
— Complex Sports (@ComplexSports) April 26, 2025
While Sanders was nothing but positive on social media ahead of Day 3 of the NFL Draft, he voiced his frustration with this whole ordeal by saying, "This is unexplainable." Most NFL fans can agree with that sentiment.
Fans can only agree with Shedeur Sanders as he continues to slip in NFL Draft
Sanders says you can explain passing on him at No. 21 overall, which is where Pittsburgh was slotted in, but that at this point, it's hard to explain why he hasn't been picked. It's hard to say he's wrong there.
If the Steelers weren't completely sold on him being their quarterback of the future, then yes, it makes sense for them to have passed on him at No. 21, especially with a talent like Derrick Harmon available. However, not a single team being able to justify taking Sanders within the first two days of the NFL Draft is hard to fathom.
Sanders was at one point seen as a legitimate option to battle with Cam Ward for the No. 1 overall pick. He was seen as a surefire first-round pick for much of this draft cycle. Sure, the class is weaker at the quarterback position, but seeing Sanders' stock fall to this extent seemingly without warning is shocking, and there appears to be no end in sight. It's one thing for Sanders not to have been picked in the first round. It's another thing entirely to watch him remain available on Day 3.
Sanders is far from a perfect prospect, but the New York Giants went out of their way to trade back into the first round to select Jaxson Dart, a quarterback who many don't believe is as promising as Sanders. The New Orleans Saints, Seattle Seahawks, and Cleveland Browns took Tyler Shough, Jalen Milroe, and Dillon Gabriel, respectively, before Sanders has come off the board. Say what you want about Sanders as a prospect, but how can any of this be explained? Did he come off that poorly in pre-draft interviews? Do teams really think he'd be that big of a distraction?
Again, there is now a very realistic chance that Sanders doesn't get drafted at all. Can that be explained? No, but that's not stopping NFL teams from passing on him left and right.