You don't have to go back more than a month to find 2025 NFL Draft predictions with Shedeur Sanders being taken in the Top 5 or at least the Top 10 picks. The Colorado Buffaloes quarterback then started to see his name slip down mock drafts but, for the most part, he was still considered a first-round pick. Of course, the first round of the draft came and went without Sanders hearing his name called. But hey, he had to be a second- or third-round pick then, right?
In one of the most stunning NFL Draft falls that we've seen in recent memory, Shedeur Sanders was not taken in the first three rounds, lasting 102 picks and still being on the board. Five quarterbacks, if you include Cam Ward who has long been projected to be taken ahead of Sanders, were selected but not the Colorado star. Even if you think he was a bit overrated as a first-round prospect, this type of freefall and to plummet roughly 80 picks below his pre-draft projected value is absurd and near unprecedented.
The biggest question that everyone is ultimately left asking is simple: Why? Why is a player with the talent and the good tape of Shedeur Sanders falling so dramatically in the 2025 NFL Draft? Let's dive into the factors at play that appear to be pushing Sanders further and further into the draft before he'll hear his name called.
Why is Shedeur Sanders falling in the 2025 NFL Draft?
The one thing I can say definitively is that Shedeur Sanders isn't falling in the draft because of his play on the field. He's not a perfect quarterback prospect, showing a need to improve his pocket management (especially under pressure) and not being an elite prospect in terms of tools like athleticism and arm strength. But he's also just a solid quarterback. Thus, the reason is something else — and it's not just one thing.
For one, it's been widely reported that Sanders' interviews with teams at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis went poorly. Vic Tafur of The Athletic noted that, with the quarterback's ties to Tom Brady, the fact that the Raiders passed on him multiple times says a lot about what teams thought of him in those interviews. Matthew Berry of Fantasy Life asserted as much after the Combine as well as two separate teams came out of their meetings with Sanders thinking less of the player. Berry said those teams described him as "unprofessional and disinterested."
Given the fall in the NFL Draft, those reports have to hold some legitimacy. There's no way a team that had a positive interview with Sanders would watch him fall outside of the first 102 picks and into Day 3. It's also quite clear that an interview wouldn't tank his draft stock this dramatically, so there has to be more to it.
On the NFL Network broadcast, analysts Joel Klatt and Daniel Jeremiah both alluded to the attention that Sanders brings with him, perhaps unwanted attention. The coverage of his draft fall, to some degree, is evidence of that. There is also the consideration of the camera crews at Colorado that followed essentially all of the quarterback's college career, the social media presence, and maybe even his podcast. With all of that spotlight, that could be another deterrent for an interested NFL team.
While I don't believe that we'd hear a team admit this, Deion Sanders might also play a role in this as well. For one, he certainly contributes to the above point about the attention. More than that, however, there has long been speculation that Coach Prime could potentially make a jump to the NFL at some point and the natural connection would be to coach his son at quarterback again. Would any regime want the suffocating shadow of Deion Sanders lingering over them in that capacity? It's hard to imagine many teams who want that.
Who knows how much of each bucket is factoring into Sanders' fall, but it does feel like the combination of these things is ultimately leading to by far the most shocking aspect of this year's draft.
Which teams could still select Shedeur Sanders in the 2025 NFL Draft?
One thing that we can certainly say is that several teams that were once fitted as suitors for Sanders have now removed themselves from the equation. The New York Giants traded back into the first round for Jaxson Dart, the New Orleans Saints took Tyler Shough early in Round 2, while the Seattle Seahawks and Cleveland Browns took Jalen Milroe and Dillon Gabriel, respectively.
So where does that leave the spots for Sanders to go? The aforementioned Raiders would still make sense if they want to have a contingency plan behind Geno Smith. A team like the New York Jets or Los Angeles Rams could also make sense with their lack of long-term quarterback stability. However, the Pittsburgh Steelers remain the most logical fit. Whether or not Aaron Rodgers is coming or not, they don't have a long-term plan and could be looking for a dice roll for the future. Getting a player with first-round(ish) talent on Day 3 would be well worth it.
Then there is the chance that we see less obvious teams elect to bring him in. ESPN insider Adam Schefter mentioned the Arizona Cardinals and Dallas Cowboys as surprise options, and there could be others who fit that mold.
Whichever team ends up ending Sanders' fall, though, the hope is that they're now getting the most motivated version of Shedeur Sanders that we've ever seen. If this type of stunning fall in the draft isn't a wake-up call, there might be nothing that can do that.