Tick, tock: Shedeur still on the clock
Suspicions and questions, but no answers — see our reduction chart of 350.
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Why is quarterback Shedeur Sanders still available as the 2025 NFL Draft slides into the third day Saturday morning with 102 players selected?
I don’t know and neither do you, even if we think we do. If you think you do, let us know in Comments.
We began asking when talk on the street said Sanders was falling far and fast. And we were still asking when the NFL wrapped up Round 3 in Green Bay Friday night.
Rounds 4–7 of the 2025 NFL Draft will take place Saturday, April 26 at 12 p.m. ET. Teams will have five minutes to submit picks in the fourth through the sixth rounds of the draft. Teams get just four minutes to make a pick in the seventh and final round of the draft.
The Browns passed on Sanders four times, including twice in a span of four picks in the second round. The Steelers, who have no proven starting quarterback, passed on Sanders for the second time in two nights. And the Las Vegas Raiders, with new coach Pete Carroll and the newly acquired Geno Smith, avoided Sanders even after increasing their selections from three to five, including sequential selections 98 and 99.
After watching the New York Giants trade up to No. 25 on Thursday night to select Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart, Sanders on Friday night had to sit through the New Orleans Saints taking Louisville's Tyler Shough, the Seattle Seahawks snagging Alabama's Jalen Milroe and the Cleveland Browns grabbing Oregon's Dillon Gabriel.
For what it’s worth, we are also still waiting for another quarterback I'd like to see drafted: Quinn Ewers from Texas.
But almost all attention is on the Sanders situation.
ESPN quoted one executive from a team in the market for a quarterback, saying there was "no smoking gun, but it's not just football either."
Many have suggested that, while Shedeur’s play on the field warrants a pick by now, the celebrity and attention surrounding his father Deion Sanders complicates the situation.
Shedeur Sanders on Friday evening had little to say beyond a single tweet: "Thank you GOD for EVERYTHING.”
Sanders was the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year and is the son of Hall of Fame cornerback and Colorado coach Deion “Prime Time” Sanders. The father-son team lifted Jackson State and then Colorado into prominence.
Criticisms of Shedeur’s game have been made, which include his limited mobility and tendency to hold onto the ball while in the pocket. Our favorite is that he pats the ball, which often is a tell as to where and when he could pass.
That’s straight up BS. Cameron Ward pats the ball, and so did Tom Brady.
But as Friday night wore on, Sanders' fall appeared to be about more than football. Many believe his celebrity and immense confidence was indeed off-putting to some teams, although we thought he was more confident than cocky. Thin line? Maybe.
But Johnny “Football” Manziel’s behavior was more offensive, and he was drafted at No. 22 before his lifestyle did him in. Baker Mayfield’s strong attitude was a bit hard to take, but it came with some obvious ability. He was taken No. 1 overall, but was rejected by three teams before taking Tampa Bay to the playoffs in consecutive seasons.
Sanders' drop is now being discussed as the biggest in draft history involving a player who was seen as one of the nation's top quarterbacks. His fall will draw comparisons to that endured by Dan Marino and Aaron Rodgers. Marino plummeted from a likely top-five pick in the 1983 draft to 27th overall. In the 2005 Draft, future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers fell from a potential No. 1 overall pick to No. 24. But those two QBs still were taken in the first round.
Some NFL observers at the time linked Rodgers’ draft-day fall to Jeff Tedford — the then-Cal head coach had a record of developing quality college QBs who flamed out in the NFL. Marino’s wait could be explained, in part, by a subpar senior season in 1982.
Shedeur was a consensus No. 1-rated quarterback for several weeks during the 2024 season. That he went undrafted through three rounds again suggests that something other than on-field performance is at play here.
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We have a downloadable chart of the top 350, showing who went where, to whom and when. All Combine and Pro Day data is included.
After that we have a roundup of who is saying what about Shedeur and then comments from around the league
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Here is a peek at top of chart showing picks and who is left
Full, downloadable chart is below this sample
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What they are saying
Sanders’ fate thus far in the 2025 Draft is all the more puzzling given the glowing appraisal some NFL coaches and player personnel have offered about the quarterback’s abilities and character. One is Denver’s head coach Sean Payton, considered one of the best offensive minds in the game. Another is Cleveland Browns GM Andrew Berry — who repeatedly passed on Sanders and took Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel instead.
Here are observations about Sanders from those in the NFL:
"We sat there, I watched right behind him throwing ... he had an outstanding pro day ... I think we all are surprised, and yet the talent -- holy cow, if you're a team that needs a quarterback … It's surprising [Sanders is still available]." — Sean Payton, Denver Broncos head coach
"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. ... I would also say this: There are four more rounds in the draft. And then maybe lastly is: It's less about where you get picked than what you do after you get picked. That's the most important thing." — Andrew Berry, Cleveland Browns general manager
"I watched two or three ballgames with [Shedeur]. So, with my knowledge, I know where the character is there and, boy, it is great character. It is an unbelievable competitive winning character for sports. OK? And so I can tell you that.” — Jerry Jones, Dallas Cowboys owner