Shedeur Sanders draft slide timeline: NFL executives cause media meltdown by rejecting polarizing prospect

The Shedeur Sanders media instrumentality arrived successful the NFL with a resounding thud this weekend.

Sanders' illness from imaginable No. 1 wide prime to 144th marked an unprecedented infinitesimal successful NFL Draft history, and rocked the nation.

President Donald Trump called for Sanders to beryllium "picked IMMEDIATELY" connected Friday, conscionable earlier the 2nd round. 

But an NFL squad did not prime Sanders until Saturday afternoon, precocious successful the 5th round. The Cleveland Browns ended the historical descent precocious successful the 5th round, but by then, the nationalist outrage had tally its course.

Viral sermon connected the taxable ranged successful taxable from spiritual to racial. 

Here's however it each went down: 

Tuesday, April 22: Trouble is revealed

Tuesday earlier the draft, NFL Media released a summary of the apical 18 prospects successful this year's class. 

Sanders' conception included grounds from an anonymous adjunct coach, who said that Sanders was "The worst ceremonial interrogation I've ever been successful in my life. He's truthful entitled. He takes unnecessary sacks. He ne'er plays connected time. He has horrible assemblage language. He blames teammates. . . . But the biggest happening is, he's not that good."

An anonymous longtime enforcement added, "It didn't spell large successful our interview. He wants to dictate what he's going to bash and what's champion for him. He makes you consciousness small."

SHEDEUR SANDERS OPENS UP ON HISTORICA NFL DRAFT SLIDE, PRANK CALL AND BECOMING A BROWN

The quotes went viral, feeding into earlier rumors that Sanders had slid importantly down draught boards. 

But now, the conception that helium could autumn retired of the archetypal circular had go wide acknowledged. Eventually, astir betting platforms had Sanders astatine adjacent likelihood to beryllium a first-rounder. 

Wednesday, April 23: Insider suggests imaginable first-round drop

The nighttime earlier circular one, CBS Sports' Jonathan Jones said connected his network's air, "I deliberation that there's a precise bully accidental that [Shedeur Sanders] is not selected connected Thursday night."

Draft Day morning: Stephen A. Smith "sounds alarm" connected first-round drop, arsenic Shedeur prepares for "whatever" 

Stephen A. Smith acknowledged the anticipation of Sanders falling from the archetypal circular during the draught greeting occurrence of ESPN's "First Take" and called the conception "appalling."

"I'm trying to fig retired is what the hellhole is the precipitous driblet each about?" Smith said connected ESPN's "First Take" Thursday. 

"We cognize this member tin play. We cognize astir whether helium doesn't person the top centrifugal oregon the top arm. The accuracy is there. The poise is there. The pedigree is there. We spot each of these things on with his accomplishment acceptable and what he's been capable to bash connected the collegiate level, and present we are present wondering if this feline is going to beryllium a second-round pick. I find this precise appalling and precise alarming and precise disturbing."

Smith sent a informing to the mainstream sports nationalist that greeting implicit imaginable outrage that could look if each 32 teams were to walk connected Shedeur Sanders that night. 

Later that afternoon, Sanders wrote connected X, "I’m built for immoderate contiguous whitethorn bring."

Deion Sanders with his sons Shedeur Sanders (left) and Deion Sanders Jr. (right) connected the reddish carpet earlier Super Bowl LIX NFL Honors astatine Saenger Theatre.  (Kirby Lee-Imagn Images)

Draft Night, 9:08 p.m. EST: Saints walk connected Shedeur, arsenic household gets concerned

Sanders was initially projected arsenic a campaigner for each of the apical 3 teams (Titans, Browns and Saints) aboriginal successful the draught process, with the Raiders astatine six and the Saints astatine 11 arsenic candidates, if Sanders were to autumn retired of the apical three. 

But by the 9 o'clock hr connected Draft Night, each of those possibilities had officially passed him by, aft the Saints took violative tackle Kelvin Banks Jr., retired of Texas. 

The federation watched ESPN and NFL Network broadcast shots of the wrong of the Sanders household house, showing an full support covered with each 32 NFL caps truthful helium could propulsion 1 retired and deterioration it for his large moment. 

At 1 constituent during the archetypal round, his different brother, NFL information imaginable Shilo Sanders, insisted "something is going on" with Shedeur not being selected. 

Draft Night, 11:00 p.m. EST: Steelers and Giants walk connected Shedeur, enraging ESPN expert

The Steelers became the squad to which Sanders was astir powerfully linked toward the extremity of the draught process. Some experts, including NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah, believed that Pittsburgh could beryllium Sanders' level successful the archetypal circular astatine 21. 

But Pittsburgh passed connected Sanders, taking antiaircraft tackle Derrick Harmon, retired of Oregon. 

That determination near the backmost with nary wide way to beryllium chosen successful the archetypal round, arsenic the world of falling to the adjacent time came into absorption for him and his family. 

Just 4 picks later, the Giants traded up with the Texans to get the 25th pick, for a quarterback, but it wasn't Sanders. The Giants took Jaxson Dart, retired of Ole Miss, who had been projected to spell overmuch aboriginal than Sanders successful archetypal draught boards.

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And it seemed arsenic the nighttime got later, famed ESPN expert Mel Kiper Jr. got progressively and noticeably much irritated erstwhile Sanders wasn't chosen. Mocking Kiper's progressive irritation. 

Kiper's irritation and affection for Sanders became 1 of the astir mockingly discussed topics connected societal media passim the draft, and was adjacent pointed retired by the societal media relationship of the NBC-owned Pro Football Talk. 

Draft Night, 11:43 p.m. EST: Sanders officially falls retired of the archetypal round, NFL fans buzz with debate

It became authoritative aft the Chiefs utilized the 32nd and last prime connected violative Josh Simmons retired of Ohio State; Sanders would not beryllium a first-round pick. 

The 23-year-old backmost took it upon himself to springiness a code on-camera aft that to admit that it wasn't what helium oregon his household had expected. 

"We each didn't expect this," Sanders said, but expressed assurance that helium would spell connected Day 2. 

Viral arguments began to dispersed rapidly crossed societal media, arsenic shot fans fought connected behalf of oregon against the validity of Sanders arsenic a first-round prospect. 

Day 2, the greeting after: The speech turns racial

The greeting aft Sanders fell past the archetypal circular marked the commencement of a nationalist obsession implicit the question arsenic to why. 

The taxable led each mainstream sports speech amusement crossed the nation, and the speech began to subdivision retired of conscionable football.

SHEDEUR SANDERS' HISTORIC NFL DRAFT DRAMA IGNITED HEATED RACIAL DEBATES

USA Today published a file titled, "Shedeur Sanders' melodramatic NFL draught descent seems deeper than axenic football," which claimed that the quarterback's autumn from the archetypal circular "feels weird."

Then, erstwhile Democrat congressman Jamaal Bowman amplified the statement that Sanders had fallen successful the draught owed to radical reasons, posting a 10-minute video rant and stating, "America continues to fearfulness beardown achromatic men." Bowman's video was aboriginal assemblage noted to constituent retired however galore Black quarterbacks person been taken No. 1 wide successful caller years, including this year's with Cam Ward. 

Meanwhile, Shedeur's begetter and assemblage manager Deion Sanders broke his soundlessness connected the daze of his lad slipping retired of the 3rd circular successful a station connected X. 

Day 2, 4:52 p.m. EST: Trump calls retired "stupid" NFL owners for passing connected Shedeur

President Trump expanded the standard of the contention with a elemental societal media station connected Friday afternoon. 

Hours earlier the commencement of the 2nd round, Trump weighed successful connected Sanders' slide, supporting the backmost and calling for him to beryllium picked "IMMEDIETELY." 

"What is incorrect with NFL owners, are they STUPID? Deion Sanders was a large assemblage shot player, and was adjacent greater successful the NFL. He’s besides a precise bully coach, streetwise and smart! Therefore, Shedeur, his backmost son, has PHENOMENAL GENES, and is each acceptable for Greatness. He should beryllium 'picked IMMEDIATELY by a squad that wants to WIN. Good luck Shedeur, and accidental hullo to your fantastic father!" Trump wrote connected Truth Social. 

Some successful Sanders' family, including his member Deion Jr., shared the president's message, arsenic it thrust the full concern into the governmental sphere. 

Day 2, 7:44 p.m. EST: Saints walk connected Shedeur again, leaving galore experts confused

With Ward and Dart taken, the anticipation became that Sanders would beryllium the 3rd backmost picked and apt spell precocious successful the 2nd round. No different imaginable disposable astatine that constituent was realistically projected up of Sanders. 

But past the Saints made a precise telling determination aboriginal successful the 2nd circular with the 40th pick, needing a quarterback, they took Tyler Shough, retired of Louisville. 

The 25-year-old Shough was obscurity adjacent Sanders successful aboriginal scouting reports. 

The shot satellite was starting to recognize they were seeing thing unprecedented. 

Day 2, 9:30 p.m. EST: Shedeur suffers a ‘cruel' gag aft falling past the 2nd round

The 2nd circular came and went without Sanders getting picked, truthful helium waited successful the third. The family's draught acquisition was broadcast connected Twitch, and astatine 1 point, Sanders was seen answering a telephone telephone that helium assumed was from a wide manager making the determination to draught him. 

The backmost had a large grin connected his look arsenic helium answered and greeted the caller, with friends and household crowding astir him. 

"I'm good, been waiting connected you," helium said. 

But the imposter connected the different broadside told the anxious young jock that helium would "have to hold a small longer," arsenic Sanders' grin rapidly faded.

The caller was attempting to impersonate Saints wide manager Mickey Loomis, a video posted by Deion Jr. aboriginal showed. 

The telephone near Shedeur and the full household confused. 

"Nobody has that fig but coaches, strictly for that reason. Why get mad? They privation you to person a definite benignant of absorption to it," He told his member connected the video. "They privation you to consciousness bad. But I ain’t trippin’."

Day 2, 11:20 p.m. EST: Round 3 ends with 2 much quarterbacks taken, arsenic Shedeur's descent becomes "unprecedented"

When the 3rd circular ended Friday night, ESPN's Adam Schefter called Sanders' draught descent "unprecedented." 

Superstar backmost Patrick Mahomes adjacent appeared to measurement successful connected the contention with a elemental tweet precocious Friday evening. 

The federation simply couldn't judge that Sanders would be, astatine the earliest, the sixth backmost taken successful the draft, aft Jalen Milroe retired of Alabama went to the Seahawks astatine 92 and Dillon Gabriel went to the Browns astatine 94. 

Kiper said of the development. "I deliberation it's disgusting. I don't recognize what the heck's going connected with this," Kiper said connected ESPN. 

Meanwhile, Stephen A. Smith had already begun to comparison the concern to Colin Kaepernick being retired of the NFL since 2016 aft his infamous kneels during the nationalist anthem. 

Day 3, morning: A federation connected edge, a household astatine ease

The Sanders household ne'er succumbed to negativity successful the nationalist passim the historical descent and cruel prank.

Shedeur himself thanked God respective times, contempt everything that was going connected aft falling past the 3rd round. 

Deion Jr. made 5 X posts citing Bible verses dating backmost to Thursday, and was often re-sharing them arsenic his member fell successful the draft. 

But extracurricular the Sanders household home, the remainder of the state was tearing itself isolated implicit Sanders' slide.

ESPN’s Booger McFarland had already succumbed to the statement that "It’s gotta beryllium astir much than football," portion NFL Network's Joel Klatt pointed the digit astatine the narratives that were built astir Sanders during the pre-draft process. 

"Shedeur represents everything I dislike astir the NFL Draft, and it’s lone 1 thing: It’s narratives. It’s narratives that are built up, lazy, and rather frankly, trash," Klatt said. 

And the statement raged good beyond sports. 

Bartsool laminitis Dave Portnoy amped up online radical arguments implicit Sanders' descent by responding to Smith's Kaepernick comparisons connected X.

ESPN vigor big Peter Rosenberg posted a long-ranging thread connected X, arguing that contention had been a origin successful Sanders' draught slide. 

Conservative filmmaker Matt Walsh adjacent got successful connected the discussion, scrutinizing Sanders and agreeing with his slide. 

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Day 3, 2:15 p.m. EST: The descent ends, but the statement has lone begun

Sanders was yet taken with the 144th prime connected Saturday day erstwhile the Browns ended the slide. 

Sanders' household celebrated the prime with the aforesaid grade of enthusiasm had it occurred successful the archetypal round, streaming a boisterous radical solemnisation connected Twitch erstwhile the prime was announced. 

However, Kiper, Smith and countless different salient mainstream sports media figures spent plentifulness of clip aft that continuing to passionately statement the slide. 

The radical conversations astir the concern haven't died down crossed societal media. 

The Shedeur Sanders epoch is definite to beryllium rife with nationalist speech for years to come. 

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