Shedeur Sanders' NFL Draft freefall has sports world in shock: 'This is disgusting'

When backmost imaginable Shedeur Sanders fell retired of the archetypal circular of the 2025 NFL Draft, determination were immoderate who couldn’t judge helium hadn't been picked by an organization, though it wasn’t considered a full shock. 

But with Friday nighttime seeing 3 much quarterbacks not named Sanders travel disconnected the draught board, the absorption was axenic shock. 

Sanders, the Colorado Buffaloes backmost who was a Heisman Trophy finalist this past assemblage season, remains disposable heading into the 3rd and last time of the NFL Draft. There person been 102 prospects taken disconnected the board, and with Round 4 opening astatine noon successful Green Bay, everyone is wondering which NFL squad volition yet propulsion the trigger connected Sanders. 

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Colorado backmost Shedeur Sanders watches a drill astatine the NFL shot scouting harvester successful Indianapolis, Saturday, March 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Surprise and daze mightiness not adjacent beryllium the words to picture this autumn down the draught board, arguably being the biggest we’ve seen successful caller representation for idiosyncratic whom galore considered to be, astatine the precise least, a Day 2 selection.  

Why is this happening for Sanders? It’s the question connected everyone’s mind, including ESPN’s Booger McFarland, who thinks the reply lies beyond the tape. 

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"It’s gotta beryllium astir much than football," helium said during the NFL Draft broadcast connected the network. "He’s the champion axenic passer you tin draft. When you commencement to spot developmental projects similar Jalen Milroe and Dillon Gabriel – and thing against those guys, but they’re not astir the subordinate that Shedeur Sanders is. When they spell earlier him, the lone happening you tin accidental is that it’s much than football."

Tyler Shough (New Orleans Saints), Milroe (Seattle Seahawks), and Gabriel (Cleveland Browns) were each selected connected Friday nighttime successful respective order. Gabriel, especially, was the icing connected the barroom for those who were baffled that Sanders hadn't gone disconnected the board, arsenic immoderate experts didn’t person him connected their apical 5 backmost rankings heading into the draft. 

Mel Kiper Jr., the longtime NFL Draft expert with ESPN, has been adamant astir Sanders’ talent, ranking him the highest-graded imaginable connected his large board. He was vocal astir Sanders making it retired of the archetypal circular connected Thursday night, but helium was appalled to spot what happened the adjacent day. 

"I deliberation it’s disgusting," helium said during a lengthy rant aft Day 2 came and went. "I don’t recognize what the heck’s going connected with this. . . . Somebody’s gonna person to explicate that 1 to me."

Joel Klatt, who called respective Buffaloes games this past assemblage play for Fox Sports, has seen what Sanders tin bash for a shot programme successful person. 

Colorado backmost Shedeur Sanders (2) throws a walk against Central Florida during the archetypal fractional of an NCAA assemblage shot game, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, successful Orlando, Fla.  (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack, File)

During NFL Network’s broadcast, Klatt pointed the digit astatine the narratives that were built astir Sanders during the pre-draft process arsenic to a crushed wherefore he’s slipping. 

"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. When you travel retired arsenic an anonymous root astir immoderate gathering that you had, and you don’t deliberation that immoderate kid measured up to what you wanted him to beryllium erstwhile helium walked successful your room, I deliberation that’s trash.

"Shedeur Sanders is going to beryllium a bully backmost successful the National Football League, and I deliberation he’s going to spell marque immoderate caput manager and immoderate instrumentality basal precise happy, due to the fact that he’s already done that successful his vocation successful what I deliberation is simply a precise hard spotlight for his dada astatine the University of Colorado and a programme that was thing earlier helium got determination for 2 decades."

SHEDEUR SANDERS STAYING CONFIDENT AS STUNNING NFL DRAFT FALL HITS FINAL DAY: ‘THANK YOU GOD FOR EVERYTHING’

At the aforesaid time, Klatt besides believes this is clip for Sanders to reflect, due to the fact that the expert feels it isn’t the portion that’s causing this freefall. 

"His play connected the tract would suggest helium should already person been selected," Klatt explained. "There were immoderate quarterbacks, their play connected the tract astir apt doesn’t warrant a enactment implicit his play connected the field. 

"The crushed he’s undrafted astatine this constituent is due to the fact that of the idiosyncratic that sat with those teams and did not, for immoderate reason, jell with them."

It’s not conscionable the analysts opining astir Sanders’ draught concern – adjacent President Donald Trump jumped into the premix to accidental however brainsick it was. 

"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," Trump wrote successful a Truth Social post. 

ESPN big Stephen A. Smith called it "a damn disgrace." Denver Broncos caput manager Sean Payton, who already has a young backmost aft taking Bo Nix successful the archetypal circular past years, admitted his astonishment and adjacent the Buffaloes shot relationship connected X posted 10 minutes worthy of Sanders highlights, conscionable to punctual everyone of however bully helium tin beryllium connected the gridiron. 

These reactions are conscionable the extremity of the iceberg, arsenic the shot satellite continues to beryllium bewildered astatine Sanders being disposable heading into the 4th circular connected Saturday. 

Colorado backmost Shedeur Sanders speaks during a property league astatine the NFL shot scouting harvester connected Friday, Feb. 28, 2025, successful Indianapolis. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

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After the last prime was made successful Round 3, Sanders, who has been surrounded by friends and household astatine home, including his begetter and Colorado manager Deion Sanders, posted connected X. 

"Thank you GOD for EVERYTHING," helium wrote.  

Of the teams inactive successful hunt for a imaginable caller backmost connected the extent chart, the Pittsburgh Steelers, believed to beryllium an enactment successful Rounds 1 and 3, stay a frontrunner, arsenic bash the Las Vegas Raiders. 

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