CANTON, Texas — The green room’s gone quiet for Shedeur Sanders. The Colorado quarterback, once pegged as a top-five pick, sat with his family in Texas last night, watching the 2025 NFL Draft unfold. By the end of Friday, April 25, three rounds and 102 picks had come and gone. His name wasn’t called.
Sanders, the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year, was a star at Colorado, slinging 4,134 yards and 37 touchdowns in his senior season. His 74% completion rate turned heads, and his poise in the pocket—honed under his father, Hall of Famer Deion Sanders—had scouts buzzing. Some mocked him to the New York Giants at No. 3 overall. Others saw him landing with the Las Vegas Raiders or New Orleans Saints, teams desperate for a signal-caller. But as the draft kicked off Thursday in Green Bay, Wisconsin, the board told a different story.
Round one saw Miami’s Cam Ward go early. Round two brought Louisville’s Tyler Shough and Mississippi’s Jaxson Dart. By round three, Alabama’s Jalen Milroe and Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel were snatched up. Sanders, still waiting, became the draft’s biggest mystery. Teams like the Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Tennessee Titans—each with quarterback needs—passed him over, some multiple times.
Friday night, Sanders took to social media, posting a seven-word message: “Thank you GOD for EVERYTHING.” His brother Shilo shared a video from their watch party in Canton, where Shedeur, surrounded by family, kept his chin up. “We’re here in good spirits,” he said, flashing a smile. “God don’t make mistakes.”
The slide stunned the football world. Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton, speaking Friday, warned teams to “beware,” saying Sanders would channel the snub into fuel for a big career. Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, a friend of Deion’s, praised the quarterback’s character but stopped short of explaining the tumble. ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr., visibly floored, called it a slide he’d never seen.
Sanders’ camp stayed tight-lipped, but the numbers don’t lie. Five quarterbacks were drafted before him. The Saints, picking at No. 40, went with Shough. The Seahawks took Milroe at No. 92. Cleveland grabbed Gabriel at No. 94. Each choice raised eyebrows, as Sanders—once a lock for day one—slipped to day three.
The draft resumes Saturday, April 26, with rounds four through seven. Sanders, still on the board, waits to hear his name.