Why Shedeur Sanders’ draft fall to Day 3 wasn’t unexpected

The NFL Draft comes with its fair share of surprises each year. High-rated players tend to fall off the draft order or go higher than expected. However, there has probably been no other player coming out of college as hyped as Shedeur Sanders, who went from being dubbed the first overall pick to not getting picked through the first three rounds. Shedeur Sanders had +200 odds of going number one overall in the 2025 Draft.

Alongside Cam Ward, the first overall pick of the Draft this year, Sanders was considered the best option at quarterback, but reality has given him a harsh check. In a surprising turn of events, the son of Deion Sanders has yet to hear his name get called by Commissioner Roger Goodell on the podium.

Confident of being a first-round pick, Shedeur Sanders set up a remarkable room for his draft party. A room with the word ‘legendary’ posted on the walls and a special cabinet featuring 16 hats, each embroidered with the logo of an NFL team, for him to wear when his turn came. He was confident of being picked early on.

On day 2, Sanders watched the Draft from home with his family, hoping for the phone to ring, but all he received was a disrespectful prank call from someone pretending to be the GM of an NFL team.

With no luck after two days of the Draft, Sanders finds himself in a rough spot. There is little doubt about him getting picked in the final rounds. While it does not matter which round he gets drafted in, the question does arise: How could Shedeur fall so low in the draft? Three factors likely contributed to the Colorado Buffaloes’ quarterback falling out of the first three rounds.

3. Shedeur Sanders and his strong personality

“Son, your ego is writing checks your body can’t cash…” This quote from Top Gun is apt in the current scenario. Shedeur Sanders is confident, he means business, and he knows the tangibles and intangibles he brings to the table.

However, there is a thin line between confidence and overconfidence. Sanders’ statements and tone treaded on the thin line and thus, were easily misconstrued as him being overconfident and arrogant.

NFL teams hope for their players to have a bit of personality, but to them, the priority is to land a quarterback who can be a good role model to those around him, be humble, and be a good leader. Sanders has all those traits, but some of his bold statements like “If you ain’t trying to change the franchise or the culture, don’t get me,” rubbed teams the wrong way.

Ultimately, the players are employees of teams, and his ‘acts of confidence’ wound up backfiring on him. Teams are not looking to bring in a culture-shifter through the draft. In the last few years, if there is one thing that scouts have learned, it is that the most outgoing and bold quarterbacks coming out of college tend to get silent quicker in the league.

2. Deion Sanders

Yes, his father has a part to play in his going undrafted. Deion Sanders has coached his son, Shedeur, through college. Even in High School, Coach Prime served as the Offensive Coordinator for his team. Shedeur Sanders has been consistent through his playing days at Jackson State and Colorado, but scouts have no clue if he is the same player without his father in the Head Coach position.

Would Sanders have fared just as well if he had a Head Coach who knew nothing about his game? Additionally, Shedeur had Travis Hunter, the Heisman winner, as his top target. So it becomes easy to question his sole capabilities.

There is a big difference between playing for a parent who knows his child’s style of play to the tee and playing for an NFL Head Coach who expects players to adapt to an entirely different system. Scouts doubted if Sanders was up to the challenge in this regard.

1. Shedeur Sanders’ pre-draft performance

The quarterback finished his final season with 4,134 yards, 37 touchdowns, 10 interceptions, and a QBR of 75.5. Those numbers were similar to Cam Ward, the first overall pick. Scouts were not sold by Shedeur Sanders’ college highlights, and the quarterback skipped working out at the Combine to focus on interviews. Teams were deprived of the opportunity to watch him throw.

This led to teams having little interest in him to love on and look elsewhere. Subsequently, teams that interviewed him began to have their doubts after Insiders began to question Sanders. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported that one assistant coach ripped the Colorado star.

The worst formal interview I’ve ever been in my life. He’s so entitled. He takes unnecessary sacks. He never plays on time. He has horrible body language. He blames teammates…But the biggest thing is, he’s not that good.

Tom Pelissero reported an unnamed assistant coach saying about Shedeur Sanders

To hear those words coming out of a coach’s mouth is harsh, and that explains why the quarterback remains undrafted.

Additionally, an AFC executive criticized his personality. “It didn’t go great in our interview. He wants to dictate what he’s going to do and what’s best for him. He makes you feel small.”

The quarterback’s personality has gone on to impact his draft stock negatively. Throughout the pre-draft process, both Shedeur and Deion dictated what was best for them, and the latter even went on to say that he would not allow his son to end up on the wrong team. Ultimately, these factors led to Shedeur Sanders falling in the Draft.

Fortunately, the quarterback remains optimistic, and if anything, this event has fueled a fire within him. Sanders is taking the Tom Brady approach, and he intends to make the teams that passed on him regret their decision.

Also Read:

• (Video) Micah Parsons doesn’t seem happy about Cowboys drafting Tyler Booker No.12 overall
• (Video) Shedeur Sanders falls for cruel fake GM prank call during NFL Draft