Shedeur Sanders was not selected in the first three rounds of the NFL Draft, in one of the most shocking slides of any top quarterback prospect in league history.
The third round closed on Friday night with five quarterbacks being taken, while Sanders and his family remain uncertain about where and when his pro career will begin.
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After Cam Ward was selected with the first overall pick on Thursday night, experts assumed Sanders would soon follow as the second quarterback selected. Instead, Jaxson Dart was the second quarterback taken when the New York Giants traded back into the first round to take him at 25.
Early in the second round, the New Orleans Saints used the 40th pick to take Tyler Shough. Then, late in the third round, the Seattle Seahawks took Jalen Milroe at 92 and then the Cleveland Browns took Dillon Gabriel at 94.
Dart, Shough, Milroe and Gabriel were all projected to go much later than Sanders by scouts and analysts, and early projections even had Sanders going above Ward at No. 1.
Sanders led the Big 12 Conference with 4,134 passing yards and 37 touchdown passes and was named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year. In his 50 college games, Sanders threw for 14,347 yards, 134 touchdowns and 27 interceptions.
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For a quarterback prospect of that esteem to fall out of the third round is highly unusual in the NFL.
Top prospects like Sanders have seen shocking slides in past NFL Drafts. Aaron Rodgers slipped down to the 25th overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft, and was passed on for Alex Smith by the 49ers.
Patrick Mahomes wasn’t taken until the 10th pick in the 2017 Draft, and was passed on for Mitch Trubisky by the Bears. Still, at the time, Mahomes was less of a hyped prospect than Sanders.
Lamar Jackson fell all the way to the 32nd pick in the 2018 draft, after four other quarterbacks were taken ahead of him.
But Sanders, who was once considered the top candidate to go No. 1 overall this year, falling to day three of the draft, is a historic anamoly.
To make matters worse for him and his family, Sanders was prank-called by an imposter during a livestream Friday night.
While he and his family live-streamed day two of their NFL Draft party on Twitch Friday night, Sanders was seen answering a phone call that he assumed was from a general manager making the decision to draft him.
Then the caller told the eager young athlete that he would “have to wait a little longer,” as Sanders’ smile quickly faded.
NFL teams’ decision not to draft Sanders has prompted mass controversy and debate throughout the draft, and even prior to it as rumors of Sanders falling down draft boards became public.
An anonymous NFL coach recently told the NFL Network Sanders was “the worst formal interview I’ve ever been in in my life.”
“He’s so entitled. He takes unnecessary sacks. He never plays on time. He has horrible body language. He blames teammates,” the coach continued. “But the biggest thing is he’s not that good.”
Another longtime AFC executive echoed that sentiment, telling the outlet, “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.”
Kansas City Chiefs superstar Patrick Mahomes seemingly alluded to Sanders’ draft slide in an X post later on Friday, simply writing “Crazy.”
President Donald Trump even joined in on the debate on Friday, when he ripped “stupid” NFL owners for passing on the star Colorado quarterback and allowing him to fall into the second round.
“What is wrong with NFL owners, are they STUPID? Deion Sanders was a great college football player, and was even greater in the NFL. He’s also a very good coach, streetwise and smart! Therefore, Shedeur, his quarterback son, has PHENOMENAL GENES, and is all set for Greatness,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.
“He should be “picked” IMMEDIATELY by a team that wants to WIN. Good luck Shedeur, and say hello to your wonderful father!”
Now, Sanders will have to wait until day three of the draft to hear his name called, if it is called at all.
However, he has seemingly expressed gratitude and patience throughout the process despite the dramatic slide.
In an X post late Friday night, while the third round was coming to an end, Sanders thanked go.
“Thank you GOD for EVERYTHING,” he wrote.
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