Shedeur Sanders’s slide continued on Friday night in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Despite being once thought of as a lock to be a top-10 pick, Sanders went unselected in Round 1. Unfortunately for Sanders that fall continued in Day 2, with the Browns passing on Sanders not once, but twice in the second round.
According to many, after sliding out of the top 10, the best chance for him to land in the first round was with the Pittsburgh Steelers at No. 21. However, the Steelers elected to go in another direction as well, picking defensive tackle Derrick Harmon out of Oregon.
And after that, it became unclear when or where Sanders will potentially land, as teams continued to go in different directions.
Now, it appears it could be some time before that decision is made, with the Saints becoming the latest team to pass on Sanders in favor of Louisville’s Tyler Shough.
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Still, this slide comes as a major surprise, especially considering draft experts such as Mel Kiper Jr. believed him to be the top quarterback in the draft overall.
“Sanders is my top-ranked quarterback, and his accuracy jumps off the tape,” Kiper said in a recent write-up. “He completed 74% of his throws last season despite being under constant pressure. Playing in the NFC South with good weather and a few indoor stadiums would ease any arm strength concerns. And he wouldn’t be forced to play right away. Derek Carr, 34, will be with the Saints for at least another season; Sanders could learn behind him before taking over.”
In terms of production, Kiper was not wrong. In 2023 with Colorado, Sanders threw for over 3,000 yards and 27 touchdowns with only three interceptions. In 2024, he blew those stats out of the water, leading Colorado to an 8-4 record while passing for 4,134 yards and 37 scores with 10 interceptions.
The problem, however, seems to center around character, and questions surrounding his athleticism and arm strength at the NFL level. There is also a chance that his lack of success in terms of wins on the field in Colorado could have played a role in his slide as well.
Either way, we will continue to have to wait to see where he ultimately ends up, as Shough ends up in New Orleans.