Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders fell to the team in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, but prior to the start of the draft, he was expected to have his name called much earlier than that.
University of Colorado Boulder head coach Deion Sanders (Shedeur’s father) recently shared that he was “hurt” by some of the reports that claimed his son was unprepared during predraft meetings with NFL teams.
“It did hurt. But the Bible says God uses the foolish things to confound the wise. There was some foolish stuff that went on, but that gave them something that they needed,” the elder Sanders said. “Like that edge that Tom [Brady] had, it gave them the edge that you had, it gave them the edge that I have. Folks said we weren’t gonna be nothing. But we had to prove that. It gave them the edge that they needed. Both of them.”
Another one of the elder Sanders’ sons Shiloh went undrafted during the 2025 NFL Draft, but he ended up signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers following the draft.
Shedeur Sanders was one of the best quarterbacks in the country in the 2024 season, so it was surprising to see him fall so far in the draft. Plus, he wasn’t even the first quarterback the Browns drafted, as they took Dilllon Gabriel in the third round.
During the 2024 season, Shedeur Sanders threw for 4,134 yards, 37 touchdowns and just 10 interceptions. He led the country in completion percentage (74 percent) and led the Big 12 in passing yards, passing touchdowns, yards per game and yards per attempt.
Deion Sanders cited reports that claimed that the quarterback was wearing headphones during meetings with NFL teams.
“When you sit up there and say something like he went into a meeting unprepared, like, dude,” Deion Sanders said. “Shedeur Sanders? Who has had six different [offensive] coordinators, who has still functioned and leveled up every time we brought somebody new in, and you’re going to tell me he was unprepared? You’re going to tell me he had on headphones? Anybody who knows my son understands he’s a professional. He’s going to go into a meeting with headphones on? Y’all, come on now.”
Hopefully, Shedeur Sanders can prove that he deserved to be a first-round pick with his play on the field. The Browns don’t have a quarterback set in stone for the 2025 season, as Deshaun Waston is injured.
Cleveland also has Kenny Pickett, Joe Flacco and Gabriel that will compete for reps as the starter. If Shedeur Sanders plays at a high level, it’s certainly possible he could beat all of those quarterbacks out for the starting gig.
