Shedeur Sanders Drafted By Cleveland Browns In Fifth Round—After Surprisingly Long Wait

Topline

Shedeur Sanders, the former University of Colorado quarterback, was finally picked up by the Cleveland Browns in the fifth round of the NFL draft, a surprise as many expected the football star to be drafted in the early rounds.

Key Facts

Sanders, the son of former NFL player, two-time Super Bowl champ and Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, was considered by many commentators to be a top quarterback pick for the NFL draft, surprising them by being passed over in the first four rounds.

The Cleveland Browns ended Sanders’ long wait by selecting him in the fifth round of the draft, making him the sixth quarterback and 144th pick overall to be drafted.

“Thank you GOD,” Sanders said in a post on X Saturday afternoon.

Earlier on Saturday, before the fourth round of the draft began, Sanders said in a post on X the draft’s final rounds are “another opportunity to get a chance to play the game I love,” which garnered more than 130,000 likes from fans.

Sanders being left undrafted after three rounds was described as “inexplicable” by ESPN, which reported he was passed over by the New York Giants, New Orleans Saints, Seattle Seahawks and the Browns, all of whom selected other quarterbacks who were considered lower prospects than Sanders.

Former University of Miami quarterback Cam Ward was first overall draft pick by the Tennessee Titans in the draft Thursday night, as many sports analysts had expected.

Chief Critics

President Donald Trump slammed NFL teams for passing over Sanders in a post Friday night on Truth Social. “What is wrong with NFL owners, are they STUPID?” Trump said, urging a team “who wants to WIN” to pick Sanders “IMMEDIATELY.” “Deion Sanders was a great college football player, and was even greater in the NFL,” Trump said, stating “Shedeur, his quarterback son, has PHENOMENAL GENES.” Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton said teams who passed over Sanders should “beware,” stating he’s going to have a “chip on his shoulder” and use the snubs as motivation to fuel a successful NFL career. Mel Kiper Jr., an NFL draft analyst for ESPN, called Sanders’ snubs “disgusting. I don't understand what the heck's going on with this,” adding, “Somebody's gonna have to explain that one to me.” After Sanders was passed over by the New York Giants, former NFL running back LeSean “Shady” McCoy tweeted, “This is crazy !!! No wonder the GAINTS DONT WIN SH……” Sanders’s brother, Deion Sanders Jr., reposted McCoy’s post. ESPN host Stephen A. Smith also criticized Sanders going undrafted, stating in a post on X: “This is a damn disgrace. How in the hell is @Shedeur not off the board, not drafted yet,” stating he should have been a “first rounder.”

Why Hasn’t Sanders Been Selected?

The New York Times’ The Athletic reported Sanders “interviewed well in some places during the pre-draft process, but he interviewed very poorly with others,” adding some teams have questioned “his ability to lead other professionals in a locker room.” ESPN reported certain aspects of Sanders’ game have been criticized, and some teams have raised questions about Sanders’ character and celebrity status. Multiple outlets reported Sanders’s links to his father, Deion Sanders, have deterred some teams from selecting him. CBS Sports reported Sanders’ father has “ripped anonymous critics of his son prior to the draft” and listed some of the teams he didn’t want his son playing for, which may have scared off some teams from selecting him. Daniel Kelly, a former professional scout for the New York Jets, told USA Today Sports he views Sanders as “an immature, passive aggressive hothead” with “a suitcase full of red flags.”

Further Reading

Shedeur Sanders remains undrafted after Round 3 of NFL draft (ESPN)

Why hasn’t Shedeur Sanders been drafted yet? It’s complicated (The Athletic)