The 2025 NFL Draft was always going to be full of surprises. With no clear-cut top-tier names and a deep class at nearly every position, predicting how things would go was almost impossible. Still, the biggest shock came when Shedeur Sanders’ name wasn’t called on Day 1.
Once seen as a potential QB1, Sanders had his stock drop a bit heading into the draft. But no one expected him to fall completely out of the first round. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the slide might not be over yet.
The Free Fall for Shedeur Sanders Continues, per Adam Schefter
Sanders was considered a top-three pick for most of the draft cycle. However, questions about his game and interview process raised red flags for some teams. The Saints, at nine, and the Steelers, at 21, were seen as possible landing spots.
But on April 24, all 32 selections passed, and Sanders’ name was nowhere to be seen. Speaking on his misfortune, Adam Schefter laid out what the first day of the draft told everyone about the perception around the son of Deion Sanders.
“Well, first of all, when we look at the teams that were considering him, I think the Giants obviously preferred Jaxson Dart. I think the Browns preferred Jaxson Dart. I think the Saints absolutely preferred Jaxson Dart.”
However, as the focus shifts to the second and third rounds on Day 2 of the 2025 NFL Draft, there might be an even worse reality that Sanders has to consider. “Tyler Shough is going to figure in their tonight.” That’s when Schefter dropped the bomb.
Shedeur to the Seahawks, Cardinals or Cowboys???
Adam Schefter on Shedeur Sanders right NOW:
"the Giants obviously prefer Jaxson Dart. I think the Browns preferred Jaxson Dart. I think the Saints absolutely preferred Jaxson Dart.
I won't be surprised that Tyler Shough goes… pic.twitter.com/DEJwYdbukm
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) April 25, 2025
“I won’t be surprised that Tyler Shough goes ahead of Shedeur Sanders tonight. Can you imagine if Jaxson Dart and Tyler Shough both wind up being drafted ahead of Shedeur Sanders? I think there are not a lot of teams that love the idea of drafting Shedeur.”
As a result, a fall from the first round that many believe might end up in the second round, like the latest Day 2 mock draft from PFSN, where he is the first name taken off the board at 33 by the Cleveland Browns, might get even worse for Sanders.
“I think now we’re at the point where unless he goes in the 3rd round, number 83 to the Pittsburgh Steelers, who had a discussion about him on the board at number 21, I think we may get a team that we never connected to him.”
However, the lead NFL insider did mention he wasn’t sure which teams could be in the running. As a possibility, the Seattle Seahawks, who traded away Geno Smith and signed Sam Darnold to a deal guaranteed for just one year, were a name.
He also mentioned the Arizona Cardinals, who might opt out of the Kyler Murray business if things don’t go according to plan again in 2025. Finally, the big one came in the form of the Dallas Cowboys.
With Deion Sanders, there is an obvious connection, especially with head coaching rumors running rampant throughout the summer. Add in a quarterback with the largest per-year salary in the sport’s history, and it is easy to see why team owner and general manager Jerry Jones might want an insurance policy if things don’t go right.
“I’m not telling you that any of these teams are going to take him. What I am saying is that it would not surprise me if a team that takes him tonight is a team that we didn’t even connect to him,” Schefter concluded.
