Shedeur Sanders went from top-overall-pick candidate to Day 3 selection in the 2025 NFL Draft. The Cleveland Browns finally ended his unprecedented draft-day slide by taking him with the No. 144 pick in the fifth round.
But why did Sanders slip so far after being discussed as a likely first-round pick throughout the pre-draft process? NFL Draft expert Todd McShay recently revealed why one team, the New York Giants, removed him from their draft board.
Todd McShay Explains What Went Wrong Between Giants and Shedeur Sanders
Writing in an April 24 pre-draft edition of “The McShay Report,” McShay explained why the Giants soured on Sanders during the pre-draft process.
“A few months ago, the idea that Shedeur Sanders could fall out of the top 10 seemed inconceivable,” McShay wrote. “But with just a few hours until the draft kicks off in Green Bay, league sources I’ve spoken to are expecting him to slide. … I’ve heard from two different sources that his visit with head coach Brian Daboll did not go particularly well.
“The friction centered on some frustration between the two regarding Sanders’ preparation of an install package. It seems the interview process as a whole — beginning in Indianapolis, as I reported a few days after the Combine — has negatively affected the leaguewide perception of Sanders during the lead-up to this year’s draft.”
McShay elaborated on what happened during an episode of his podcast “The McShay Show.”
“Shedeur’s not in play at No. 3; Shedeur’s not in play with the New York Giants [at all] as far as I’m told. Shedeur didn’t have a great interview with Brian Daboll in a private visit. An install package came in, the preparation wasn’t there for it. [Shedeur] got called out on it, didn’t like that. Brian didn’t appreciate him not liking it. … The interviews did not go well.”
Sanders’ personality rubbed some people the wrong way throughout the pre-draft process. Sanders admitted that during his team visits, he was interviewing executives just as much as they were interviewing him, and that didn’t sit well with everyone.
MORE: LIVE 2025 NFL Draft Grades
“When I go visit these coaches and when I go to all these different franchises, I ask them truly what I think and how I feel,” Sanders said. “Some get offended, some like it, some don’t. [I] make some people uncomfortable, some people invite that.”
Not only did the Giants decide to pass on Sanders at No. 3 overall, but when they traded back into the first round, they ultimately decided to take Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart over Sanders. Then, the entire league proceeded to pass on Sanders multiple times before the Browns finally snatched him up in Round 5.
Now, all eyes will be on Sanders to see whether he can win the Browns’ starting job and prove his doubters wrong.
Sanders’ NFL Draft Scouting Report
Sanders is an accurate and tough quarterback with a well-built frame and plenty of throws, hitting his targets in stride from each deep third of the field. He has a good enough arm to execute throws to targets in tight windows, and there’s a natural sense of timing that tells him where to place the ball right where only his receivers can get it.
That said, there’s some mental development that needs to take place for Sanders. He’s shown that he’s capable of making full-field reads, but he tends to play Superman when he doesn’t have the raw physical talent to make that work.
His arm, though acceptable, isn’t particularly special. He’s not a statue in the pocket, but his athleticism is average. These issues can see him try too hard to extend plays that he simply can’t make, resulting in sacks or poor throws.
Compared to the quarterbacks in the 2024 NFL Draft, I would argue Sanders would come in seventh as a prospect, ranking behind each of the six quarterbacks selected in the first round.
Sanders arguably has the highest floor of any quarterback in the class, and he has the tools to become a solid starter in the NFL. In the right system, he could lead a team to a playoff run.
Because of average physical tools, the ceiling likely does not go much further than that. There are also concerns about his attitude, as some teams view him as arrogant and didn’t appreciate how Sanders carried himself throughout the pre-draft process.
However, a respectable starting quarterback is a valuable asset in today’s game, and he is a low-risk, high-reward steal for the Browns in the fifth round.
Of the three teams that needed a quarterback in the first round the New York Giants, the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New Orleans Saints in the past 60 years none of them have ever taken a quarterback that is black in the first round second round third round fourth round or even the fifth round, but that’s never talked about the fact that Gino Smith was the first black quarterback to start a game for the New York Giants is preposterous.
Nothing said here that hasn’t been said and doesn’t explain the precipitous drop from top 5. Feels more like there’s no team that wants Deion stalking the sideline, hogging press attention, actively coaching and influencing his son undermining the coach’s authority and creating an unnecessary distraction on the team.
Whatever lol
Be a spectator
Josh Allen is the great white type!
You forgot to mention Lamar had better all around stats than Josh but they still gave it to Josh, because they claim Lamar already has 2.
MVP voting should be by the players, not journalist’s who don’t play a down.
Truth
First, I am a Ravens fan and most of all a Lamar supporter! What you stated is truth, statistically in 2024 Lamar had better stats and I believe he should have gotten the MVP. However, I believe Josh should have won the award in 2023, since he was statistically better than Lamar. I am considering this a make up call by the NFL!
Joe Burrow was better than both players last year statistically. MVP is a joke award.