For months, Shedeur Sanders was viewed as the face of the 2025 NFL Draft class — a potential top-10 pick with a famous father and two years of high-level production at Colorado. Even when it became clear that Cam Ward would go No. 1 overall to the Tennessee Titans, Sanders dominated the pre-draft conversation.
However, despite the attention and hype, there were 143 players selected before Sanders in the 2025 NFL Draft. Finally, on Day 3 of the draft, the Cleveland Browns ended his slide. So, why did he fall?
Ex-NFL Coach Provides Insight Into Shedeur Sanders’ Slide
Sanders’ unexpected slide became the story of the draft, and it even transcended sports. Sanders’ attitude and approach to the pre-draft process were often cited as reasons for his fall. However, more details about why he slipped are starting to surface, with NFL coaches who spoke to Bruce Feldman of The Athletic citing a combination of technical concerns and “shocking” intel that was floating around league circles.
While NFL fans and nearly every analyst were stunned by Sanders’ freefall, one former NFL quarterbacks coach told Feldman that it wasn’t a stunner to those in league circles.
“It was not surprising that Sanders waited as long as he did in the draft,” he said, suggesting that teams saw more red flags than the public realized.
Among the technical concerns, an NFL offensive coordinator cited mechanical flaws that hurt Sanders’ evaluation: “Shedeur has some leaks in his throwing motion. But I do like the kid. I think he’s smart. He’s tough. I hate the system he played in. He got sacked 94 times in the last two years. I get it (he had a terrible O-line), but I don’t. Get the ball out!”
The coach added that while Sanders flashed toughness and intelligence, he struggled to show NFL-caliber arm strength or mobility.
MORE: 2026 3-Round NFL Mock Draft
“He doesn’t have an exceptional arm or running ability. He’s streaky,” the OC noted.
A second offensive coordinator echoed similar concerns, focusing on the absence of elite physical tools.
“He’s really developmental. He’s a good QB. He’s tough as hell. He’s not overly mobile,” he said.
That profile — a quarterback without a standout trait — often leads to a backup-grade evaluation. An NFL wide receivers coach was even more blunt: “He’s got a skill set, but no dominant trait. He’s a backup at this point, and those guys have to be wired for humble support of the starter.”
But it wasn’t just Sanders’ on-field play that attracted concern. According to one coach, the real damage came from off-field perceptions — and this is where the shocking intel comes in.
“The intel I got was shocking: ‘This guy has no awareness about how he’s coming across,’ or the type of leverage he has or doesn’t have,” the coach said.
Questions about Sanders’ self-awareness, attitude, and maturity reportedly made teams nervous about handing Sanders the keys to a franchise right away. Some executives also described him as “arrogant,” “entitled, and “brash.”
This lines up with what former NFL quarterback Chris Simms heard from teams, as he revealed that many executives felt Sanders “disrespected” the draft process and “didn’t care” about making a strong impression during his meetings and whiteboard interviews.
NFL Draft analyst Todd McShay provided an example of this. Prior to the draft, McShay revealed that Sanders was unprepared for his meeting with the New York Giants, prompting head coach Brian Daboll to call him out.
“I’ve heard from two different sources that his visit with head coach Brian Daboll did not go particularly well,” McShay said. “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 reportedly gave even less effort for his interviews with teams picking outside of the top-10, which came back to bite him once his freefall started.
Fortunately for Sanders, the draft process is behind him now, and he will have every chance to flip the script in Cleveland. Hours after he heard his name called by the Browns, Sanders issued a formal mea culpa via a conference call with the media.
“I feel like in life, there’s always a way I can improve. I’m able to improve,” Sanders said when asked if he had any regrets about how he handled the pre-draft process. “And some things that I [did] that seemed right at the time, I could’ve went about it a different way.”
Throughout his college career, he made a habit of proving doubters wrong — and if he’s going to carve out a long-term NFL future, that familiar underdog mindset will have to serve him well once again.