The fall of Shedeur Sanders in the 2025 NFL Draft has already become a historic event. Once projected as a top-10 pick — and the son of NFL legend Deion Sanders — Sanders plummeted down draft boards and was not selected in the first three rounds.
Amidst the shock and surprise, many are beginning to speculate that there may be more at play than just performance evaluations and scouting reports. Sports commentator Stephen A. Smith compared Sanders’ situation to what Colin Kaepernick faced years ago and issued a harsh warning about the future of the NFL Draft.
Stephen A. Smith Weighs In On Shedeur Sanders’ NFL Draft Fall
Of all the surprises in this year’s NFL Draft, the biggest was undoubtedly Sanders falling to Day 3. A potential drop down the board had been anticipated for weeks, largely due to concerns over his interview performances and a personality perceived as arrogant by some teams.
However, no one expected that five quarterbacks would hear their names called over the first two days — and Sanders would not be one of them. It raised serious questions: Why did all 32 NFL teams send such a clear message that they were unwilling to commit to the Colorado quarterback?
Smith shared a strong theory on the matter via his X account, criticizing NFL franchises for repeatedly passing on Sanders during the draft.
Someone just texted me this message and they are absolutely correct: “This is a bad look for the NFL. This feels like Kaepernick-level collusion.” All the hard work the NFL League Office puts in to eradicate these kinds of perceptions, only to turn around and watch as the OWNERS…
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) April 26, 2025
“Someone just texted me this message and they are absolutely correct: “This is a bad look for the NFL. This feels like Kaepernick-level collusion.” All the hard work the NFL League Office puts in to eradicate these kinds of perceptions, only to turn around and watch as the OWNERS look like they’re colluding, messing up everything,” Smith wrote.
The comparison to Kaepernick stems from the accusations that NFL franchises colluded to keep him out of the league following his protests during the 2016 and 2017 seasons. After his contract with the San Francisco 49ers ended, Kaepernick never received another opportunity in the NFL and eventually filed a lawsuit against the league.
Smith continued his argument by saying that Sanders did not deserve to go through a similar situation and that, after this event, the NFL’s image regarding the draft will now be perceived differently by the public.
“What has been done to Shedeur will outshine everything else in this draft. We’ll never believe this is about just talent evaluation again,” he added.
A fan offered a different perspective from Smith’s, arguing that NFL teams simply don’t want someone coming out of college with that level of arrogance, expecting to take control of an organization right away.
“Shedeur Sanders: Refused to work out at the combine; Absolutely bombed interviews; Told teams not to draft him if they weren’t ready to change their franchise & culture. This isn’t collusion. Teams just don’t want him because he expects to run the organization from day one.”
No franchise is obligated to commit to any player. Each draft pick is a free decision, based on the unique criteria set by each team. Therefore, claiming that something unfair is happening becomes complicated, as it disregards the extensive and complex evaluation process carried out by scouts.
Sanders’ behavior throughout the pre-draft process will serve as a clear example of what not to do if you’re a college athlete, especially when the spotlight has been on you from day one.