Shedeur Sanders could spend the rest of his life wondering why he slipped so far in the NFL Draft. The most recent example of a major quarterback slide was Will Levis, who fell from a potential first-round pick to the top of the second.
Sanders, though, dropped even further. Once considered a potential No. 1 overall pick, he was eventually selected in the fifth round. Instead of hearing his name called early on opening night, he had to wait two full days — and well into Day 3. While it might be tempting to point fingers elsewhere, one NFL analyst believes Sanders only has himself to blame.
NFL Analyst Does Not Hold Back on Shedeur Sanders Draft Slide
Speaking on the April 28 edition of “Get Up,” NFL analyst and two-time Super Bowl champion Damien Woody gave his honest take on why Sanders fell so far.
"I think the NFL sent a message saying, 'You're not that dude.' … If you're that guy, they are going to pick you in the first round."
@damienwoody on Shedeur Sanders getting picked in the fifth round of the NFL draft. pic.twitter.com/VQDcUmyS1r— Get Up (@GetUpESPN)
“You factor in all of the celebrity and everything that comes with Shedeur Sanders, and I’m not the guy that’s downplaying it. It’s the NFL who ultimately said ‘you know what, when you combine the fact that we don’t think that you are Him and you have all this celebrity and everything that comes with you,’ that is the ultimate recipe for why you found yourself in the fifth round,” Woody said.
Statistically, Sanders had a strong season. He threw for 37 touchdowns, 4,134 yards, and completed 74% of his passes, leading the Big 12 in all three categories. His completion percentage also led the FBS. Now, it’s up to Sanders to prove the NFL wrong — and the Cleveland Browns right — after they took a chance on him in the fifth round.
Sanders Takes Unconventional Path to Prove Predictions Right
The story of the 2025 NFL Draft will be remembered for Sanders’ surprising slide, but it’s one big-picture twist that really highlights how strange his journey was.
Before the draft, many pundits and analysts predicted that the Browns would select Sanders. They held the No. 2 overall pick, and once it became clear that Cam Ward would be selected first overall, Cleveland was widely expected to target Sanders next.
Instead, the Browns passed on Sanders twice. They first traded back and then used the fifth overall pick to draft defensive tackle Mason Graham.
After two days and plenty of picks later, Sanders was finally selected 144th overall — by the very team many thought would take him at the top.
It was a bizarre path to Cleveland, and while the result lined up with some preseason predictions, the journey — and the expectations — now feel very different. Whether it will go down as a winning pick remains to be seen.
