The first round of the 2025 NFL Draft took place on Thursday evening (April 24). University of Miami quarterback Cam Ward went #1 overall to the Tennessee Titans, who will look to him as the answer to their troubles after years of missteps at the position. The Cleveland Browns picked Heisman Trophy-winning wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter second. Fans and analysts alike expect him to go down as the best player from this draft. His former quarterback at Colorado, Shedeur Sanders, was also projected to go in the first round. Various mock drafts projected that he'd be selected by either the Pittsburgh Steelers or New York Giants. Both of those teams are in desperate need of stability at QB. Deion Sanders, Shedeur's former coach (and father) proclaimed he'd be a top five pick in the draft months in advance. None of those things came to pass, and Sanders will look to day two to hear his name called.
After going undrafted in the first round, Shedeur Sanders kept a positive attitude in a video posted by Deion Sanders Jr.'s Well Off Forever brand. "We all didn't expect this, of course," said Sanders. "But I feel like with God, anything [is] possible, everything [is] possible. I don't feel like this happened for no reason. All of this is, of course, fuel to the fire. Under no circumstances did we all know this was going to happen, but we understand we on to bigger and better things," he continued. "Tomorrow's the day. We going to be happy regardless. Legendary."
Shedeur Sanders NFL Draft
Of course, such a dramatic slide produces some questions from fans, the primary one being "what caused it?" Ahead of the draft, an anonymous NFL assistant coach shared some scathing remarks about Shedeur Sanders. The assistant coach referred to Sanders as "entitled," adding that the pre-draft interview he took part in was the worst formal interview he's ever been in the room for. He also criticized Sanders' attitude and body language. These thoughts, relayed to the public by NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, concluded with the coach calling Sanders "not that good."
As we know, perceived slights against athletes only fuel them to be better. Baltimore Ravens star quarterback was similarly attacked before the draft, with some analysts even saying he'd be better suited for running back or wide receiver. He fell to 32nd overall, the last pick of the first round, in the 2018 draft. Jackson is a two-time NFL MVP at quarterback and one of the most talented players in recent memory. It's hard to predict how Sanders' career will go once he is drafted, as a career even half as productive as Jackson's would be a great career. But spite is a powerful motivator. Hopefully, he becomes the best player he can be at the pro level.
