Shedeur Sanders finally started silencing his critics after a brilliant preseason debut with the Cleveland Browns against the Carolina Panthers. Sanders was considered one of the top quarterbacks in the 2025 draft class alongside Cam Ward but experienced one of the most shocking slides in draft history before Cleveland selected him 144th overall.
Sanders clearly possesses starting quarterback talent, so what caused his dramatic fall? Several factors combined to create the perfect storm that sent him tumbling down draft boards.
What Went Wrong During Shedeur Sanders’ Pre-Draft Process?
Sanders broke passing records during his final season at Colorado and finished the 2024-25 campaign with the highest FBS completion percentage at 74.0%. He was viewed as a first-round talent right up until the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine, when his draft stock began its steep decline.
Following the Combine, reports surfaced that Sanders appeared “brash” and unprofessional during team meetings. His personality reportedly rubbed some people the wrong way throughout the pre-draft process. He admitted that during his team visits, he was interviewing executives just as much as they were interviewing him, an approach that didn’t sit well with everyone.
“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.”
While this approach may have only backfired with a few teams, like the Giants as reported by Todd McShay, it’s very possible that word spread and influenced other organizations as well.
Another alleged factor behind Sanders’ slide was his father, Deion Sanders. Deion and Sanders transformed Colorado into a media spectacle during their two seasons together, compiling a 13-12 record while turning the Buffs into a reality show. The media treated Colorado like championship contenders despite modest results.
NFL teams reportedly wanted no part of that circus atmosphere and passed on Sanders multiple times because of it.
How Did Sanders’ Physical Limitations Impact His Draft Stock?
Sanders stands around 6-foot-2, which is average for the NFL prototype at quarterback. However, his game tape revealed concerning limitations in his ability to extend plays or create opportunities outside of structure. His arm strength also failed to impress scouts during the evaluation process.
That doesn’t mean Sanders needed to possess a rocket arm like Josh Allen or Justin Herbert. Sanders projected more in the Brock Purdy mold regarding physical traits. As Purdy has proven, success remains possible with those limitations, but it restricts what a quarterback can accomplish when the pocket breaks down around him.
If anybody doubts that Shedeur Sanders game will translate to the NFL, just show them this and shush em up.
1st round stuff right here.#AchoAnalysis | #DawgPound #UnemployedBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/4lZXThzwu3
— Emmanuel Acho (@EmmanuelAcho) August 9, 2025
Beyond the physical concerns, Sanders struggled significantly under pressure. While his 74% completion rate looked impressive on paper, it masked underlying issues since he frequently threw behind the line of scrimmage on screen plays to inflate those numbers.
Sanders often took unnecessary sacks by failing to get rid of the ball on his hot reads. He tried to extend plays without possessing the athletic toolkit to pull it off successfully, exposing his physical limitations and leading many scouts to conclude he wasn’t first-round material.
“From the talent perspective, he’s not a generational talent like his father is a generational talent. So if you’re not a generational talent, you better ace the other parts, the intangible parts of the process. And by all accounts, he did not ace the intangible aspect of it,” Mark Schlereth said.
“If he doesn’t go in the first six to eight picks at the top of the second round, then people view him as a backup,” one league executive told Colin Cowherd.
“This is the biggest fall in NFL draft history if you put any stock in what we all do leading up to the draft.” @DannyParkins@markschlereth: “From the talent perspective, he’s not a generational talent… so you better ace the intangibles part of the process.” pic.twitter.com/OeKiu0ztNv
— Breakfast Ball (@BrkfstBallOnFS1) April 28, 2025
Whether it was lingering skepticism over his and his father’s high-profile image or genuine concerns about his first-round value, Sanders simply needed a chance to prove himself. The Browns provided that opportunity, and he seized it in his preseason debut by throwing for 138 yards and two touchdowns.
If Sanders can maintain that level of performance throughout the preseason, he could position himself as a strong contender for a starting role when the regular season begins.
