Former Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders had an unexpected slide in the 2025 NFL Draft, falling to the No. 144 overall pick in the fifth round, after many analysts had him pegged as highly as an early first-rounder.
The Cleveland Browns, who selected Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel in the third round, mercifully put an end to Sanders’ suffering. As conspiracy theories and rumors swirled around why Sanders was falling in the draft, many attributed poor interviews and unnecessary drama as contributing factors.
Stephen A. Smith Criticizes NFL Draft Snub of Shedeur Sanders
Sanders — the son of Pro Football Hall of Famer and Colorado head coach Deion Sanders — was one of, if not the biggest star, heading into this year’s draft, leading to extra attention to his slide.
On Monday’s episode of “First Take,” ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith tore into NFL teams for not selecting Sanders sooner.
“What has Shedeur Sanders done?” Smith said. “He ain’t getting in any trouble off the field. He’s not acting up. He’s not being some irresponsible individual. He puts in the work.”
“Some of those owners and some of those executives, they should be ashamed of their damn selves for what they did to Shedeur Sanders because they were targeting ‘Prime Time’ Deion Sanders. And I think it’s egregious, considering who he is and what he has meant to football on the pro and collegiate level. He deserved better.”
KEEP READING: Peter Schrager Partially Blames Media for Shedeur Sanders’ Draft Day Slide
“It is important to ask this question: What exactly has Deion done? He has an exceptional relationship with the league office. He used to work at CBS. He worked at the NFL Network. He loves kids. He believes in being a role model.”
“Whatever imperfections he may have exercised leading up to the draft, it wasn’t worth sending a message to him through his son, of all people. A son who performed, a son who was clearly at least the second-best quarterback in the draft. We’re talking about the most important position in football. To let this man drop to [pick No. 144], to have this man endure four and a half rounds where he’s not even mentioned.”
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