Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders remains on the board as we enter Day 3 of the 2025 NFL Draft in what has become an unprecedented slide. The biggest question is — why? One executive now reveals it’s not just his play affecting Sanders’ draft position.
Initially projected as the second quarterback in this class, Sanders has watched five signal callers selected ahead of him: Cam Ward, Jaxson Dart, Tyler Shough, Jalen Milroe and Dillon Gabriel.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Multiple teams with quarterback needs passed on Sanders, including the New Orleans Saints who selected Shough and the Cleveland Browns who took Gabriel.
Credit: Michael Ciaglo-Imagn Images
The slide could continue today. If the Las Vegas Raiders at No. 108, the New York Jets at No. 110, and the Pittsburgh Steelers at No. 123 all pass on Sanders at the top of Round 4, questions will intensify about whether he’ll be drafted at all.
An executive with a quarterback-needy team shared insights with ESPN’s Stephen Holder about Sanders’ unexpected fall.
“Asked Friday night to add context to Sanders’ fall, one executive from a team in the quarterback market said there was ‘no smoking gun, but it’s not just football either,’” wrote Holder. “The executive indicated that Sanders’ celebrity and the attention he would bring would complicate his selection because he is not seen as a star.”
Where Sanders ultimately lands becomes the central storyline to watch as Day 3 unfolds.
