In just a few months, Shedeur Sanders has gone from potential top pick to underdog rookie in the NFL.
After a standout season with the Colorado Buffaloes, the quarterback was widely projected to be selected in the early rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft. Yet, despite the hype, he slipped to the fifth round, where the Cleveland Browns ultimately took a chance on him.
The fall down the draft board was unexpected and, for many, humiliating. But in a surprising twist, Sanders has revealed that if he could relive any single day, it would be the one where he endured that exact ordeal – the day of the draft.
On a recent episode of his 2 Legendary podcast, Sanders explained that what made the difficult day meaningful was the unwavering support of his family.
“I would live draft day cause it’s a prime example of why family matters,” he said.
It’s a surprising answer given the scrutiny he faced during the pre-draft process. Analysts repeatedly questioned his character, with some suggesting that the influence of his father, Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, played a role in teams steering clear.
Shedeur embraces pressure, defends father amid criticism
Even now, Sanders believes much of the criticism aimed at him had more to do with his father’s reputation than his own behavior or talent.
“99% of hatred [directed at me] is toward Pops,” he told Cleveland.com. “And then I’m just his son…It’s just the older generation that does it to me, rather than the younger people. Because when I come in person, there’s no negativity I see.”
Despite the painful memory of being passed over in the draft, Sanders has matured in how he views the legacy of being Coach Prime‘s son. What once might have felt like a burden, he now recognizes as an advantage.
“It depends on your mindset, your mind frame,” Sanders said at the Scouting Combine. “You know, sometimes early on in life, you can feel like it’s pressure. But when you get older, you start understanding it’s a privilege to have someone that’s been through everything you’re going to go through and [who] is able to give you the road map of life.”
Now in Cleveland, Shedeur Sanders is locked in a competitive quarterback battle alongside Dillon Gabriel, Joe Flacco, and Kenny Pickett.
While the draft may not have gone according to plan, his sights are firmly set on proving his worth in the NFL – not just as Deion‘s son, but as a franchise quarterback in his own right.
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