CNN

Shedeur Sanders remains undrafted after first three rounds of 2025 NFL draft

By CNN Newsource

Published April 25, 2025 10:55 pm

By Jacob Lev and Kyle Feldscher, CNN

(CNN) — In one of the most stunning stories in NFL draft history, Shedeur Sanders did not hear his name called in the first three rounds.

Sanders – the son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders – who starred at Colorado for the last two years, was widely expected to be picked early on, where several quarterback-needy teams were waiting.

Instead, Sanders slid. And continued to slide, eventually all the way out of the first three rounds, leaving experts shocked, who had largely expected him to be one of the first quarterbacks off the board.

Despite not getting picked in the first two days of the three-day event, Sanders remained positive, saying “Thank you GOD for EVERYTHING,” in a post on X Friday night.

There were signs in the lead-up to the first round that maybe Sanders would fall in the draft.

On Thursday, the first couple times that ESPN cut to Canton, Texas, where Sanders was watching the draft, the set – covered in the player’s own logo – was empty. Eventually, cameras found Sanders watching the draft but he wasn’t exactly looking confident.

The Colorado quarterback had once teased being picked by the New York Giants, wearing custom red, white and blue cleats during a game when the G-men were the top candidate for the first overall pick. A few days ago, he was making comments about how he would be throwing passes to receivers in Pittsburgh.

But when the Steelers passed on him with the 21st pick, with Oregon defensive tackle Derrick Harmon finding his way to the Steel City, it suddenly seemed possible that Sanders could drop all the way out of the first round. And then the Giants traded back into the first round with the 25th pick and were reportedly looking for a quarterback.

Instead of Sanders, it was Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart who would be making the trip to the swamps of New Jersey to play for the Giants.

Friday saw three quarterbacks selected ahead of Sanders – Tyler Shough to the New Orleans Saints in the second round while Jalen Milroe and Dillon Gabriel found new homes with the Seattle Seahawks and Cleveland Browns respectively in the third round.

Sanders not getting selected drew the ire of many media experts and prominent figures including President Donald Trump, who put NFL teams on blast.

“What is wrong with NFL owners, are they STUPID?” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social Friday. “Deion Sanders was a great college football player, and was even greater in the NFL. He’s also a very good coach, streetwise and smart! Therefore, Shedeur, his quarterback son, has PHENOMENAL GENES, and is all set for Greatness. He should be “picked” IMMEDIATELY by a team that wants to WIN. Good luck Shedeur, and say hello to your wonderful father!”

Shedeur Sanders, a former four-star recruit coming out of high school, has only been coached by his father during his four-year collegiate career that started out at Jackson State University in 2021.

After two seasons with the Tigers, Sanders followed his father to Boulder, Colorado, to play at the University of Colorado ahead of the 2023 season along with JSU teammate Travis Hunter, who was drafted second overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday.

Sanders was prolific in his two seasons under center for the Buffaloes, leading them to a 9-4 record last year while throwing for 4,134 yards, 37 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

The NFL draft continues on Saturday with rounds 4-7 which begin at 12 p.m ET.