[UPDATE] Shedeur Sanders was drafted in the fifth round on Saturday (April 26) by the Cleveland Browns after the team traded up to snag him. Just a few weeks ago, what happened during the 2025 NFL Draft seemed unthinkable. Everyone would’ve expected Deion "Coach Prime" Sanders' son to walk across the NFL Draft stage Thursday night.
Instead, Shedeur Sanders watched as three rounds of picks came and went without hearing his name called—creating one of the most dramatic draft slides in NFL history. From once being projected as a potential top-3 selection to becoming the biggest storyline in recent draft memory, the Colorado quarterback's unexpected fall to at least the fourth round prompted us to check just how dramatic this slide truly was—by the numbers. The Money Left On The Table $30 Million: The approximate amount of guaranteed money Sanders will miss out on by falling out of the first round.
First-round picks receive fully guaranteed four-year contracts with a fifth-year team option. $39.5 Million: The total contract value last year's first overall pick received (for comparison). $1.16 Million: What the 144th pick (fifth round) gets paid as an annual salary according to Sportrac.
$6.5 Million: The estimated amount Sanders already earned from NIL deals during his college career – meaning he's not exactly broke despite the financial hit. The Vegas Impact -700: What FanDuel was offering for Sanders to be drafted in the first round as late as Wednesday—meaning a lot of bettors lost money backing him as a Day 1 selection. +135: The closing odds on Sanders being drafted in the top 10 at FanDuel Sportsbook – making him a considerable underdog to land that high despite months of top-10 projections.
Colorado Production 70.1%: Career completion rate over 50 college games, making him one of the most accurate quarterbacks in college football history. 74%: Sanders' completion percentage, higher than Cam Ward (69.9%), Jaxon Dart (68.3%), Tyler Shough (62.7%), Jalen Milroe (64.3%), and Dillon Gabriel (72.9%). 353: Sanders’ completions in 2024, more than Ward (312), Dart (276), Shough (244), Milroe (205), and Gabriel (326).
99: The alarming number of sacks Sanders took over his last two college seasons—blame also rests on the offensive line but it's likely a contributor to teams' concerns. Historical Context Brady Quinn (2007): Perhaps the most famous first-round quarterback slide before Sanders. Quinn was projected to go early but fell to the Browns at pick No.
22. Aaron Rodgers (2005): Slid from potential No. 1 overall to No.
24 with the Packers. Unlike Quinn, Rodgers went on to become a future Hall of Famer. Lamar Jackson (2018): Fell to the final pick of the first round (No.
32) before becoming a two-time NFL MVP with Baltimore (and likely future Hall of Famer). The "Why" Behind The Numbers According to NFL insiders , the slide wasn't primarily about Sanders' personality or being Deion's son, though it’s hard to believe that didn’t play a role. Instead, 10 NFL coaches and executives surveyed by The Athletic were "more concerned with Sanders' talent than anything off the field."
Issues cited included "average arm strength," tendency to hold the ball too long, and "drifting too much in the pocket when pressured." Sanders himself seemed to address the situation with words of encouragement after the disappointing first round, telling supporters at his draft party: "Under no circumstances—we all know this shouldn't have happened—but we understand we're on to bigger and better things." He later tweeted "Thank You GOD for EVERYTHING" as he continued to slide through the third round.
