Shedeur Sanders' Talent Reportedly Causing NFL Draft Slide, Not Off-Field Concerns

Quarterback Shedeur Sanders' slide out of the first round of the 2025 NFL draft was reportedly based primarily on his physical attributes as a player.

According to Jeff Howe of The Athletic, most NFL decision-makers he spoke to were "more concerned with Sanders' talent than anything off the field," adding that, "Some said the personality nitpicks wouldn't be an issue if he had put together better tape."

At the start of the pre-draft process, the Colorado product was in the discussion as the top quarterback in the class and looked to be a sure-fire first-round pick, but he was not among the two signal-callers taken in Round 1 Thursday night.

The Tennessee Titans selected Miami quarterback Cam Ward first overall as expected, while the New York Giants traded back into the first round at No. 25 to nab Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart.

While Sanders' drop into the second round may have shocked many fans and observers, it did not catch NFL executives off guard.

Howe asked 10 NFL coaches and executives if they were surprised when Sanders slipped past the Pittsburgh Steelers at No. 21, and all 10 said they were not surprised he was still available.

Leading up to the draft, some reports surfaced suggesting teams were concerned with some of Sanders' personality traits.

NFL insider Josina Anderson reported that an anonymous NFL quarterbacks coach felt he came across as "brash" and "arrogant" during pre-draft interviews.

Also, NFL draft insider Todd McShay reported that some teams felt Sanders did not take a "professional approach" to the interviews.

Sanders, who is the son of Pro Football Hall of Fame cornerback and University of Colorado head football coach Deion Sanders, spent his final two collegiate seasons with the Buffaloes after beginning at FCS Jackson State.

He threw 27 touchdown passes compared to just three interceptions during his first season at Colorado, but the team went only 9-4.

Both Sanders and the Buffs as a whole improved in 2024, as he completed 74.0 percent of his passes for 4,134 yards, 37 touchdowns and 10 picks, and Colorado finished with its best record since 2016 at 9-4.

On top of that, Sanders played a big role in teammate Travis Hunter winning the Heisman Trophy, and Sanders was named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year.

However, Sanders comes with some mobility concerns, as he rushed for negative yardage in each of his two seasons at Colorado.

Of course, lost yardage for sacks is counted against a quarterback's rushing yardage in college, and that underscores the significant amount of sacks he took.

NFL teams tend to value mobility and elusiveness out of quarterbacks these days, which are qualities both Ward and Dart have more so than Sanders.

Despite some of the question marks surrounding him, Sanders may not have to wait long to hear his name called Friday with potentially QB-needy teams such as the Cleveland Browns, Las Vegas Raiders, New Orleans Saints and New York Jets picking early in the second round.