Shedeur Sanders are still waiting – three rounds of the NFL Draft, 102 picks and five quarterbacks were selected prior to Deion Sanders’ highly promoted son.
The Colorado quarterback was widely considered a talent for the first round. But his stunning slide continued on Friday night when his name was not called in the second or third round.
Sanders was undoubtedly the most famous college player in the country to be drafted. It’s mostly because of Dion, a father inducted by the Pro Football Hall of Fame, who brought an innovative, media-friendly approach to college coaching in Jackson and Colorado. Chedur Sanders played for his father at both schools and came in eighth place in the Heisman Trophy vote last season as the pair revitalized the Buffaloes program.
NFL talent raters were clearly less impressed than draft analysts realized. In the mock draft, there were few cases where Jackson Dirt, Tyler Shaff, Jalen Milllow, or Dilongabriel were selected before Sanders, but that’s what happened.
“Thank God for everything,” Sanders posted to X in the third round.
Sanders was initially rated by some draft analysts as a better QB lead than Miami’s Come Ward. However, as the draft approached, concerns began to emerge.
One problem: Sanders has been fired 94 times in his past two college seasons. He was also concerned about the strength of his arm and asked how well he would adapt to playing for someone other than his father. And given his famous thing, the team may be reluctant to choose him if they consider him a backup.
For some time on Thursday, Sanders wait seemed to end when the New York Giants traded up to their 25th pick, but the team chose dirt from Mississippi.
The only quarterback selection for Friday’s second round came when New Orleans handed over Sanders in favor of the 25-year-old Shaw, who finished his college career in Louisville, after a stop at Oregon and Texas Tech. Shough was ranked 40th overall. Saints veteran quarterback Derek Kerr has what general manager Mickey Loomis described as a “shoulder problem.”
The Seattle Seahawks took Milllow out of Alabama on their 92nd overall pick in the third round. After two picks, the Cleveland Browns chose Gabriel. Gabriel played for Oregon last year, then stints for Central Florida and Oklahoma. Cleveland has five picks in the first three rounds and has a clear need at quarterback after the team put out almost production from Desshaun Watson. Gabriel joins Kenny Pickett and 40-year-old Joe Fraco in the Browns quarterback room.
Pittsburgh was considered a potential landing site for Sanders, who visited the Steelers facility prior to the draft. The Steelers’ only quarterbacks are Mason Rudolph and Skyler Thompson after Russell Wilson and Justin Fields’ offseason departure.
The Steelers took Oregon defensive lineman Derrick Harmon with him on their 21st overall pick on Thursday. They didn’t have a pick in the second round, but Sanders was still available when the turn came again in the third round. Instead, Pittsburgh used his 83rd overall pick for Iowa to drive back Caleb Johnson.
Another player, considered a potential first round choice, was a longer wait than expected. The Michigan cornerback was in Green Room in the first round on Thursday, Johnson went to the Arizona Cardinals for his 47th overall pick in the second round. A reported knee problem caused Johnson to drop stock.
“It’s just annoying,” Johnson said. “I know what I’m dealing with. I’m healthy and I know how my body feels. I’ll just go out there and show it on Sunday and show everyone what they miss.”
In the second round, several transactions took place.
Seattle and Miami traded up to get a pick early in the round. The Seahawks chose South Carolina Safety Nick Emanwy for their 35th overall pick. The Dolphins took Arizona guard Jonah Sabainia to number 37. The Bills treated Chicago to Chicago for their 56th, 62nd and 109th picks in return for the Bears’ 72nd and 240th picks.
The TJ Sanders will have an immediate opportunity to make an impact with the addition of offseason free agents who are expected to miss out on their first six games due to violating drug policies that improve the NFL performance.
The second round also included a selection of three more players from National Champion Ohio, where four players were filmed in the first round. The Buckeyes’ running back tandem progressed early in the second round, followed by Judkins and Trevion Henderson. Indianapolis won Edge Rush JT Twimorrow at No. 45.
Seven of the first 45 selections held in Ohio.
