Shedeur Sanders’ Draft Plummet: A Post-Mortem Examination
The echo of Shedeur Sanders’ unexpectedly low draft selection continues to resonate throughout the NFL landscape. Despite pre-draft projections placing him among the elite quarterback prospects, Sanders found himself slipping to the fifth round, ultimately being picked by the Cleveland Browns as the 144th overall selection in the 2025 NFL Draft. This dramatic fall from grace has ignited a firestorm of debate, with analysts, current players, and former legends all offering their perspectives on the factors contributing to Sanders’ slide.
The central question on everyone’s mind is: how could a player once considered a potential top pick experience such a significant drop in the draft? Several theories have emerged, ranging from concerns about his on-field performance to criticisms of his pre-draft preparation and perceived arrogance.
ESPN NFL Draft analyst Matt Miller has been particularly vocal in his assessment of Sanders’ draft experience. Miller believes that Sanders and his camp mishandled the entire pre-draft process, ultimately damaging his draft stock.
"I didn’t think that they handled the process well," Miller stated bluntly. "And that’s not just hindsight. I took a lot of heat for saying on ‘NFL Live,’ right before the NFL Scouting Combine, that he was making a mistake."
Miller’s criticism centers on Sanders’ decision to forgo key pre-draft opportunities. He specifically pointed to Sanders’ absence from the NFL Scouting Combine and his withdrawal from the East-West Shrine Game after initially accepting an invitation.
"He should be throwing at the NFL Scouting Combine. He should have worked out at the East-West Shrine Game that he accepted an invite to," Miller argued. "The NFL has this new rule that if you accept an invite to an All-Star Game, you have to participate. And he didn’t. So, I said on TV that they were not handling the process well. And I thought it would hurt him."
Miller’s concerns were not met with universal approval, as he faced backlash for his criticisms. However, he stood by his assessment, arguing that Sanders’ decisions sent a negative message to NFL teams and evaluators.
Beyond the pre-draft process, Miller also questioned Sanders’ on-field talent, suggesting that he may have been overrated relative to other quarterbacks in the class.
"Was he overrated as a player? Yes, based on the talents and the tools he has as a player, he was not a top two or three player in this draft class," Miller asserted.
He emphasized the importance of humility and respect for the NFL’s evaluation process, arguing that Sanders’ camp may have approached the draft with an inflated sense of his value.
"How the NFL views you and evaluates you, they will humble every player," Miller explained. "So I think for the Sanders camp, they had this perception of Shedeur as a lock two or three draft pick. And they approached the process that way."
Miller believes that Sanders’ camp was unable to receive or accept outside feedback that challenged their perception of his draft status.
"There was never anyone from the outside that could get through to him and say, ‘Wait a second, he’s not guaranteed to be a two or three draft pick.’ And the fact that you are approaching the process that way is hurting him," he said.
The Browns now present a stage for redemption, where Sanders can prove his detractors wrong and validate the potential that once had him pegged as a top prospect. He will face competition for the starting quarterback position, as he joins a roster that includes Kenny Pickett, Joe Flacco, and Dillon Gabriel.
The situation is further complicated by the injury to Deshaun Watson, who is expected to miss the entire 2025 season after re-rupturing his Achilles tendon during offseason activities. This injury creates an immediate opportunity for Sanders to compete for playing time and potentially showcase his abilities early in his NFL career.
The path to success for Shedeur Sanders in Cleveland will be challenging, but he has the talent and opportunity to silence the critics and establish himself as a starting quarterback in the NFL. His ability to learn from the mistakes of the pre-draft process, embrace the competition, and demonstrate his on-field potential will ultimately determine his future in the league.
The NFL has a way of humbling every player. Whether Sanders’ draft slide was a result of genuine evaluation of his talent, his team’s handling of the predraft, or a combination of both, only time will tell if he can overcome this initial adversity and live up to the high expectations. His journey in Cleveland will be closely watched, as he seeks to prove that he belongs among the elite quarterbacks in the NFL.
