Shedeur Sanders draft fall: Former NFL MVP says multiple teams took Colorado QB off their boards completely

The story of the 2025 NFL Draft had to do with a player selected in the fifth round, as Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders fell all the way to the Cleveland Browns with the No. 144 overall pick after being projected as a first-round selection. By now, it's clear that non-football issues affected Sanders' stock, with CBS Sports NFL insider Jonathan Jones reporting Sanders' slide was a reflection of how he carried himself through the pre-draft process.

There's plenty to dissect when it comes to Sanders' missteps. His father, NFL legend Deion Sanders, at one point said he would even step in behind the scenes to facilitate where his son would go in the draft. During the pre-draft process, Sanders went to the East-West Shrine Bowl instead of the Senior Bowl, but did not practice. Then there were the reports about his poor interviews, with an unnamed coach even telling NFL Media that his interview with Sanders was "the worst formal interview I've ever been in in my life."

Former NFL quarterback Boomer Esiason said this week that he spoke with three different personnel people in the NFL that removed Sanders off their draft boards completely because the team owners made it clear they did not want him.

"Shedeur Sanders just torpedoed himself," Esiason said.

Sanders was CBS Sports' No. 28 overall prospect and second-rated quarterback in this class. The Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year is certainly talented, but all 32 NFL teams sent a clear message that they weren't willing to put up with all of the distractions that come with Sanders. There's a fine line all players have to tread when it comes to confidence versus arrogance, and it's evident Sanders lost some owners' interest with how he conducted himself.

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