Shedeur Sanders. Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Reporter reveals reason for Shedeur Sanders' draft slide

Originally posted on Pro Football Rumors | By Ben Levine | Last updated Apr 27, 2025 3:18 PM ET

Shedeur Sanders‘ stunning fall down the draft board was quickly attributed to a questionable skill set and/or a perceived lack of maturity. ESPN’s Stephen Holder points to another concern among teams: the “circus” that would accompany a Sanders selection.

"As the Shedeur Sanders saga played out Friday, I was reminded of the days when Tim Tebow was a free agent and there were claims his outward displays of faith were being held against him. What actually happened was more nuanced. Teams were reluctant to sign him because of the circus related to his celebrity (on a level similar to Sanders IMO), esp as a likely backup. Some of that is happening here. Thursday’s fall was mostly about talent. Last night was about something else.

"Problem is, this issue becomes more pronounced the further he falls. Any team that picks him at this point will be doing so with the intent of having Sanders as a backup. That is going to be an interesting situation to have to manage."

Holder is adamant that Sanders’ first-round snub was about talent, but he believes his Day 2 absence was “about something else.” The reporter references Tim Tebow‘s free agency, noting that teams were wary of the attention that naturally follows a “celebrity” athlete. Sanders obviously isn’t an exact equivalent to Tebow, but the popular Colorado star will now attract even more attention after suddenly dropping out of the first two days of the draft.

Going into the draft, most experts ranked Sanders as the second-best QB prospect, behind Cam Ward, who was selected No. 1 overall by the Titans. Few thought he would last beyond the first round, and his slide past the third round shocked the NFL would. He ended up getting selected by the Cleveland Browns with the No. 144 overall pick. It was especially surprising to see the Browns grab Sanders, considering they drafted Dillon Gabriel on Friday.

This article first appeared on Pro Football Rumors and was syndicated with permission.

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