Browns Draft Shadeur Sanders and His Card Prices Do This
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After projected to be a top 10 pick, Shadeur Sanders became one of the biggest draft slips of all time. “Prime” time turned into crunch time for Sanders, as the Browns finally drafted the Quarterback from Colorado with the 144th overall pick in the 4th round. While all the hype was behind Shadeur during round one in his private “legendary” draft room, the hype shifted to fatigue and skepticism of the confident son of NFL legend, and Colorado football head coach, Deion Sanders.
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Shadeur Sanders turned heads during his time at Colorado, while he and 2nd overall draft pick Travis Hunter dominated statistically on the field. After 13 games played in 2024, Sanders threw for 4,134 yards, 37 touchdowns, with a 74% completion percentage. After the season, the Colorado Buffaloes retired both Hunter’s and Sanders’ numbers. However, skeptics and NFL Draft pundits started to question Sanders abilities as draft day got closer. Apparently, NFL owners and managers thought the same and passed up on him multiple times through the first two days. As rounds concluded and Saturday rolled on, Shadeur Sanders finally heard his name called as the Cleveland Browns used their 144th pick to secure a much needed QB.
What does this mean for Shadeur’s card prices?
It is no secret that this catastrophic slip impacts the Shadeur Sanders sports card market. However, for believers in Sanders, this delayed start may wind up being positive and beneficial. While the young QB has dominated the hobby over the course of the past year or so, collectors and investors may now be able to buy his cards on sale. While the slip may not be what Sanders fans wanted, it may be what his market and collectors of his needed.
2023 Bowman Chrome University - The Big Kahuna Autographs /150
The reaction to Sanders slipping in the draft is accurately represented here with this card. This card sold raw for $250 on April 8th (about 2 weeks before the draft). Since then, the average price has dipped down to $172. Over the past 30 days, this card has seen a decline of 45.5%, leaving buyers happy, and holders a little uneasy. If you are curious, a PSA 10 sold for $600 back in December, but if the loss percentage was the same for PSA 10’s then the market price for one today would roughly be around $330.
2023 Bowman Chrome University - Refractor (1st)
While this card, raw, has seen a slight decline, we can study it the most with its PSA 10’s. PSA 10’s have a 30 day change of -131%...staggering. This is roughly a $57 decline over the course of the month. Back on March 28th, this card sold for $100, while a sale finalized yesterday for $43.22. While the market on someone like Shadeur Sanders is very liquid, this may be one of the quickest declines in card values over a stretch of 3 days that we’ve seen in a while (minus major events that lead to injury, arrest, or other market reactions)
The Future of Shadeur Sanders and His Card Market
Card collectors beware: Do not expect the hype to stay quiet for long. While the NFL and the sports card market strive for storylines, Shadeur Sanders has already been placed in an existential road to proving doubters wrong. Sanders is not just a 4th round Quarterback. He is the son of a hall of famer, the face of a cultural movement, and a new hope for a very desperate franchise. It is hard to believe that Shadeur will not be the starter in Cleveland on day one, as the only backups are Kenny Pickett, Deshaun Watson, Joe Flacco, and Dillon Gabriel. For collectors, it’s not a question of if the hype will return, but when.
Abram King is a Pittsburgh native, die-hard fan of all things Black & Gold, and a passionate sports card collector. With years of experience in the hobby, he brings a sharp insight, deep knowledge, and hometown pride to his coverage. This is your inside edge of the hobby, straight from the Steel City.