Cleveland Browns' Shedeur Sanders Addresses NFL Draft Interview Rumors

NFL dreams quickly turned to nightmares for former Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders.

Last week's fall after many projected him to be selected in the top 10 of the 2025 NFL Draft was without precedent, but that doesn't mean it can't be explained. Many factors may have led to the monumental drop-off, mostly due to Sanders's intangible factors.

From finely-combed narratives surrounding his father-coach Deion Sanders to a notorious prank call, Sanders was the butt of many NFL draft jokes until his eventual selection, No. 144 overall in the fifth round to the Cleveland Browns.

Oct 19, 2024; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Detailed view of the jersey of Colorado Buffalos quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) against the Arizona Wildcats at Arizona Stadium. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Most of all, several quotes were released to the public regarding how Sanders handled the pre-draft process, mainly when interviewing with franchises. One anonymous NFL assistant called Sanders "the worst formal interview" he'd ever been in and "entitled."

After being chosen by the Browns, Sanders brushed past the rumors in a conference call.

"I think what happened is I had a great interview and a great process with the Browns, and that's why they were able to pick me," Sanders said. "So anything outside the organization is really a non-factor to me now because this is my focus, and this is where my mind is, doing everything I can to make this team better."

The signal-caller is set to join one of the most fascinating quarterback rooms in recent NFL memory, including veteran Joe Flacco, former first-round pick Kenny Pickett and a quarterback selected over him at No. 94 overall, former Oregon Duck Dillon Gabriel.

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Three-time Pro Bowl quarterback Deshaun Watson is also with the Browns, though he will likely miss the entire 2025 season after suffering a torn Achilles. Despite his late draft position, DraftKings Sportsbook has Sanders with the second-best odds (behind Pickett) of leading the Browns under center by Week 1.

Sanders' tumble down draft boards and pending competition must bring about self-awareness, something the former Buff noted along with vague accountability for his handling of the pre-draft process.

"I feel like in life there are always ways I can improve," Sanders said. "There are different areas I'm able to improve. And some things I could have done at the time, that seemed right at the time, I could have gone about it a different way."

Nov 23, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) scrambles for yardage during the 2nd quarter between the Kansas Jayhawks and the Colorado Buffaloes at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. | Nick Tre. Smith-Imagn Images

While interviews have seldom been as highly scrutinized and high-impact as they were with Sanders in the last several weeks, it was for good reason, according to reports. CBS Sports' Jonathan Jones mentioned that he heard Sanders "more or less sandbagged" interviews with franchises he had little interest in.

Jones also discussed how the quarterback "did not give it his all" during several meetings, which "rubbed some teams the wrong way."

Well-respected NFL insider Albert Breer reported that Sanders deflected blame when inquired about a "particularly rough" interception in at least one interview during the combine. He also didn't catch any manufactured errors in a separate team's mock installation during a visit.

Organizations long linked to Sanders, namely the New York Giants and Las Vegas Raiders, changed their tune come draft day. Given a chance with the NFL's ugly duckling in Cleveland, Sanders will have to prove doubters wrong, both individually and structurally.

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