Shedeur Sanders' NFL Draft Fall Leaves Big 12 Football Coach 'Shocked'

Former Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders' fall to the fifth round of the draft not only sent shockwaves through the NFL but also left college football coaches equally as surprised.

After watching Sanders tear through the Big 12 last season, one coach in the conference was left amazed that it took until the No. 144 overall pick in the NFL Draft for the Cleveland Browns to end Sanders' slide. Colorado's senior quarterback led the nation in completion percentage (74.0), and his 37 touchdown passes ranked second behind Miami's Cam Ward (39), who went No. 1 overall to the Tennessee Titans.

"I was shocked," an anonymous Big 12 coach told ESPN. "You never know what the interview process, how that went. I thought besides Cam (Ward), he was the second-(best) guy."

Apr 4, 2025; Boulder, CO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) passes the ball at the University of Colorado NFL Showcase at the CU Indoor Practice Facility. Mandatory Credit: Michael Ciaglo-Imagn Images | Michael Ciaglo-Imagn Images

Sanders ultimately became the sixth quarterback selected in the draft, falling behind Ward, Ole Miss' Jaxson Dart (New York Giants), Louisville's Tyler Shough (New Orleans Saints), Alabama's Jalen Milroe (Seattle Seahawks) and Oregon's Dillon Gabriel (Browns). The Giants, Saints, Pittsburgh Steelers and Las Vegas Raiders were all linked to Sanders throughout the pre-draft process.

Once Sanders fell out of the first round, the assumption was that NFL teams viewed him as a backup instead of an immediate starter. That distinction dropped Sanders' stock tremendously as coaches and general managers were no longer willing to even spend a Day 2 pick.

"(The NFL teams) probably figure, once it gets to this point, is it even worth dealing with anymore, but there's no way around that," another Big 12 told ESPN. "If you're not drafting the guy to be your starter, it really doesn't matter where you pick the guy."

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A different Big 12 coach told ESPN that although Sanders holds plenty of strengths, his game may not have been well-rounded enough to be a surefire first-round pick.

Dec 21, 2024; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders before the game against the Bellarmine Knights at CU Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

"He's got a bigger, stronger body, he does a great job of extending things, got the crap beat out of him with a subpar (offensive) line," the Big 12 coach said. "But how many times did he make a rhythm-and-timing throw in a window? It's either quick stuff out to the boundary or extended plays that he could get the ball deep. That would have been my question: Is he completely there enough to be a first-round pick? That doesn't mean there aren't reasons he shouldn't have gone second through fourth."

Sanders made quite a few "rhythm-and-timing" throws into a tight window last season. Just ask former Colorado wide receivers-turned-NFL Draft picks Travis Hunter, Jimmy Horn Jr. and LaJohntay Wester, who were each made better by Sanders. Fellow former Colorado wide receiver Will Sheppard also landed an undrafted free-agent contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Sanders and Gabriel will take part in the Browns' rookie mini-camp beginning Friday, giving both an immediate opportunity to impress coach Kevin Stefanski.