College Football Analyst Shared Simple Take on Why Shedeur Sanders Fell in NFL Draft

Kristen Wong | Apr 28, 2025

Colorado Buffalos quarterback Shedeur Sanders prior to the game against the Arizona Wildcats at Arizona Stadium. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

For better or for worse, Shedeur Sanders was all the rage during the 2025 NFL draft after the former Colorado Buffaloes quarterback fell all the way down to the fifth round on Day 3 on Saturday.

Sanders was ultimately selected at pick No. 144 by the Cleveland Browns, who had already made waves by taking quarterback Dillon Gabriel earlier at No. 94. Sanders's steep draft slide had many theorizing what could have tanked the Colorado's star stock so badly given that he was at once considered a top-five pick.

Bruce Feldman of The Athletic recently shared his honest thoughts on Sanders's shocking draft fall and gave a simple explanation for why teams essentially shunned him:

Feldman wrote on Monday:

So much of being an NFL backup quarterback is how comfortable the starter is with the other two QBs in the room. Sanders has always been the starting QB and the star wherever he’s been, at Jackson State and then Colorado. I suspect his fit played a role in why so many teams opted not to pick him earlier.

It's not really clear whether Feldman thinks the fit is football-related, as in the case of Sanders's reportedly poor pre-draft interviews, or non-football-related, given resurfaced chatter of Sanders's extremely confident attitude at the combine. But, for whatever reason, teams didn't like the overall "fit."

Feldman also shared some intel from anonymous NFL coaches—though at this point, the anonymous critiques of Sanders have been getting a little out of hand. In any case, here is one quote to take with a heaping of salt:

"I do like the kid. I think he's smart. He's tough. I hate the system he played in. He got sacked 94 times in the last two years... He doesn't have an exceptional arm or running ability. He's streaky," an NFL offensive coordinator told Feldman weeks ago.

Sanders, who's currently sitting in a crowded quarterback room alongside Gabriel, Kenny Pickett and Joe Flacco, will have the perfect opportunity to prove all his doubters wrong this fall.

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