In the months leading up to the draft, Shedeur Sanders was in the conversation of being worthy of the first overall pick. In the weeks leading up to the draft, murmurs of a pompous, know-it-all attitude came to light; his projection was then a late first-round pick. In the days leading up to the draft, word on the street was that Shedeur purposely “tanked” interviews with teams he disliked, making him unpopular in some general manager circles. Despite all this, his talent and confidence remained, and he was still seen as a first-round pick by virtually every analyst and fan, but it appears the league had other plans.
Jackson Dart, QB from Mississippi, celebrates his selection in the NFL draft.
DAY 1: With the first overall pick, the Tennessee Titans selected quarterback Cam Ward, which was no surprise. Sanders, who had a custom draft room built for his big moment, would have felt as if his time had come next, as the New York Giants traded back into the first round, meaning they were after a quarterback. It was a quarterback they drafted, but it was not Sanders; it was Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart. Shedeur had to end night one by thanking his loved ones for coming out to support him, and that tomorrow would bring better luck; Shedeur slipped out of the first round.
Nobody expected Tyler Shough, QB from Louisville, to be selected before Sanders.
DAY 2: The Saints are on the clock at pick 40, a QB-needy team, after falling far enough, many felt that this could be it. The New Orleans Saints selected Tyler Shough, Quarterback from Louisville. Another quarterback off the board. The second round then came to a close. The third round didn’t see a QB taken until pick 92, when the Seahawks selected Quarterback Jalen Milroe. At this point, virtually the entire NFL community was all thinking the same thing: When is Shedeur going to get picked? Well, at pick 94, it now seemed like it would finally happen; the Browns traded up, and they needed a QB – Surely this was it? But for the 4th time, a quarterback not named Shedeur Sanders comes off the board; with the Browns selecting 5’11” Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel. This selection at the end of the third round canned the likelihood of Sanders being drafted in the third round; Day 2 comes and goes, with Shedeur still waiting.
Day 3: At this point, tons of people – including myself – are beginning to wonder if Sanders will even get drafted. At this point, teams drafting quarterbacks aren’t looking for starters, and teams aren’t looking for a backup QB with a personality and baggage as big as Shedeur carries around. Sanders was listed as the second QB to come off the board, and he would now be the 5th of the board, and that’s the best-case scenario. Anyhow, the 4th round comes and goes. The 5th round comes, and things start to look a little dicey for Deion Sanders’ son. However, after all the shock and disbelief, “with the 144th pick in the NFL draft, in the 5th round, the Cleveland Browns select Shedeur Sanders, Quarterback, Colorado.”
What must be said about Shedeur is that he handled the situation with the utmost professionalism. The embarrassment of expecting to be a first-round pick, and walking the stage in Green Bay, to not being selected until day 3 of the draft, he handled it all very well. On top of all the initial embarrassment, Sanders received a prank call from the Falcons’ defensive coordinator’s son, who is in college. The individual’s name is Jax Ulbrich, Ulbrich was able to get Sanders’ phone number from his dad’s iPad. The college kid pretended to be an NFL GM. Ulbrich pretended as if the Saints were going to pick Sanders and finished by saying, “You’re going to have to wait a little longer”, before hanging up. Ultimately, despite how the Quarterback may have approached interviews and despite his apparent “pompous” attitude, it doesn’t make the humiliation he received justifiable, and Shedeur deserves credit for handling the situation with class.
