Shedeur Sanders Awaits Draft Call as Day 2 of the NFL Draft Unfolds

Shedeur Sanders was the most buzzed-about player entering the second day of the NFL Draft on Friday, but as the curtain closed on Round 2, the former Colorado quarterback was still waiting for the life-changing call.

Louisville’s Tyler Shough was the first quarterback to be nabbed on Friday night, taken by the New Orleans Saints with the 40th pick, and he remained the only quarterback drafted in that round. Sanders witnessed two quarterbacks from the first round — Miami’s Cam Ward, selected first by the Tennessee Titans, and Ole Miss’s Jaxson Dart, chosen 25th by the New York Giants — pass by.

Once deemed a likely first-round selection, Sanders’ draft prospects grew uncertain as the event approached. Dane Brugler from The Athletic identified Sanders as a “wild card” and revised his projections, moving Sanders from a predicted No. 21 pick in a post-combine mock draft to out of the first round entirely in the final mock draft.

The reasons for Sanders’ slide in the draft remain varied and not entirely clear, yet his situation has certainly sparked interest — even drawing a comment from former President Donald Trump on his Truth Social platform Friday, proclaiming, “He should be ‘picked’ IMMEDIATELY by a team that wants to WIN.” Sanders opted not to partake in the Shrine Bowl or the combine drills. At Colorado’s pro day, he demonstrated his ability to throw accurate long passes, though faced criticism for erratic throws on shorter routes. Evaluators described his arm strength as solid, but not exceptional, and there were queries about his potential to become a leader in the locker room for teams seeking a future franchise star.

The 23-year-old Sanders completed all four seasons of his college career — two at Jackson State and two at Colorado. He racked up 134 touchdowns and amassed 14,347 yards, achieving a personal best with 4,134 yards for a resurgent Buffaloes team last year. In homage to his contributions, Colorado retired his jersey, along with that of his teammate Travis Hunter, during their spring game this April.

In response to missing out on Thursday night’s picks, Sanders shared a message in a video on Instagram, posted by his father, Colorado coach and ex-NFL player Deion Sanders.

“We didn’t expect this of course, but I believe with God, anything is possible; everything is possible,” Shedeur expressed from his watch party in Canton, Texas. “Tomorrow’s the day. We’re going to be happy regardless. Legendary.”

As of now, Sanders’ aspirations hinge on a potential selection later on Friday night when Round 3 kicks off in Green Bay, Wisconsin.