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Colorado’s QB has finally come off the board

The wait is finally over! Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders has been selected by the Cleveland Browns with the 144th overall pick in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft.

Sanders, who was nearly unanimously regarded as the second-best quarterback in this year’s draft, was projected to land in the first round on Thursday night. Instead, Sanders was the subject of what’s likely the biggest and most unprecedented slide in NFL history, falling into Day 3 of the draft.

Sanders lands with a Browns team that has already drafted another quarterback before Sanders: Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel. After CU’s pro day in April, Sanders had dinner with Browns executives, which went well, according to the Colorado quarterback. The Browns had nothing but kind words to say about Sanders, which now appears to be a bit farcical after the team selected six players ahead of him, including Gabriel.

The reason for Sanders’ slide is still relatively uncertain, but things have become a bit clearer on Saturday morning. A leak emerged in the early hours of Day 3 in Green Bay, alleging that Sanders was unprepared for his meeting with New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll. Todd McShay of The Ringer reported that the Giants felt that Sanders hadn’t prepared for an installation package that Daboll expected him to learn ahead of the interview, which caused a disagreement between the two sides.

Sanders’ slide is undoubtedly a hard pill to swallow, but it’s not all bad. At the very least, Sanders has landed in a spot where he’ll have an opportunity to prove himself and start immediately. Cleveland’s quarterback room is comprised of Deshawn Watson, Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel and now Sanders. If Sanders can perform well in camp, he’ll have every opportunity to see the field in 2025.

As Day 3 of the 2025 Draft continues on, the expectation is that a couple more Buffs come off the board. If any of CU’s receivers get selected in the coming hours, we’ll be here to update you on Ralphie Report.

by RylandScholes
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It’s been a fall from grace for the Colorado QB

After three rounds and 102 draft picks, Shedeur Sanders has yet to hear his name during the 2025 NFL Draft.

Shedeur was a projected first round pick, at minimum, and was once competing with Cam Ward to be the first player taken. But since then, Sanders has played a disastrous Alamo Bowl, hardly participated at Pro Bowl and the draft combine, and reportedly bombed his few pre-draft interviews.

There are very real concerns about Sanders’ NFL prospects that frankly Colorado fans have hardly acknowledged. He’s not good in the pocket, rarely throws with anticipation, and he’s not fast or strong enough to play the backyard football style he often resorts too. Then you add in some leadership questions — never blame your offensive line, even if they’re ass — and it makes sense that teams would rather take a chance on Jaxson Dart or Dillon Gabriel than deal with the spectacle of Shedeur Sanders.

Every single team has passed on him, even QB needy teams. Those teams still have draft picks and could still draft him. There’s no way he goes undrafted, right? Right??

Las Vegas Raiders​

Picks: 108, 135, 180, 213, 215, 222
QB: Geno Smith, Aidan O’Connell

The Raiders have a lot of mid-round picks to work with, but they’ve already passed on Shedeur five times, including back-to-back picks at 98 and 99. Shedeur could make sense as a developmental pick while Geno Smith starts for the next couple seasons. The question would be whether the Sanders family will accept a backup role or cause a scene every time Smith struggles.

New York Jets​

Picks: 110, 145, 162, 186, 207
QB: Justin Fields, Tyrod Taylor

Depending on Sanders’ Madden rating, the Jets could be interested in drafting competition for Justin Fields. The former Bears and Steelers QB has not achieved his potential, but the Jets appear willing to give him another chance. Maybe Shedeur is another dart to throw at the Jets torn up wall of QB experiments.

Pittsburgh Steelers​

Picks: 123, 156, 185, 229
QB: Mason Rudolph, Skylar Thompson

There’s a name missing on this list, a certain anti-vaxxer future Hall of Famer who could very well sign with Pittsburgh in free agency. Either way, the Steelers don’t have certainty at the position and head coach Mike Tomlin has coached players much further along the diva spectrum than Shedeur.

Dallas Cowboys​

Picks: 149, 174, 204, 211, 217, 239, 247
QB: Dak Prescott, Will Grier, Joe Milton

This is the nightmare situation for Sanders, worse than the Jets. The media attention on Shedeur would be insufferable. Every practice would be documented, every preseason pass, every sideline interaction with Dak Prescott. But maybe that’s what Dallas wants, even if it causes a massive distraction and puts undue pressure on their franchise QB.

Los Angeles Rams​

Picks: 127, 190, 195, 201, 202, 242
QB: Matthew Stafford, Jimmy Garoppolo

This might be the best landing spot for Shedeur, but it doesn’t seem like a Rams move. They’re a smart franchise and wouldn’t pull the trigger unless they think Shedeur is open to developing behind Stafford. It’s also worth considering that Jimmy G is the QB-in-waiting and Sean McVay would prefer to give him the chance after Stafford retires.

Miami Dolphins​

Picks: 116, 143, 150, 155, 224, 231, 253
QB: Tua Tagovailoa, Zach Wilson

Given Tua’s concussion problems, the Dolphins should always be active on the QB market. Miami fits Shedeur’s strengths and weaknesses, as Tua is a weak-armed but accurate passer who relies on timing and ball placement. This could be a good long-term pairing if Shedeur hits the film room and stays patient.

by Sam Metivier
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Something fishy is going on here...

We all know the stories of big-name draft day slides like Aaron Rodgers, Lamar Jackson and Will Levis, but it may not be hyperbolic to say what’s happening with Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders is the biggest slide in the history of the NFL Draft.

Sanders was nearly unanimously projected as a first-round pick, most often to either the New Orleans Saints or the Pittsburgh Steelers. After the end of Day 1, only two quarterbacks had been selected—and Sanders wasn’t one of them.

Heading into Day 2 of the draft on Friday night, which included the second and third-round selections, it seemed like a given that Sanders would be one of the first players off the board. The ABC broadcast even featured Sanders in its intro for the night, saying the Colorado quarterback would be selected in the coming hours.

That’s not exactly how things unfolded.

The second round kicked off with quarterback-needy teams like Cleveland, Seattle and Las Vegas all opting to select players at other positions. When New Orleans went on the clock with the No. 9 pick of the second round, it seemed inevitable Sanders would be selected. Instead, the Saints chose another quarterback: Tyler Shough of Louisville.

Shough’s selection over Sanders sent shock waves through the football world, but it initially felt like a fluke that would soon be rectified. 24 more picks came and went in the second round, and Sanders still hadn’t heard his name called.

Sanders’ slide into the third round felt unprecedented. He was nearly unanimously viewed as the second-best quarterback available in this year’s draft. Even Mel Kiper Jr. had Sanders ranked as his No. 1 quarterback ahead of eventual first overall pick Cam Ward. It seemed inevitable that quarterback-needy teams still searching for one would jump at the chance to draft Sanders early in round three.

The third round is where things went from bad to worse. Cleveland, Las Vegas and the New York Jets all held early third-round picks, and Sanders felt like a shoo-in for all three if he fell to them. But once again, all three teams passed.

The Pittsburgh Steelers, picking 83rd overall, seemed like Sanders’ most likely landing spot. After all, Sanders had multiple meetings with Steelers executives that reportedly went well, and he spoke glowingly about his meeting with head coach Mike Tomlin. But when Pittsburgh turned in its pick, the card read Kaleb Johnson, a running back from Iowa.

At that point, it became crystal clear that something bizarre was happening between Sanders and NFL front offices. This was a quarterback widely considered the second-best prospect in the country. Did NFL teams know something about Sanders that the public and media didn’t? Was he being blackballed for his confident and boisterous personality? Both were valid questions swirling around the football world after Pittsburgh passed on him.

Just when it seemed things couldn’t get any weirder, the impossible happened. The next pick where Sanders could have landed was the Raiders at No. 92. Instead, the Raiders traded the pick to Seattle, and the Seahawks selected another quarterback: Jalen Milroe of Alabama.

Four quarterbacks had officially come off the board, and none of them were named Shedeur Sanders. Just as a final stab in the back, the Cleveland Browns selected Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel, bumping the number to five. Eight more picks came and went, including two back-to-back selections by the Raiders, but the second day of the NFL Draft concluded without Sanders’ name being called.

What happened Friday night is inexplicable. There is no possible explanation for why Sanders has fallen to the third day of the draft.

Maybe league executives didn’t like how Sanders conducted himself in the run-up to the draft, opting to sit out both the Shrine Bowl and the NFL Combine. Maybe Sanders said something wrong in an interview and word spread across the league. Maybe teams just don’t believe he can be successful at the next level. No one can be certain.

One thing is clear: something about Shedeur Sanders is scaring off NFL teams in a major way. As festivities conclude in Green Bay, the entire football world will be searching for answers. But for now, much like Sanders over these past two nights, we’ll have to wait.

by RylandScholes
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Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

For weeks, there was buzz that Shedeur Sanders might go as high as a top-three pick in this year’s NFL Draft. Some mocks had him linked to the Giants, the Raiders, even the Saints — all teams rumored to have legit interest. He took meetings, conducted a private workout with New York, and his draft stock seemed steady throughout the process. But when Round 1 wrapped up Thursday night, Shedeur’s name had yet to be called.

Buffs fans might be surprised, but insiders and league scouts had been preparing for this possibility for a while now. With only a few true quarterback-needy teams at the top and a draft class stacked with high-end linemen, the fit didn’t come together. The Steelers were a dark horse team, and many thought they might trade up for Shedeur, but that never materialized.

The way the board played out didn’t do him any favors. Cam Ward went number one overall to the Titans — a pick that had been whispered for weeks. Then, near the end of the first round, the Giants traded back into the mix and took Jaxson Dart at pick 25. New York had hosted Shedeur twice in the last month, and the belief was mutual interest. But when their move came, it was for someone else entirely.

The slide doesn’t change much about Shedeur’s long-term outlook — it just delays the moment. He’ll almost certainly be one of the first names off the board in Round 2, which kicks off Friday evening. Some teams that passed on him earlier might circle back with better value in mind, and his situation could even work out better depending on the landing spot. Teams to look out for include the Browns, Saints, and Steelers.

The wait wasn’t what Buff Nation hoped for, but the opportunity is still coming. Round 2 is up next, and someone’s about to get a franchise quarterback.

by Jacob.Thompson
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Stuart
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