The 2025 NFL Draft brought plenty of surprises, but none bigger than the dramatic fall of Shedeur Sanders. Once seen as a potential top-five pick, the former Colorado Buffaloes quarterback tumbled all the way to the fifth round before the Cleveland Browns scooped him up at No. 144 overall. With plenty of buzz surrounding why Sanders dropped so far, college football insider Bruce Feldman stepped forward with a refreshingly simple explanation. As theories swirled about poor interviews and overconfidence, Feldman pointed to one overlooked but crucial factor: team fit.
The surprising fall of Shedeur Sanders in the 2025 NFL draft
In a column published Monday, Feldman shared his straightforward view on why Shedeur Sanders’s stock plummeted on draft weekend.
“So much of being an NFL backup quarterback is how comfortable the starter is with the other two QBs in the room,” Feldman wrote. “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.”
Feldman’s take adds a new layer to the conversation, emphasizing that Sanders’s long-held role as the centerpiece might have made teams nervous about how he would transition into a supporting role at the professional level. Whether Feldman was referencing football-specific concerns—such as reportedly shaky pre-draft interviews—or broader issues like Sanders’s highly confident combine demeanor remains unclear. Either way, it seems NFL teams weren’t convinced he was the right “fit.”
Additionally, Feldman relayed anonymous feedback from around the league, though he cautioned readers not to take every comment at face value. One NFL offensive coordinator was blunt in his evaluation:
“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.”
Despite the draft’s rocky outcome, Sanders is in an intriguing position with the Cleveland Browns. He’ll be entering a quarterback room stacked with talent, including Dillon Gabriel, Kenny Pickett, and the experienced Joe Flacco. This could be the perfect opportunity for Sanders to learn from established quarterbacks and prove himself capable of thriving in a more traditional NFL setting, far removed from the spotlight he once had in college.
Also Read: Why Micah Parsons isn’t happy with Dallas Cowboys’ decision to draft offensive guard
While the draft weekend didn’t go the way Shedeur Sanders had once dreamed, the story is far from over. Now armed with a chip on his shoulder and a chance to silence critics, Sanders will have every opportunity this fall to prove he belongs among the NFL’s future stars. In a league where fit and timing can be everything, the Cleveland Browns might have just landed a hidden gem at pick No. 144.
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