04/25/25 06:45:00
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04/25 18:43 CDT Shedeur Sanders' wait continues as teams pass on Colorado QB
early in 2nd round of NFL draft
Shedeur Sanders' wait continues as teams pass on Colorado QB early in 2nd round
of NFL draft
By STEVE MEGARGEE
AP Sports Writer
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) --- The wait continues for Colorado quarterback Shedeur
Sanders, who wasn't among the first several players picked in the second round
of the NFL draft on Friday.
Although Sanders never was considered a sure bet to get selected in the first
round, he garnered so much attention over the last several months that his
slide to the draft's second day has dominated coverage of the NFL's spring
extravaganza and even caught the attention of President Donald Trump.
Cleveland had two of the first four picks in the second round and has a clear
need at quarterback after the team got little production out of Deshaun Watson,
who will miss the upcoming season with a torn Achilles tendon. Kenny Pickett
and 40-year-old Joe Flacco are the Browns' current QBs.
Yet the Browns selected UCLA linebacker Carson Schwesinger at No. 33 and Ohio
State running back Quinshon Judkins at No. 36. Houston chose Iowa State wide
receiver Jayden Higgins with the second pick of the second round.
The Seattle Seahawks and Miami Dolphins both traded up to get picks early in
the second round. Seattle chose South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori with the
35th overall pick. Miami took Arizona guard Jonah Savaiinaea at No. 37.
Sanders spent the last four seasons playing for his outspoken, at times
polarizing father --- Hall of Famer Deion "Coach Prime" Sanders --- first at
Jackson State and later at Colorado.
In a post on his Truth Social platform on Friday, Trump criticized teams for
not selecting Sanders and said the quarterback's "PHENOMENAL GENES" made him
"all set for Greatness."
Sanders finished eighth in the Heisman Trophy balloting last season while
throwing for a school-record 4,134 yards and helping Colorado go 9-4.
Although Sanders was rated by some draft analysts as a better QB prospect than
Miami's Cam Ward --- who ultimately went No. 1 overall to Tennessee ---
concerns mounted as the draft drew closer. One issue: Sanders was sacked 94
times over his last two college seasons. There also were worries about his arm
strength and questions about how well he would adapt to playing for someone
other than his dad.
Only two quarterbacks were selected in the first round. For a few moments, it
appeared Sanders' wait might be over when the New York Giants traded up to the
25th pick, but the team opted for Mississippi's Jaxson Dart.
The Pittsburgh Steelers, who need a QB following the offseason departures of
Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, used the 21st pick on Oregon defensive
lineman Derrick Harmon.
Sanders didn't travel to Green Bay for the draft. Instead, he watched the
proceedings with his family in Canton, Texas.
"We all didn't expect this of course, but I feel like with God, anything's
possible, everything's possible," Sanders said in a video posted on YouTube on
Thursday night. "I don't think this happened for no reason. All this is, is of
course fuel to the fire. Under no circumstance, we all know this shouldn't have
happened, but we understand we're on to bigger and better things. Tomorrow's
the day. We're going to be happy regardless."
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