No one can quite wrap their head around Shedeur Sanders’ dramatic slide down the draft board. The former Colorado star looked like a solid first-round prospect throughout the pre-draft process. But what unfolded on draft day caught everyone off guard. It wasn’t until the Cleveland Browns selected him with the 144th overall pick in the fifth round that his slide finally ended.
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Sanders’ unexpected tumble has drawn comparisons to another quarterback who experienced a legendary fall on draft day—Tom Brady. The New England Patriots famously drafted the 7-time Super Bowl winner in the 6th round with the 199th overall pick.
NFL draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. weighed in on the comparison, noting that Shedeur, like Brady, carries himself with a level of confidence that sets him apart. Kiper referenced Brady’s now-iconic moment with Patriots owner Robert Kraft, when the Michigan QB told him drafting him would be the best decision the franchise ever made.
“A QB that feels he’s the best, you want. Tom Brady had it. That’s what you want. There’s Tom Brady at the end of 6th round, not even taken by his own team in the 2nd round. They took another player over him. He goes over there with a major chip. He didn’t think he would be a 6th-round pick. He thought he would be a 2nd round pick, and the NFL said no because the pre-draft process you just referred to didn’t treat him well.”
Interestingly, Kiper himself gave Brady a fifth-round grade, calling him only the 10th-best QB in his class. He described him as a smart and efficient drop-back passer with limited mobility, who might struggle to push the ball downfield in the NFL.
In contrast, Kiper is far more bullish on Sanders. He gave the Colorado alum a QB1 grade, highlighting his sound mechanics, poise under pressure, and ability to drive the ball with precision. Kiper also praised Sanders’ accuracy and resilience, qualities he believes will translate well to the next level.
While there are some parallels in their pre-draft narratives, the reasons behind their draft day slides are quite different. With Brady, concerns about his game, combined with underwhelming Combine measurements, justified his fall down the board.
In contrast, most scouts had far fewer doubts about Shedeur Sanders’ on-field ability. His unexpected slide appears to have been driven more by issues during the pre-draft interview process than by anything he showed on tape.
So, Mel Kiper may have jumped the gun with the comparison, but there’s no denying both quarterbacks experienced a significant fall on draft day. Now, the Colorado QB has a chance to draw inspiration from the GOAT’s journey.
With a major chip on his shoulder, Shedeur heads to Cleveland determined to prove everyone wrong. From here on out, he’ll need to earn everything. But if the sting of draft-day humiliation and the example of Brady’s legendary rise aren’t motivation enough, nothing will be. This is his shot to show the league exactly just how wrong they were.
