After months of hype and projections that placed him firmly in the first round, Shedeur Sanders experienced a draft day shock that few, especially within the Sanders family, saw coming. Despite his impressive college stats and numerous strengths as a quarterback, NFL teams passed on him repeatedly, with five quarterbacks being selected ahead of him. Sanders ultimately slid to the fifth round, where the Cleveland Browns finally ended his fall by selecting him 144th overall.
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Many believe the surprising drop was less about his on-field ability and more about lingering character concerns that raised red flags during the pre-draft process.
On the latest episode of the New Heights Podcast, Jason and Travis Kelce weighed in on why Shedeur Sanders slid in the NFL Draft. Jason emphasized that if teams didn’t believe Sanders deserved a top grade, they were right not to draft him early. He pointed out that teams didn’t see the Colorado QB as a great first-round prospect.
While he admitted he didn’t know the exact reason for Shedeur’s drop, he was confident that it wasn’t due to character concerns alone, pointing out that NFL teams routinely draft players with questionable character if they believe the talent is worth it.
“It’s hard to find great QBs in this league. If these teams felt that Shedeur Sanders was top 1st round talent, they would have picked him. That’s what I think. Teams said on draft day that they don’t think Shedeur’s potential warrants being drafted that high. There are too many players with character issues, coming out that get drafted in the 1st round because they are ballers. Teams get this wrong all the time. They got it wrong with Brock Purdy and Tom Brady. This is not like an exact science.”
Regardless of why Sanders fell, Jason believes what matters most now is that he’s in the NFL—and Cleveland could be an ideal landing spot. With the Browns reportedly open to moving on from Deshaun Watson, Sanders could have a legitimate opportunity to become their QB1 in the future.
Jason praised Shedeur’s drive, competitiveness, and intangibles—qualities every team looks for in a franchise quarterback. He added that succeeding at the next level isn’t just about talent; it’s about stepping into the role, earning respect, and proving you belong by leading the team.
