Shedeur Sanders‘ NFL Draft process went wrong from the start. The Colorado quarterback thought he and his family could control where he’d land.
That strategy backfired completely.
Sanders struggled in pre-draft interviews, according to multiple reports. CBS’ Jonathan Jones said Sanders didn’t give full effort when meeting teams he didn’t want to join.
“At some of those [combine] meetings with certain teams that maybe Shedeur Sanders didn’t really want to go to… I was told that he more or less sandbagged in those interviews… I don’t know if he didn’t take them seriously, what it was, but he did not give it his all in some of those interviews.”
NFL Hall of Famer Cris Carter says the Sanders family tried to play hardball like Eli Manning did in 2004. It didn’t work.
“Shedeur and his family, they overplayed their hand,” Carter said. “Them thinking that he was in the same evaluation mode as Eli Manning, they didn’t play that right.”
Sanders ended up with the Browns. His rookie season hasn’t gone smoothly.
The quarterback’s roster spot isn’t guaranteed heading into his second year. Pro Football Network’s Joe DeLeone predicts Cleveland could target Cal’s Fernando Mendoza with the first overall pick in 2026.
“Fernando Mendoza may not be a household name right now, but by the start of the 2026 NFL Draft cycle, he’ll be one of the most highly sought-after prospects,” DeLeone wrote. “While at Cal in 2024, Mendoza flashed natural playmaking ability and a powerful arm.”
Mendoza completed 65.8% of his passes for 3,004 yards and 16 touchdowns in his first season as Cal’s starter.
Cleveland will likely choose between Sanders and veteran Dillon Gabriel for their long-term quarterback role. Early indications suggest Gabriel has the edge in that competition.
Sanders’ pre-draft approach may have cost him the chance to control his NFL destiny.
