Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders was left to sit and watch as he continued tumbling down the 2025 NFL Draft boards in a stunning scene.

While the draft was being conducted in Green Bay, Sanders – the son of NFL legend and Colorado head coach Deion Sanders – was watching on in Texas.

A few months ago, Shedeur was pegged as a top five pick and a favorite to be selected by the New York Giants.

But as the night went on, and the Giants went in another direction, it became clear that – unless a team traded up – Sanders’ best hopes of being a first-round pick lay with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

So when the Steelers selected Oregon defensive tackle Derrick Harmon 21st overall, Sanders was caught on cameras with a dejected look on his face.

It seemed as though any hope of Sanders getting picked in the first round was gone in that moment.

A dejected looking Shedeur Sanders saw two quarterbacks taken ahead of him on Thursday. With Cam Ward taken first overall, he hoped the Steelers could take him at 21st overall.

Instead, the Steelers went with defensive tackle Derrick Harmon out of Oregon with that pick

Then the Giants swung a big trade to climb back into the first round. Instead of selecting Sanders, the Giants instead went with Mississippi quarterback Jaxson Dart at No. 26.

That was, until the Giants decided to trade back up into the first round. After all the stories tying the two parties together, it was believed that Sanders could be on the way to New York.

Instead, the Giants went with another quarterback: Ole Miss gunslinger Jaxson Dart.

It was a stunning move that doomed Sanders to being at best a second-day selection while also taking one of the few quarterback-needy teams that could use his services off the board.

Earlier in the night, the Tennessee тιтans selected Miami quarterback Cam Ward with the first overall selection. 

Sanders’ skid is akin to that of some other quarterbacks who have watched their position tumble down the pecking order in recent years.

Just a few years ago, Will Levis tumbled down the draft boards after a strong senior year at Kentucky. He was eventually selected in the second round by the тιтans, who are now set to replace him with Ward.

It also mirrors Aaron Rodgers’ tumble in 2005. Projected to be a top selection, Rodgers fell all the way down to 24th overall as Alex Smith was picked first overall.

Sanders had a rough final game of his college career – tossing two interceptions in an Alamo Bowl loss to BYU.

Sanders had a tough end to his college career with an Alamo Bowl loss to BYU

All season long, he showed off his prowess as a pocket pᴀsser, benefited from a great connection with Hunter and tossed for over 4,100 yards and for 37 touchdowns.

While his willingness to take contact in order to make plays is a sign that he’s good in uncomfortable situations in the pocket. When the pocket holds up, his accuracy and arm strength makes him a threat in short, medium, and long range pᴀsses.

But he’s been prone to taking sacks in the name of making plays and doesn’t use his athleticism to avoid hits as much as he should.

Sanders has been called a ‘high floor’ product. Whether or not he can raise his ceiling in the NFL remains to be seen.