Shedeur Sanders did everything he could to ensure his draft stock remained what most projected for him– A top 10 pick. He skipped participating in the Combine, chose to work out on his Pro Day to showcase his strengths, and kept his father Deion Sanders as his confidante in guiding him through the pre-draft processes. However, when 31 teams passed him, 143 players got selected, and we finally arrived at Round 5 of Day 3 of the 2025 NFL Drafts, those projections couldn’t be more far off. “I’m built for whatever today may bring,” Shedeur Sanders dropped hours before his selection, as 144th pick for the Cleveland Browns, that became a real nightmare for him.

The debates started in the football circles about whether the leap was motivated by skill, swagger, or something more profound. But even while the opinions varied from ‘he’ll prove them all wrong’ to ‘he brought this on himself,‘ one NFL veteran saw the whole thing as a slap in the face.

Speaking to TMZ Sports, the former Browns veteran, Eric Metcalf, claimed, “All the scouts, all of the teams said that he was accurate, he could throw the ball… everything you wanted from a quarterback. And for him to not get drafted in the first, second, or third round is kinda a slap in his face, and we all know what it was about. I don’t know how you are good in this sport if you aren’t confident and cocky.”

That means this was a reaction to attitude rather than a question of skill. Colorado’s viral moments and his father Deion Sanders’ media presence have amplified Shedeur’s confidence for years. Before entering the NFL, he was already a star. But recently he has been called “cocky” and “uncoachable” by some NFL Combine scouts for his interviews with them. But, Metcalf? He isn’t concerned with those comments. Rather, he believes that’s the attitude a quarterback should have, as it shows your skills.

The NFL needs more alpha dogs under center, according to Metcalf, a former first-round selection himself. He says that because it removes the pressure and excitement, the fifth-round tag is a boon. “He can now go in there and play football and not have to worry about anything but being the best that he can be on the football field… he’ll get the opportunity to go out there and be carefree.”

But despite Metcalf’s words of hope, it was impossible to overlook the irony. Sanders had to wait until 143 players were selected before him despite having QB1 stats (4,134 yards, 37 touchdowns, and 74% completion). But the critics went on to say one word that echoed louder than ever: entitled. And some are still on that train.

Andrew Brandt says NFL teams got it right drafting Shedeur Sanders at 144

Here comes the unexpected turn of events, perhaps Shedeur Sanders didn’t fall at all. The true story, according to former NFL executive Andrew Brandt, is not that Shedeur slid, but rather that the media and fans greatly over hyped him right away. Brandt stated on The Business of Sports podcast that “The disconnect between how the media saw Shedeur Sanders and how NFL teams saw Shedeur Sanders was as big as we’ve ever seen in the history of the draft.”

Sanders’s reputation as a reliable first-round pick? It was pure fantasy. Everyone was just dreaming, as per insiders. Brandt disclosed that league executives texted him soon after Shedeur Sanders was selected at No. 144, saying, “That’s about right.”

That is to say, the media misfired, not the NFL. Sanders was allegedly always considered a mid-round quarterback by scouts. Due to intangible issues like coachability, attitude, and entitlement, and of course, his last name being Sanders. Many teams never considered him to be picked on Day 1 or 2, despite his stats. There were no signs of that viral hype train in the league’s war rooms. And per some insiders, it was the fact that Shedeur never had an agent to give him a mirror, but was guided by what his father thought was right, only made things worse for him.

“There’s no story that he fell,” Brandt clarified. “The story is he was picked where everyone in the NFL thought he’d be picked.” On Draft day 3 as the Browns’ seventh and final pick, with a call from GM Andrew Berry himself, as he said, “Let’s get ready to go to work and prove all the people who passed on you wrong.”

Although that’s a brutal wake-up call, Sanders might find it motivating. Now, it’s more than just demonstrating his superiority over 143 other players. It’s about bridging the gap between what NFL insiders think he is and what the public thinks he should be.