Shedeur Sanders entered the 2025 NFL Draft with high expectations. After a stellar college career at Colorado, where he threw for 4,134 yards and 37 touchdowns in his final season, many projected him as a first-round pick.
However, the reality was starkly different. On the third day of the draft, the Cleveland Browns selected Sanders with the 144th overall pick, marking a significant fall from anticipated projections.
The debate: confidence vs. arrogance
Eric Metcalf, a former Browns veteran, expressed that Sanders’ slide was a “slap in his face,” emphasizing that the quarterback’s confidence should be seen as a strength, not a weakness.
Metcalf argued that a quarterback’s swagger is essential for success in the NFL. He believes that Sanders’ demeanor is indicative of the mindset needed to excel at the professional level.
“All the scouts, all of the teams said that he was accurate, he could throw the ball… everything you wanted from a quarterback,” Metcalf told TMZ Sports.
“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.”
Contrastingly, former NFL executive Andrew Brandt offered a different perspective. He suggested that the media and public had inflated Sanders’ draft stock, leading to unrealistic expectations. Brandt pointed out that NFL teams had always viewed Sanders as a mid-round prospect, citing concerns over his coachability and attitude.
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,” said Brandt.