Jan 14, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders looks on during the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Denver Nuggets in the second quarter at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

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“You’re Not That Dude!” – Shedeur Sanders Receives Strong Message

It doesn't matter who you are, the NFL runs its own show!

The Shedeur Sanders draft saga, which began in the first round of the 2025 NFL draft, finally concluded in round number 5 when the Cleveland Browns selected him with the 144th overall pick. What resulted in a bizarre draft, especially with regard to Sanders and his round 5 selection, is now a hot topic of discussion for all those involved with the sport.

Of the several takes going around by experts and analysts on shows, former NFL guard and now football analyst, Damien Woody, offered his two cents on the matter at hand.

As per the former 2-time Super Bowl winner, the NFL has just sent out a loud message to Sanders, telling him that he is not cut out for this league. Woody believes that if a player is truly an exceptional talent, NFL franchises will sign the player as soon as possible and not wait around. Per Woody, NFL teams are in the business of winning and if a player can help a team do so, they will go after him.

“I think the NFL sent a message saying, ‘You’re not that dude.’ … If you’re that guy, they are going to pick you in the first round.”

"I think the NFL sent a message saying, 'You're not that dude.' … If you're that guy, they are going to pick you in the first round."
@damienwoody on Shedeur Sanders getting picked in the fifth round of the NFL draft. pic.twitter.com/VQDcUmyS1r
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) April 28, 2025

What Led to Sanders’ Slide?

Widely projected not only to be a first-round draft pick, but also even a top 5 pick, Sanders’ fall from round 1 to round 5 reached an unprecedented height in the recently concluded draft. The plunge was all the more shocking as three teams in the top 10, all of whom needed to address their quarterback situations, repeatedly passed over the former Buffaloes’ star.

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The Cleveland Browns, with overall pick number 2, traded down to the 5th spot, the New York Giants with overall pick number 3, and the New Orleans Saints with overall pick number 9 all gave up the opportunity to draft Sanders in the first round.

However, it was the Pittsburgh Steelers, at the 21st overall spot, also in need of a signal caller, who hit the nail on the coffin when they also overlooked Sanders. So, the question on everyone’s mind was simple. Why did Sanders fall so far down in the draft?

Experts and analysts each have multiple reasons for his slide, but the most common perceptions focus on two things; he is just not perceived as good as initially though by the league, with more weaknesses than upside, and/or NFL franchises were rubbed the wrong way with how he and his father dealt with the whole draft situation.

Reports have emerged from the Combine that Shedeur Sanders was arrogant and felt entitled during his team interviews. Furthermore, Deion Sanders also made matters worse when he stated that there will be some teams his son will not go to, even hinting at pulling off an Eli Manning.

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Deion Sanders

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Shedeur Sanders

Devavrat Kulkarni

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I am a content writer for the NFL team, and joined The Playoffs after working with Sportskeeda and NFL Analysis as an NFL writer. After starting my professional career as a French-to-English translator, working as a content writer is a new adventure for me. I started out in the sports media field for two main reasons: my love for sports in general, especially the NFL, NBA, and Tennis, as well as my passion for writing. The best part of this job is that I get to write a variety of pieces with the freedom to explore content from various angles. It also enables me to stay up to date with the sporting world, which otherwise can be difficult to do in the day-to-day grind. In a world full of chaos, sports unite and entertain like nothing else!