The wait finally ended for Shedeur Sanders in the 2025 NFL draft on Saturday.

The former Colorado quarterback was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the fifth round, with the No. 144 overall pick. It was a precipitous slide for the son of NFL legend and Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders, whom many had predicted would be a first-round pick.

Sanders not only slipped out of the first round, but was not taken in Rounds 2 or 3 on Friday or in Round 4 on Saturday. His continued snub became the biggest story in sports, with speculation that he’d performed poorly in the interview process the likeliest reason given for his lasting until Day 3 of the draft.

The 6-foot-2, 212-pound Sanders was Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year and finished eighth in the Heisman Trophy voting in 2024, and won the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award as the top quarterback in the country last season. In four seasons at Jackson State and Colorado, he passed for 14,327 yards and 134 touchdowns with only 27 interceptions.

Sanders’ NFL.com draft profile reads in part:

“Any perceptions that Sanders is a product of Heisman Trophy-winner Travis Hunter’s greatness are slowly dispelled once you hit the tape. He’s seen mixed results under an intensely bright spotlight, but there are no signs his confidence has ever wavered. Sanders possesses a baseline of poise, savvy and accuracy, traits that are integral in becoming an NFL starter. He’s slow-twitch with standard arm talent and a longer release, but he worked around those limitations with anticipation and accuracy.

“He plays with decent command from the pocket and finds his rhythm when working on-time and on-platform; that said, he will pass on profits and look for the big play too often. Average velocity and slower rip times mean tighter windows against faster athletes, so throwing off-platform or trying to do more than his arm talent allows is ill-advised. He’s tough and willing to take the hit to complete the throw once he’s locked into his target. Sanders is pocket mobile and finds clean alternate launch points, but he often creates pressure and sacks with undisciplined pocket drops. The tape says he has the necessary qualities to become a solid game manager if he can operate with better discipline and play to his strengths.”