By: Lauren Burke, Special to NNPA

“I have never seen anything in my almost 50 years of covering the National Football League like what the National Football League just did to Shedeur Sanders,” said Skip Bayless emphatically on the Skip Bayless Show on April 29. Bayless had predicted that Sanders would be selected early in the first round. Another top draft expert, Mel Kiper, called the late drafting of Sanders “disgusting” and said “I don’t know what is going on with this” on the night of the draft.

The biggest story that came out of the 2025 NFL draft was an unexpected one: Colorado Buffaloes QB and son of one of the greatest and most versatile players to play in the NFL, Shedeur Sanders, was surprisingly drafted in the 5th round.

Shedeur Sanders would eventually be drafted by the Cleveland Browns. But the expectation was that he would be drafted in a much higher position. The NFL has many teams in need of a quarterback. That Sanders was not drafted as an early-round pick has many speculating about racism, collusion against him, and dislike of his father, Deion Sanders. But despite the questions, Sanders’ overall talent is not questioned by many who follow the NFL and college football closely. Now Sanders will have something to prove after the unexpectedly challenging draft experience. Mel Kiper, a prominent American football analyst best known for his work with ESPN covering the NFL Draft, predicted that Sanders would be drafted 5th or 6th overall. Kiper along with Bayless were shocked that Sanders was drafted in the 6th round.

“This has never happened before,” Kiper also said when speaking on Sanders’ late draft selection on ESPN two days after the draft. He pointed out that Sanders led the Southland Conference in completion percentage and was fourth in passing yards. It has never happened before in 47 years that a player that high has dropped this far,” Kiper added in confusion.

But Shedeur Sanders may get the last laugh. His Jersey sales are spiking and fans are buying directly from his website rather than from an NFL-owned platform. What happens next on the playing field may cement Sanders’ answers to his critics.