Prognosticators universally viewed Shedeur Sanders as a potential first-round draft pick after his strong career at Colorado. Instead, five quarterbacks were selected before him before the Browns used their fifth-round pick to draft him. Cleveland even passed on him two rounds earlier when it selected Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel in the third.

University of Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders was once expected to be a top five pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. However, after not hearing his name called during Thursday's first round or Friday's second and third rounds,

But Shedeur Sanders was not the usual 144th pick and his situation transcended football. The narrative around Sanders blurred lines between sports, race and culture. The former University of Colorado quarterback was the center of a three-day spectacle of cringe that will live in football lore for a long time.