Shedeur Sanders, son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, has finally been drafted by the NFL.
The 23-year-old, who quarterbacked under his father at University of Colorado, had been expected to be drafted during the first round. Sanders was also surprisingly passed over by teams for the second and third rounds. Finally, on Saturday, he was selected by the Cleveland Browns during the fifth round as the No. 144 pick.
As the draft selection was announced in Green Bay, Wis., Sanders was seen dancing with his family and friends on his brother Shilo Sanders' livestream on Twitch.
"Thank you, everybody, who came to support. I thank everybody out there, all the fans…Thank you, Browns organization, for giving me a chance," Shedeur Sanders said on the stream after he was drafted.
"We know these decisions, things happen … we can't control the uncontrollable," he said. "I knew the whole time God had me, so I wasn't really panicking because I understood it's about perfect timing."
In 2024, Sanders, a starting quarterback for the Colorado Buffaloes under his father, the head coach, broke the team's single-season passing record and was named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year. He was ranked No. 20 out of the top 150 prospects for the league's 2025 draft class by NFL Media Analyst Daniel Jeremiah, who wrote that Sanders had "outstanding touch, accuracy and toughness."
His teammate, Travis Hunter, a wide receiver and cornerback, was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars as a No. 2 pick Thursday night. Hunter, who was watching the draft while on FaceTime with Sanders, said, "Yes, sir! My boy to the Browns, man. Let's go," according to the Colorado Buffaloes, who posted the video on social media.
Earlier in the day, Sanders expressed optimism at the chances of being drafted, writing on social media, "Another day another opportunity to get a chance to play the game I love. Thank you GOD #LEGENDARY."
Copyright 2025 NPR