The story from the 2025 NFL Draft was hands down the drastic slide by Shedeur Sanders, who at one point was projected as a top-10 pick (heck, he was being mocked as high as second overall). As we know, Sanders slid to the fifth round, eventually getting scooped up by the Cleveland Browns.
People were initially surprised to see the New Orleans Saints pass on Sanders in the first round, instead selecting Texas tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. to bolster the offensive line. There was even more shock when the Saints not only passed on Sanders again in the second round but took Louisville quarterback Tyler Shough instead.
Well, as the draft continued on, more and more reports began to come out surrounding Sanders' pre-draft interviews and that clearly led to the massive slip. According to The Ringer's Todd McShay, New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll had a very bad interview experience with the Colorado quarterback.
“Shedeur didn’t have a great interview with Brian Daboll in a private visit,” McShay said. "An install package came in. Preparation wasn’t there for it. [He] got called out on it. Didn’t like that. Brian didn’t appreciate him not liking it.”
Shedeur Sanders just proved why Saints were smart to stay away
The downfall was crazy to witness, as Sanders was considered to be a strong option for teams drafting with the top 10 picks (the Browns, Giants, Raiders, and Saints, to name a few) and continued to slide further down the draft board. Hearing that Sanders had an attitude with Daboll during his interview shouldn't make it a surprise that the Giants not only passed on the quarterback but that word got around and made other teams pass as well.
With how important the quarterback position is in the NFL, teams couldn't risk spending an early-round pick on Sanders and have his diva-like personality get in the way of them succeeding. Now that he's been humbled, perhaps the Browns will be able to make it work with him.
We'll have to see if the Saints will be happy they passed on him and took Shough instead or if this is a move they'll soon regret.