Sad scenes at Shedeur Sanders’ 2025 NFL Draft party as QB crashes out of first round

Shedeur Sanders, the son of two-sport legend Deion, endured an agonising day as he hoped to hear his name at the 2025 NFL Draft.

Shedeur Sanders was dealt a harsh reality check after the first round of the NFL Draft on Friday (AEST).

Right after the Giants traded up to the 25th pick, with the world knowing they needed a quarterback, the ESPN broadcast showed the draft parties of the two likely candidates.

First came Sanders’ party in Texas, where his legendary father and Colorado coach Deion Sanders stood stoically and chatted with those among him, the New York Post reports.
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Next came Jaxson Dart’s festivities in Utah, where the Ole Miss quarterback posed with those in attendance and several partygoers were seen smiling.

The scenes provided the clue that Dart’s party would take off in several moments once the Giants’ pick was announced, with the Giants choosing him, while Sanders’ shindig would continue in awkwardness.

Colorado coach Deion Sanders (left) with son Shedeur last season. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack, File)

Unfortunately for Sanders, that scene highlighted a tough night for the Colorado quarterback as he became the poster child for a dreaded green room slide, even if he didn’t attend the draft live.

The ESPN cameras kept showing Sanders and his camp throughout the night — including at the end of the day one proceedings after he was not picked — while the teams that seemingly would be interested in him passed on adding him to their rosters.

The Giants opted not to at both Nos. 3 and 25, selecting Penn State star pass rusher Abdul Carter with the third pick and then opting for Dart.

The Browns went for a defensive tackle at No. 5.

The Saints decided they would wait at No. 9, even with uncertainty surrounding injured current QB Derek Carr.

The Steelers, the betting favourites to land Sanders, opted for defensive lineman Derrick Harmon and may just wait for free agent veteran Aaron Rodgers to make up his mind.

ESPN noted at the time that its draft day predictor projected a 96 per cent chance Sanders would have been selected by the 21st pick.

It later updated it to 97 per cent by the end of the first round.

Shedeur Sanders in happier times at Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images for ONIT)

Deion Sanders is a legendary two-sport athlete.

The pre-draft rumours of a possible slide ultimately proved to be true, with the reports of teams not being enamoured with him and even some believing he is a second-round talent.

“I’m built for whatever today may bring,” Sanders posted on X on Friday afternoon.

Well, unfortunately for Sanders, the day brought heartbreak.

The good news for Sanders is he may not have to wait long to be drafted since the quarterback-needy Browns are on the clock with the first pick of the second round and the Saints selecting eighth.

Shedeur has carried the weight of expectation of being Deion’s son, a legendary gridiron and baseball athlete whose star power has carried over to his coaching career at Colorado.

This article originally appeared in the New York Post and was reproduced with permission