Quarterback Shedeur Sanders’s surprising plummet out of the opening round of the NFL draft Thursday night leaves him available to be selected Friday. The quarterback-needy Cleveland Browns will have the first chance to choose him with the opening pick of the second round.
Sanders’s draft-night drop Thursday included him being passed over by the New Orleans Saints, Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Giants at spots where the Colorado quarterback seemed like he might be the choice.
Instead, the Saints went with Texas offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. for the draft’s ninth overall pick even with their incumbent starter at quarterback, Derek Carr, plagued by a shoulder injury that reportedly could affect his playing status.
The Steelers, who have been kept waiting by free agent quarterback Aaron Rodgers, used the 21st selection on Oregon defensive tackle Derrick Harmon. The Giants traded for a second opening-round pick to get a quarterback. But that quarterback, taken with the draft’s 25th choice, was Mississippi’s Jaxson Dart, not Sanders.
“We went through an extensive process,” Giants General Manager Joe Schoen said when he was asked during a news conference late Thursday night whether Sanders had been considered. “And we moved up for Jaxson. Again, we’re fired up to have him. But at the end of the day, when we went through the process and we ranked them, this is how we had them ranked. And Jaxson, we felt the value matched up with where we saw the player.”
Miami’s Cam Ward, chosen first overall by the Tennessee Titans, and Dart were the only quarterbacks selected Thursday. So Sanders heads the list of quarterbacks still on the board for Day 2.
“We all didn’t expect this, of course,” Sanders said to a group of supporters in a video posted Thursday night to social media. “But I feel like with God, anything’s possible. Everything’s possible. I don’t feel like this happened, you know, for no reason. All this is, of course, fuel to the fire. Under no circumstance, we all know this shouldn’t have happened. But we understand we’re on to bigger and better things. Tomorrow’s the day. We’re going to be happy regardless.”
This message from Shedeur Sanders after going undrafted in the 1st round is exactly why he has the resolve, poise and maturity to lead an NFL Franchise. He didn’t hide. He stood tall in the face of adversity and disappointment. This adds to his testimony.
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) April 25, 2025
The other quarterbacks still available Friday include Alabama’s Jalen Milroe, Ohio State’s Will Howard, Louisville’s Tyler Shough, Texas’s Quinn Ewers and Syracuse’s Kyle McCord.
This is a mostly unloved quarterback draft class that suffered by comparison to last year’s historic class. Last spring, six quarterbacks were chosen in the draft’s opening 12 picks. Sanders once was thought to be vying with Ward to be the top quarterback — and perhaps the top player — selected in this draft. But as the draft neared, analysts concluded that Ward had separated himself from Sanders and the other available quarterbacks.
The Saints’ decision to pass on Sanders at No. 9 signaled that he might have a lengthy wait. When the Steelers’ 21st pick arrived, anticipation grew that Sanders might be the choice. The Steelers’ quarterback situation remains unsettled. Rodgers made a free-agent visit last month to Pittsburgh. But he has not yet signed, and he said last week on the “Pat McAfee Show” on ESPN that he was leaving his options open, including retirement.
But the Steelers said later that they’d been fixated on taking Harmon.
“We were on the clock,” General Manager Omar Khan said at a news conference Thursday night. “We got the player that we wanted.”
Khan and Coach Mike Tomlin said the Steelers did not hesitate when Harmon remained available for their pick.
“I think the other day when we met, we talked about certain guys that we would not trade away from,” Khan said. “And this is one of those players for us. The phone was ringing and we had some serious conversations. But at the end of the day, once Derrick was still there, we were excited. And, you know, it was an easy choice for us. … He fits the Pittsburgh Steelers.”
Said Tomlin: “He has Steeler DNA. For us, man, it starts inside and up front. And this is a guy that’s capable of dominating that space versus the run and the pass. And so we’re really excited about having him. As Omar mentioned, man, we weren’t interested in considering trading away from him.”
The Giants took Penn State pass rusher Abdul Carter with the draft’s No. 3 choice. They moved up nine spots, from the draft’s 34th overall pick Friday, in a trade with the Houston Texans to get Dart.
“I’m glad we’re able to get a guy that we’re convicted on and we like,” Schoen said.
Said Giants Coach Brian Daboll: “I like the way he plays. I like his competitive fire. I like his accuracy. I like his ability, again, to push the ball down the field, his athletic ability to run with the football. … I think this guy has gotten better every year he’s played. He’s a leader. He was smart. He has the attributes that we were looking for. … He’s got a lot to learn. It’ll be a process here with him. But he’s a guy we look forward to working with.”
The Giants added veteran quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston in free agency after they’d spoken to Rodgers. Daboll will have to decide whether to turn to Dart as the starter at any point during the quarterback’s rookie season.
“That’ll play out,” Daboll said. “Russ will be our starter. And that’s how it’ll be once we get started here in the spring. Look, the process of developing a quarterback is just that. So we’re going to do everything we can to develop him and bring him along. We have some good quarterbacks in the room relative to play-time experience and medals on the wall, if you will.”
The Giants went a combined 9-25 over the past two seasons, increasing the pressure on Schoen and Daboll to put a winning team on the field next season with their jobs potentially at stake.
“He’s in a really good spot where he can come in and he can sit behind a couple veteran quarterbacks and learn and doesn’t have to be thrown out there right away,” Schoen said. “From a developmental standpoint and an ability to grow, I think it’s a perfect situation for a young quarterback.”
