Two quarterbacks were taken in the first round. And Shedeur Sanders wasn’t one of them. This, from a player who told teams, “If you ain’t trying to change the franchise or the culture — don’t get me.” Well, they didn’t. Teams with urgent quarterback needs, like the Giants, Raiders, Jets, and Saints, all passed. New York traded up for Jaxson Dart. Las Vegas took a running back. The Jets doubled down on defense. Sanders sat untouched.

He entered the night with the best completion percentage in the class (74.2%), 4,134 yards, and 37 touchdowns in a broken Colorado offense that allowed 52 sacks. But his stock took a hit in meetings, where some execs questioned the dynamic around him — the interviews, the entourage, and the implicit challenge of coaching a Sanders. Talent wasn’t in doubt. Control was.

By the third hour of the night, the tone inside the Sanders camp had shifted. And no one captured it better than Shedeur’s older brother, Shilo. “If they making him wait — oh buddy,” Shilo said, laughing through disbelief in a clip posted on X “I don’t even know what they going to do with me.”

Although Shilo was spot on with the comic relief, a concern is still ringing through it. If Shedeur, the most polished quarterback in the draft, could fall out of the first round, what did that mean for him? A safety with no Combine invite, interrupted by injury, and lacking the standout tape to make up for it.

Shilo had moments in 2024, but the tape tells a modest story. He finished with 67 tackles, 44 of them solo, to go with one sack, a forced fumble, and two recoveries — including a scoop-and-score against Texas Tech that effectively sealed the win. He missed two games and most of a third after injuring his arm early in the year against Nebraska, and never quite regained top form.

Most importantly, Shilo wasn’t invited to the NFL Combine, a signal that league evaluators view him more as a fringe prospect than a lock to be drafted. He’s physical, instinctive near the line of scrimmage, and can jar the b-ll loose. But he lacks the high-end range or coverage traits teams prioritize in today’s safeties. And if Shedeur, with top-tier production and a polished profile, fell out of the first round due to questions about the package around him, Shilo’s path is likely longer and quieter.

You see, the gap in the draft perception between Shedeur and Shilo couldn’t be more apparent. Shedeur was a first-round talent whose slide was influenced more by his larger-than-life persona than his on-field performance. For Shilo, it’s a different calculus. Without the high-end production or elite physical traits, he faces a tough road ahead, likely falling into Day 3 or the UDFA pile.

From top prospect to waiting game

The league’s power brokers sent a message on Draft day 1. The Steelers, long rumored to covet him, drafted a defensive tackle instead. The Giants traded up with a quarterback clearly on their mind, then stunned everyone by taking Ole Miss’s Jaxson Dart. Even quarterback-needy franchises like the Saints and Browns passed.

Suddenly, the draft’s most polarizing prospect became its most conspicuous omission.

Theories abound. Some executives reportedly raised concerns about his swagger and media presence, once seen as marketable assets, now reframed as questions about leadership and locker room chemistry. His father’s larger-than-life shadow didn’t help. The NFL, it seems, still prefers its young quarterbacks humble and blank-slated.

Shedeur didn’t hide from the spotlight. He posted from a family-filled draft party. His brother, Deion Sanders Jr., fired off a rallying cry on social media: “THE REJECTED WILL BE RESPECTED.” And late Friday night, Sanders addressed the slide himself: “We all know this shouldn’t have happened… It’s just fuel to the fire.”

That fire might get its chance to burn soon.

With Day 2 of the draft set to resume Saturday night, Sanders headlines the best remaining players on the board. The Cleveland Browns, owners of the first pick in Round 2 and another early selection later in the night, are the most speculated destination. While some mocks link them to a cornerback or offensive lineman, the intrigue around Sanders hasn’t cooled. The New Orleans Saints—quietly QB-hunting behind closed doors—are another potential fit. And don’t rule out the Rams, who could afford to let Sanders develop behind Matthew Stafford for a year or two.

So will Shedeur’s phone finally ring? It might. The NFL loves a twist, and this one’s writing itself in real time. What felt like a coronation has turned into a character arc. The league might have iced him on Thursday, but Friday and Saturday offer redemption.