Names kept flying off the board. Day 1 of the 2025 NFL Draft came and went. Day 2? Gone too. But the name everyone was waiting for, Shedeur Sanders, still hasn’t been called. The silence around him is loud, and it’s got NFL fans and insiders seriously confused.

It all started when two teams on Friday selected rookie quarterbacks for their respective rosters. In the beginning, fans were hoping teams like the Browns, Saints, or Raiders would finally make the move. But when Seattle picked another popular prospect, QB Jalen Milroe at 92, and Cleveland picked Dillon Gabriel at 94? Yeah, those two raised a few eyebrows.

Even Patrick Mahomes took to X and said what most people were thinking: “Crazy.” One fan even joked, “Tell Andy Reid to draft him as Mr. Irrelevant tomorrow.” Now that would be wild and interesting if it happens.

Meanwhile, after Patrick Mahomes, former NFL linebacker turned TV host Emmanuel Acho was so shocked, he walked out of dinner just to speak on it. He said, “Shedeur Sanders not getting drafted in the first three rounds? It’s disgusting.” And he wasn’t just talking pride. He was talking about reality. Acho’s been there, watching quarterbacks at work from close quarters in the league, and he knows how this works.

Hence, while expressing his thoughts, Acho added, “When you’re a backup quarterback, you are much more easily discarded. If you’re going to get drafted in the fourth round or later, you are being drafted to be a backup. Think about the quarterbacks drafted after the third round that are currently starting or potentially have the opportunity to start.” They are easily forgotten.

Along with this, he brought up names like Dak Prescott and Brock Purdy – guys who only got their chance because someone else got hurt. That’s the brutal truth. Shedeur Sanders not going earlier doesn’t just sting, it puts his whole NFL future on a thinner line. His window to prove himself just got way smaller. And Acho made it clear: this isn’t just about Shedeur’s pride. It’s about his father, Deion Sanders’ pride, too. And more than that, it’s about opportunity. Because late-round picks don’t get chances, they get cut.

So, here’s how it goes: first-rounders? They get patience. They get time. But a fourth-rounder? You mess up once, and you’re gone. That’s the harsh part. That’s what’s not sitting right with Acho. And honestly, you can feel why.

In fact, Stephen A. Smith didn’t hold back either. He said someone texted him, “this message and they are absolutely correct: “This is a bad look for the NFL. This feels like Kaepernick-level collusion.” All the hard work the NFL League Office puts in to eradicate these kinds of perceptions, only to turn around and watch as the OWNERS look like they’re colluding, messing up everything. What has been done to Shedeur will outshine everything else in this draft. We’ll never believe this is about just talent evaluation again.”

So, as per Smith, what’s happening to Shedeur Sanders overshadows everything else in this draft. And then there’s Brett Favre. The Hall of Famer shared a throwback of his own draft moment. In that featured photo, the young Brett is seen on the phone, and loved ones cheering behind him. He kept it real: “Heck I didn’t care when I got drafted, I just wanted a team to give me a chance wherever I went. It’s what you do when your # is called that matters, not when you were taken. On top of that, the team that drafted me didn’t even want me (laughing emoji).”

Well, Favre did prove himself in the league. That’s the reason he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2016. But for Sanders? Ah, the man just needs one opportunity, as the Saints, Seahawks, and the Browns shattered it today.

Cleveland puzzled Shedeur Sanders’ wishers!

For two straight nights, Shedeur Sanders sat and waited. Name after name, pick after pick, still nothing. Then came Cleveland’s pick (94th overall) on DAY 2. Fans held their breath. But the Browns didn’t just skip Sanders again… they stunned everyone. They picked Dillon Gabriel – A 24-year-old, 5’11” quarterback who bounced between three schools. No one literally no one, had him ranked above Sanders. It felt like a gut punch.

We all know that the Browns needed a future QB with their aging, injury-prone roster. And Sanders was once projected to go second overall. Yet here he was, still waiting. Gabriel? He was barely even in the next tier. But Cleveland leaned on his long college résumé, solid stats, and a good Senior Bowl showing. During his Ducks tenure, he completed 72.9% of his passes for 3,857 yards, 30 touchdowns, and six interceptions. Due to this, he finished third in Heisman voting. So, the Browns ignored the height, the age, all of it.

During a press conference later, they said they believed in him. GM Andrew Berry stated, “Decorated college career, very accurate, very poised, throws with the anticipation, good mobility. We just thought he had a really well-rounded game. The biggest negative that you say about him is that he doesn’t have the ideal height, but that’s not something that we felt like showed up in his game. We really felt strongly about Dillon throughout this process….he’s a really strong, really good prospect. We think he’s an excellent player.” So, you see what triggered Berry to go with Gabriel, and not Sanders.

Meanwhile, Shedeur Sanders, taller, stronger, and with better numbers, kept slipping. The league clearly sees something they don’t like in him. But man, after watching this free fall, it’s hard not to wonder what’s really going on. The Browns could’ve played it safe. Instead, they tricked. Maybe it’ll work out. But passing on the Colorado star? That might haunt them!