“Why get mad? They want you to have a certain type of reaction to it,” Shedeur Sanders’ calm response to chaos might as well be the tagline for his NFL Draft saga. Picture a Texas backyard draft party—grills smoking, screens blaring, hope hanging thicker than humidity. It’s the kind of scene that feels ripped from a football flick, where underdogs rise and legacies begin. But for Shedeur, far from an underdog, the script flipped faster than a Hail Mary interception.

Imagine waiting for a life-changing call, only to get a punchline instead. The 2025 Draft had more twists than The Godfather, and Shedeur Sanders found himself playing Michael Corleone—cool under fire, even as the family business crumbled. By Day 3, his slide from projected first-rounder to fifth-round afterthought felt less like a draft story and more like a Shakespearean tragedy with a side of burnt brisket.

In the middle of it all, an ill intentioned attempt at some Shakespearean comedy. Sanders’ phone rang Friday night. On the line: someone claiming to be Saints GM Mickey Loomis. “This is Mickey Loomis here, of the Saints. It’s been a long wait, man. We’re gonna take you with our next pick right here, man,” the voice said. “Yes sir, let’s be legendary,” Sanders replied. The room erupted—until the punchline landed…

“But you’re gonna have to wait a little bit longer,” the prank caller said. The call, later traced to a prankster in an Ole Miss sweatshirt, went viral. The fallout was swift. Fans roasted the Giants after GM Joe Schoen’s daughter, Sydney, who attends Ole Miss, liked social media comments hinting at leaked digits. “Joe Schoen daughter liking comments about her leaking Shedeurs number…,” the post read. While no proof tied her to the leak, the optics were messier than a tailgate porta-potty. “Her liking this comment is crazy,” wrote @cbabybenji. Worse?

The number was supposed to be exclusive to NFL teams. “Nobody has that number but coaches,” Shedeur said post-call. “The thing is, why get mad? Because they want you to have a certain type of reaction to it. They want you to feel bad. But I ain’t trippin.”  But how does a 70% completion rate, 37-TD quarterback slide to pick No. 144? Teams cited “arrogance” and “arm strength concerns”—a critique Deion Sanders laughed off. Analysts scrambled. Mel Kiper Jr. called him his No. 1 QB.

QBs drafted before Shedeur:

• Cam Ward (Titans, No. 1)

• Jaxson Dart (Giants, No. 25)

• Tyler Shough (Saints, No. 40)

• Jalen Milroe (Seahawks, No. 92)

• Dillon Gabriel (Browns, No. 94)

Shedeur’s slide: A draft day mystery

The Browns finally grabbed Shedeur in Round 5, pairing him with Gabriel. Through the noise, Shedeur stayed unshaken. When the prank call ended, he grabbed a football and drilled throws on his field. “God don’t make mistakes,” he said on social media after the third round. “We have faith in God no matter what. Whatever it is.” Even Deion, usually a fireworks show of takes, kept it muted (largely).

“I know what’s going on. This is to the point now where it’s like ‘Hey man, y’all gotta stop,’” Deion said, shaking his head. Meanwhile, Critics called Shedeur brash, but former Giants OC Pat Shurmur disagreed: “All players run that fine line between arrogant and confident, but my interactions with him were always great. He’s a very confident young man, but what I saw with him, I didn’t see him as being arrogant.” Cleveland now bets on that confidence—and Shedeur’s knack for turning slights into fuel.

In the end, Shedeur Sanders’ story feels less about draft slots and more about grit. As Mark Twain once said, “The secret of getting ahead is getting started.” For Shedeur, that start comes in a Browns locker room starring Deshaun Watson and Joe Flacco—translation: opportunities galore. One question lingers: when the lights shine brightest, will the kid who laughed off a prank call become the steal of the draft—or just another footnote?

What’s crazier: the prank, the slide, or the fact that Shedeur might’ve landed exactly where he needs to be?