The story of the 2025 NFL Draft was the unprecedented tumble of Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders.
Once thought to be in contention for the No. 1 overall pick, the son of Hall of Famer Deion Sanders was not chosen in the first round.
If that was not bad enough, he did not hear his name called in the second or third rounds, either.
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SIGN UP HERE On Day 3, another round of selections flew by before the Cleveland Browns threw Sanders a lifeline at No. 144 overall.
Cleveland already had selected Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel in the third round with the 94th pick.
“There's a lot of time and we're all doing our work, but then you're sitting up there and this was a story that kind of was prevalent,” 49ers general manager John Lynch said.
The 49ers eventually would select Indiana quarterback Kurtis Rourke in the seventh round.
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Lynch did not disclose whether the 49ers would have been interested in Sanders if had remained undrafted for much longer.
Lynch, Adam Peters and Keena Turner visited Jackson State in October 2022 when Deion Sanders coached there and Shedeur was a sophomore quarterback.
Sanders, coach and player, moved on to Colorado in 2023. Shedeur Sanders threw for 7,364 yards with 64 touchdowns and 13 interceptions the past two seasons. He was the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year last year.
Shedeur Sanders was the sixth quarterback selected in the draft.
“I think more than anything, just empathy,” Lynch said. “That's tough for a young man. But I know that he's a competitor. I know that he's got his opportunity now and we tell people all the time, ’It’s not when you go, it's not where you go, it's what you do with that opportunity.’”
Sanders joins a quarterback room with the Browns that consists of Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett and Gabriel. Deshaun Watson is expected to miss the 2025 NFL season as he recovers from a torn Achilles.
“He's got that opportunity in Cleveland and I'm excited for him,” Lynch said. “I remember seeing him down at Jackson State and really enjoying getting to know the kid. A lot of things are said about him, but now he gets to go prove that he's worthy of that pick by the Browns, and we wish him nothing but the best.”