Before the NFL Draft began on Thursday evening, Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders was considered a lock to be selected in the first round. However, the first four rounds of the draft went by, and Sanders was yet to be selected.
The hope that he could land in Las Vegas was very much alive for a portion of Raider Nation, as Sanders was still available in the fifth round. Some went as far as to say that his slide in the draft would catapult him into a Tom Brady-like arc.
While this is obviously a lofty comparison, Sanders' lifelong dream of being drafted turned into a nightmare on Saturday. Arguably, the most dysfunctional franchise in the NFL saved Las Vegas from taking Sanders, as the Browns traded up to land the polarizing prospect at No. 144 overall.
Browns save Raiders from historic blunder with Shedeur Sanders pick
A good portion of the fan base supported the selection of Sanders in the later rounds of the draft because he seemed like a strong heir apparent to Geno Smith. However, while his tape demonstrates that he should be a second-round pick, he fell for other reasons.
As a player, Sanders is slightly on the small side for an NFL quarterback, and his arm strength is average at best. His functional athleticism is not quite where it needs to be, and he is often late with his throws and passes up open receivers.
Sanders is, in general, a good processer, however, who is tough as nails and has great accuracy and ball placement. He still struggles with pocket management and holding onto the ball too long, but his profile as a player would indicate that he could be a good backup or low-end to average starter.
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However, there is more to the story of why he fell in the draft. Sanders publicly threw his offensive line under the bus after losing to Nebraska early in the 2024 season, and he came under fire for refusing to shake the hand of Colorado State quarterback Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi.
There were also reports that Sanders performed poorly in the pre-draft process, with teams indicating that he was arrogant or disinterested in meetings if he did not want to play for the franchise. Sanders is already a celebrity and a darling in the media, which makes him an undesirable backup quarterback.
Head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Spytek did not seem like a likely pairing to deal with a backup player of this magnitude. Speculation about Deion Sanders taking over as the Raiders' head coach would constantly swirl around the organization if Shedeur Sanders was on the team, and this media storm is not what Las Vegas needs when they are trying to rebuild.
Aidan O'Connell is not a perfect backup, but he does not carry the baggage that Sanders would have. There are several players in both the draft and the free agent market that could serve as a better second-string option behind Smith.
Sanders may have been the dream quarterback that the Browns were looking for, and he could very well be the starter in Cleveland this season. But that doesn't mean that he was a good fit for the Raiders.