Greatness is Shedeur Sanders birthright, and there is not a single critic that can take him off his path. The 23-year-old will mark the beginning of his professional football career on Thursday (April 24) when he is selected by one of 32 teams as a rookie quarterback during the 2025 NFL Draft.
Early projections predict the University of Colorado Boulder gridiron titan will learn his fate in either the first or second round. Mock drafts have him landing anywhere between the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Las Vegas Raiders, the Cleveland Browns, and the much-talked-about New York Giants. Shedeur, though, has not leaned into the hype surrounding his prospects — he’s only focused on one thing, and that is playing ball.
The son of NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, a.k.a Prime Time, has faced scrutiny over his collegiate prowess on the field since transferring to Colorado. In December 2022, the Super Bowl champion left his post as the head football coach at HBCU Jackson State University for the same role at Colorado Boulder. It was a unified move including his son, Shilo, also in the NFL draft this year, and daughter, Shelomi Sanders, though she transferred to Alabama A&M after one season on the women’s basketball team in 2024.
Shedeur totaled 4,134 yards, 37 touchdowns, 10 interceptions, and a 74 percent completion rate, ranking him 20th among the nation’s quarterbacks his senior year. A few have placed him in the No. 3 spot, but where he lands remains a mystery until tonight. What we do know, however, is that those sliding him down the list of top draft picks have not shaken the burgeoning pro-football standout.
Shedeur proclaims, “The rejected will be respected”
Ahead of draft night, on April 23, he posted a highlight reel of moments from throughout his athletic career, workouts, game-day victories, and more. His caption was a bold proclamation that “The rejected will be respected.” The montage’s soundtrack is a mix of thunderous cheers, sports broadcasters praising his plays, Lil Wayne’s verse on Playaz Circle’s “Duffle Bag Boy,” and BigXthaPlug’s “Change Me.”
In the comments, one follower wrote, “I doubted you as a passer in HS. Thought maybe it was the system with Pops being your coach. But over the past four years, I’ve definitely seen your growth! From Jackson to Colorado. I’m rooting for ya! You’re definitely HIM!” A second fan stated, “[The] same ones hating [are] gonna be the same ones praising you #legendary.”
Prime Time 2.0: The hate, the love, it’s all been said before
“If you ain’t trying to change the franchise or the culture, don’t get me. So, you should know history repeats itself over and over and over and over, and I’ve done it over and over and over. So, it should be no question why an NFL franchise should pick me,” he told the media at the NFL Combine. Shedeur also reminded folks that being emboldened is part of his DNA. “You think I’m worried about what critics say? ... You know who my dad is? They hated on him too... without people hating, it’s almost not normal for us. So, we like the adversity. We like everything that comes with the name.”
Deion told USA Today that most of the criticism is silly and laughable, though some of the naysayers’ commentary has been “venomous.” Regarding his advice to his youngest son, he shared, “What I told him, too, is, ‘Son, what I’ve learned in my life is when it don’t make sense, it’s God. Because some of this stuff is so stupid, it don’t make sense. That means God is closing doors and opening doors to make sure you get to where you’re supposed to go.’” He continued, “Just say you don’t like me. Just say you’re tired of me winning, you’re tired of me being the light, tired of me being up, just consistently provoking change wherever I go. Just say that. But don’t attack my kids because of that.”
The brotherhood of Black NFL quarterbacks has Shedeur’s back
“I’m happy everything is happening this way. I like a lot of chaos because it shows you who’s really there,” Sanders told NBC News. “I wouldn’t change a thing, because this adds to the story. People hating on a kid for no reason. I don’t get in trouble off the field. So, you understand what it’s really about.” Blocking out the hate seems to come naturally to the athlete, but the wisdom of those who have been in his position is one of his advantages heading into the league. Michael Vick, Byron Leftwich, and Robert Griffin III are among those who he has sought out for mentorship. The former Buffaloes star said he is “leaning on those relationships whenever things get tough. They help me get through whatever I need to get through.”
The first round of the 2025 NFL Draft beings at 8 p.m. EST tonight. It can be viewed on ABC, ESPN and the NFL Network, as well as streamed on ESPN+, NFL+, Hulu+, and YouTube TV.