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04/25 22:04 CDT Shedeur Sanders still available in 3rd round of NFL draft as
stunning fall continues for Colorado QB
Shedeur Sanders still available in 3rd round of NFL draft as stunning fall
continues for Colorado QB
By STEVE MEGARGEE
AP Sports Writer
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) --- The wait continues for Colorado quarterback Shedeur
Sanders, who was widely viewed as a first-round talent but was still available
late in the third round of the NFL draft on Friday.
It was a stunning fall for Sanders, who garnered so much attention over the
last several months that his slide to the draft's second day was the dominant
storyline of the NFL's spring extravaganza and even caught the attention of
President Donald Trump.
In a post on his Truth Social platform on Friday, Trump criticized teams for
not selecting Sanders and said the quarterback's "PHENOMENAL GENES" made him
"all set for Greatness." And that was before the second round came and went
with Sanders' name still on the board. Five quarterbacks were selected ahead of
him.
Sanders spent the last four seasons playing for his outspoken, at times
polarizing father --- Hall of Famer Deion "Coach Prime" Sanders --- first at
Jackson State and later at Colorado. He finished eighth in the Heisman Trophy
balloting last season while throwing for a school-record 4,134 yards and
helping Colorado go 9-4.
Sanders initially was rated by some draft analysts as a better QB prospect than
Miami's Cam Ward, who ultimately went No. 1 overall to Tennessee. But as the
draft drew closer, concerns began to emerge.
One issue: Sanders was sacked 94 times over his last two college seasons. There
also were worries about his arm strength and questions about how well he would
adapt to playing for someone other than his dad. And given his high profile,
teams might be reluctant to pick him if they view him as a backup.
Few if any mock drafts had Jaxson Dart, Tyler Shough, Jalen Milroe or Dillon
Gabriel getting picked before Sanders, but that's what happened.
For a few moments Thursday, it appeared Sanders' wait might be over when the
New York Giants traded up to the 25th pick, but the team opted for Dart out of
Mississippi.
The lone quarterback selection of Friday's second round came when New Orleans
passed on Sanders in favor of Shough, a 25-year-old who finished his college
career at Louisville after making stops at Oregon and Texas Tech. Shough was
chosen 40th overall.
Saints veteran quarterback Derek Carr has what general manager Mickey Loomis
described as a "shoulder issue," leaving his availability uncertain heading
into offseason workouts.
The Seattle Seahawks took Milroe out of Alabama in the third round with the
92nd overall pick. Two picks later, the Cleveland Browns selected Gabriel, who
played at Oregon last year after stints at Central Florida and Oklahoma.
Cleveland had five picks in the first three rounds and has a clear need at
quarterback after the team got little production out of Deshaun Watson, who
will miss the upcoming season with a torn Achilles tendon. Kenny Pickett and
40-year-old Joe Flacco are the Browns' current QBs.
When the Browns finally chose a quarterback, they opted against Sanders.
Pittsburgh was also considered a potential landing spot for Sanders, who
visited the Steelers' facility before the draft. The Steelers' only
quarterbacks are Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson following the offseason
departures of Russell Wilson and Justin Fields.
The Steelers took Oregon defensive lineman Derrick Harmon with the 21st overall
pick Thursday. They didn't have a second-round pick, but Sanders was still
available when their turn came again in the third round.
Pittsburgh instead used the 83rd overall pick on Iowa running back Kaleb
Johnson.
Sanders didn't travel to Green Bay for the draft. Instead, he watched the
proceedings with his family in Canton, Texas.
"We all didn't expect this of course, but I feel like with God, anything's
possible, everything's possible," Sanders said in a video posted on YouTube
Thursday night, adding: "Tomorrow's the day. We're going to be happy
regardless."
Another player regarded as a potential first-round selection had a longer wait
than expected. Michigan cornerback Will Johnson, who was in the green room
during Thursday's first round, went to the Arizona Cardinals in the second
round with the 47th overall pick.
A reported knee issue caused Johnson's stock to fall.
"It's just frustrating," Johnson said. "I know what I'm dealing with, and I
know I'm healthy and I know how my body feels. I'm just going to go out there
and show that on Sundays and show everybody what they missed out on."
The second round featured several trades.
Seattle and Miami traded up to get picks early in the round. The Seahawks chose
South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori with the 35th overall pick. The Dolphins
took Arizona guard Jonah Savaiinaea at No. 37.
Buffalo moved up 16 spots to take South Carolina defensive tackle T.J. Sanders
at No. 41. The Bills dealt their 56th, 62nd and 109th picks to Chicago while
getting the Bears' 72nd and 240th picks in return.
T.J. Sanders will have an immediate opportunity to make an impact with
offseason free-agent addition Larry Ogunjobi expected to miss the first six
games for violating the NFL's performance-enhancing drug policy.
The second round also included the selection of three more players from
national champion Ohio State, which had four players taken in the first round.
The Buckeyes' running back tandem went early in the second round, with Judkins
followed by TreVeyon Henderson, who went 38th overall to New England.
Indianapolis took edge rusher JT Tuimoloau at No. 45.
Seven of the first 45 selections played at Ohio State.
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
