DALLAS — Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders was not selected in the first round of the 2025 NFL draft Thursday night.
Ahead of Friday’s second and third rounds, President Donald Trump criticized NFL teams for passing on Sanders, whose father is Pro Football Hall of Famer and current Colorado coach Deion Sanders.
“What is wrong with NFL owners, are they STUPID?” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. “Deion Sanders was a great college football player, and was even greater in the NFL. He’s also a very good coach, streetwise and smart!
“Therefore, Shedeur, his quarterback son, has PHENOMENAL GENES, and is all set for Greatness. He should be ‘picked’ IMMEDIATELY by a team that wants to WIN. Good luck Shedeur, and say hello to your wonderful father!”
Sanders, who did not attend the draft’s opening night in Green Bay, hosted a private draft party with family and friends.
“We all didn’t expect this, of course,” Sanders said Thursday after the first round. “But I feel like with God, anything’s possible. I don’t feel like this happened for no reason. All this is, of course, fuel to the fire …
“We all know this shouldn’t have happened. But we understand, we’re on to bigger and better things. Tomorrow’s the day, we’re gonna be happy regardless.”
In his senior season at Colorado, Sanders ranked fourth in FBS in passing yards (4,134) and second in passing touchdowns (37) and led the nation in completion percentage at 74.1%. He was named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year and earned AP second-team All-America honors.
He owns the school’s single-season records for passing yards, completions, attempts, touchdowns, completion percentage and quarterback rating. Also, he has the 14th-most passing yards in NCAA Division I history.
Only two quarterbacks were selected in the first round: Miami’s Cam Ward, who went No. 1 to the Tennessee Titans, and Mississippi’s Jaxson Dart, taken No. 25 by the New York Giants.
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