5 hours Ago By Daniel Mader
The list of quarterbacks to be drafted ahead of Shedeur Sanders grew to five on Friday night. After Cam Ward and Jaxson Dart went ahead of the Colorado star in the first round, Louisville's Tyler Shough went to the Saints in Round 2. Sanders' massive draft slide continued into the third round to the point that two more teams took passers over him: Cleveland and Seattle .
Both were known destinations for a young passer, but also assumed destinations for Sanders. Instead, the Seahawks took Alabama's Jalen Milroe, while the Browns took Oregon's Dillon Gabriel. 📲 Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp Here's why the Browns and Seahawks helped contribute to Sanders' slide through the 2025 NFL Draft.
SN's NFL DRAFT HQ: Live tracker | Pick-by-pick grades | Best players still available Why did the Browns and Seahawks pass on Shedeur Sanders? Sanders' draft slide has undoubtedly been for more than one reason. He came into the draft already reportedly sliding as a prospect, going from a consensus top-five pick at one point to a projected mid-first rounder. Plenty of insiders eventually suggested that Sanders would potentially fall to the second round.
The extent of his slide has been a surprise, though. Despite being one of the most accurate passers in the country for the Buffaloes in 2024 while also displaying strong confidence and poise in big moments, Sanders' limitations have outweighed his talents in the 2025 NFL Draft. Dart and Shough both went over him mostly because of their bigger arms, as Sanders isn't known for his big-play ability.
Milroe and Gabriel going over Sanders came as more of a shock. Part of the reasoning behind Cleveland and Seattle taking other quarterbacks could simply be an attempt to avoid the spotlight that comes with Sanders, who surely has expectations and hopes to be a long-term starter in the NFL. By sliding to Round 3, he likely won't have that opportunity any time soon, and being Deion Sanders' son could be working against him given the attention it brings to any franchise.
In terms of pure football skills, there are reasons to be excited about Milroe and Gabriel. For the Alabama product, now set to back up Sam Darnold in Seattle, he's a standout athlete who offers immense two-way potential. "Milroe is an explosive athlete who is very capable outside the pocket," NFL.
com's Lance Zeirlein wrote of Milroe in his draft profile. "Strong arm and elite speed will have teams intrigued, but if he doesn’t make it as a starter, it’s incumbent upon his team to find a way to get the ball in his hands with packaged plays." That big arm and 33 career rushing touchdowns in college could have the Seahawks liking Milroe's long-term outlook as a two-way quarterback, or even as a backup.
As for Gabriel, there's more of a similarity to Sanders. He's more effective in short-range passing situations, known as an accurate quarterback without a big arm. Gabriel offers a ton of experience, having spent six seasons in college, and can join the Browns as a high-floor backup option behind whoever winds up starting, whether Kenny Pickett or Joe Flacco.
Cleveland's decision to go Gabriel over Sanders could have been about avoiding the flashiness of drafting the Colorado star, as mentioned before, but there are also reasons to expect Gabriel to succeed in the NFL. Browns general manager Andrew Berry said Sanders is an "impressive young man and a good quarterback," and he thinks Sanders will "find himself in a good spot," per Cleveland.com's Mary Kate Cabot.
Head coach Kevin Stefanski also said Gabriel will have a chance to compete for the team's starting job. Overall, a combination of Sanders' known limitations as a quarterback, his stardom as an anticipated first-round pick, and other quarterbacks' skill sets are all resulting in the Colorado passer sliding down the draft board. MORE SHEDEUR SANDERS NEWS: Shedeur Sanders best landing spots in Round 3 Why Shedeur Sanders is falling in NFL Draft DeCourcy: Reality bites Shedeur Sanders at the NFL Draft 10 most shocking NFL Draft slides of all time Meet Derrick Harmon, the player Steelers picked over Shedeur Sanders Dillon Gabriel stats Here's a look at Gabriel's college numbers over six seasons: Season Team Games Completions-Attempts Completion % Pass Yards AVG Pass TDs INTs Rating Rush Yards Rush TDs 2019 UCF 13 236-398 59.
3% 3,653 9.2 29 7 156.9 78 4 2020 UCF 10 248-413 60.
0% 3,570 8.6 32 4 156.3 169 2 2021 UCF 3 70-102 68.
6% 814 8.0 9 3 158.9 125 2 2022 Oklahoma 12 230-367 62.
7% 3,168 8.6 25 6 154.4 315 6 2023 Oklahoma 12 266-384 69.
3% 3,660 9.5 30 6 172.0 373 12 2024 Oregon 14 326-447 72.
9% 3,857 8.6 30 6 164.9 149 7 Totals: 64 1,376-2,111 65.
2% 18,722 8.9 155 32 160.9 1,209 33 Jalen Milroe stats Here's a look at how Milroe performed in college: Year Games Comp-Att (Comp%) Pass Yds Pass TDs INTs Rush Yds Rush TDs 2021 4 3-7 (42.
9) 41 1 0 57 0 2022 8 31-53 (58.5) 297 5 3 263 1 2023 13 187-284 (65.8) 2,834 23 6 531 12 2024 13 205-319 (64.
3) 2,844 16 11 726 20 Total 38 426-663 (64.3) 6,016 45 20 1,577 33 Shedeur Sanders stats Here's a look at Sanders' college numbers: Season Team Completions-Attempts Comp. % Pass yards AVG Pass TDs INTs Sacks Rating Rush TDs 2021 Jackson State 272-412 65.
9% 3,231 7.8 30 8 35 151.7 3 2022 Jackson State 341-483 70.
6% 3,732 7.7 40 6 23 160.4 6 2023 Colorado 298-430 69.
3% 3,230 7.5 27 3 52 151.7 4 2024 Colorado 353-477 74.
0% 4,134 8.7 37 10 42 168.2 4.
