Shedeur Sanders snubbed in NFL draft's Round 1 but leads list of top available players for Day 2

Deion Sanders insisted at Colorado's pro day that Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders should go 1-2 in the NFL draft. He was talking about selections, not rounds.

But after Hunter went second overall to the Jacksonville Jaguars, Shedeur Sanders' name wasn't called at all Thursday night.

Quarterback-needy teams such as the Raiders, Saints, Jets and Giants — twice — bypassed the record-setting Buffaloes quarterback. The Giants sidestepped Sanders at No. 3 and again at No. 25 after trading back into the first round and instead selected Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart in what was the biggest surprise of Round 1.

Many predicted the Giants would select Sanders one pick after Hunter and two picks after Miami QB Cam Ward went to the Tennessee Titans, but as the night wore on, it brought memories of the 2005 NFL draft when Cal QB Aaron Rodgers and Utah QB Alex Smith were vying for the 49ers' top overall selection. The Niners chose Smith and Rodgers slipped all the way down to the Green Bay Packers at No. 24.

Only, Sanders slid all the way out of Round 1.

''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 on Thursday night. ''I don't think this happened for no reason. All this is, is of course fuel to the fire. Under no circumstance, 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 going to be happy regardless.''

Concerns about Sanders' arm strength became an issue in recent weeks, although his father, who's a Pro Football Hall of Famer and coached his son at Jackson State and Colorado, laughed at that notion. In 50 collegiate games, Shedeur Sanders threw for 14,347 yards, with 134 touchdowns and 27 interceptions. He completed 70.1% of his passes and ran for 17 more scores. But he had a tendency to hold on to the ball too long and took an FBS-high 94 sacks over the last two seasons.

Bypassing on-the-field workouts at the NFL scouting combine and the Big 12 pro day only added to the doubts that suddenly swirled around his son, and Coach Prime wondered earlier this month how his son's stock could have slipped when he hasn't thrown an interception since the Alamo Bowl.

''After 4,000-some yards, all of a sudden his arm is weak,'' Deion Sanders cracked at Colorado's pro day that was officially called the ''We Ain't Hard 2 Find Showcase. ''I don't know when his arm got weak. But he protects the ball. He had the highest completion percentage in college football this past year. He's the pillar of consistency."

Shedeur Sanders, whose jersey was retired along with Hunter's at Colorado's spring game, is the biggest name left on the draft board for Round 2 Friday, where teams that still need a QB could move up to select the passer who helped engineer Colorado's turnaround from a one-win debacle before his arrival to a 9-4 mark in 2024.

The strength of this year's draft is in the middle rounds and Sanders finds himself in some good company among prospects set to make immediate impacts — and will likely be fueled by being first-round snubs.

Other players who could go early in the second round:

Will Johnson, cornerback, Michigan

At 6-foot-2 and 203 pounds, the fluid Johnson brings size along with ball skills to the position to match up with the NFL's bigger receivers. Although he had a pair of pick-6s last season and three in college, a turf-toe injury limited him to six games last season.

Nick Emmanwori, safety, South Carolina

The massive (6-foot-3, 227 pounds) safety who had 88 tackles and four interceptions last season has a mix of ball skills and speed that makes him an ideal player close to the action be it at strong safety, big nickel or linebacker. He ran a 4.38 40-yard dash at the combine.

Luther Burden III, wide receiver, Missouri

Burden is 6-foot and 205 pounds and an athletic slot receiver who can also make plays down the field. He had 86 receptions for 1,212 yards and nine touchdowns in 2023. He clocked a 4.41-second 40-yard dash.

TreVeyon Henderson, running back, Ohio State

Henderson brings elite speed to the ground game, top-notch hands to the passing game and top skills in pass protection, making him a three-down back right away in the NFL. He had two 1,000-yard seasons and another just shy of 1,000 and didn't fumble in his last three seasons.

Mike Green, edge, Marshall

Green is a gifted pass rusher who is also stout against the run, and he burst onto the scene with a great game against Ohio State in September and led the FBS with 17 sacks in 2024.

Donovan Ezeiruaku, edge, Boston College

Ezeiruaku collected 16½ sacks last season and sports an array of moves to go with his bull rush ability. In a dozen games, Ezeiruaku also recorded 80 tackles, 20½ of them for a loss, and forced three fumbles.

Nic Scourton, edge, Texas A&M

Scourton had 10 sacks for Purdue in 2023 before transferring to play for the Aggies.

Mason Taylor, tight end, LSU

At 6-foot-5 and 251 pounds, Taylor is a polished route runner who brings a large catch radius to the offense.

Quinshon Judkins, running back, Ohio State

Judkins (6-foot, 218 pounds) scored 45 touchdowns in college and is known for his ferocious stiff-arm and ability to run through defenders.

Xavier Watts, safety, Notre Dame

Aside from Travis Hunter, Watts was the only consensus All-American in both 2023 and '24. Watts had 14 pass breakups and two forced fumbles over that span.

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