It’s hard to understand why Shedeur Sanders isn’t on an NFL roster after two days of the 2025 NFL draft.
Perhaps Sanders’s predraft meetings were that bad, or the son of the Hall-of-Fame brash cornerback simply isn’t good enough to be selected in the first three rounds. It’s hard to believe it’s the latter, given how Sanders carried Colorado at times over the past two seasons, leading the program to nine wins in 2024, two seasons after it had only posted one win before the Sanders family moved to Boulder.
But when you look at it from a team-by-team perspective, there’s a better understanding as to why certain teams passed on Deion Sanders’s son. But it made very little sense for the New Orleans Saints to be one of those teams.
Here are our winners and questions from Day 2 in Green Bay.
Winners
Seahawks’ 2025 draft class
Only three rounds have been completed, but expect the Seattle Seahawks to receive a high grade for their 2025 draft class when the MMQB releases its team grades at the conclusion of the seventh round.
After taking care of the offensive line with the versatile Grey Zabel in the first round, the Seahawks found a blend of potential immediate impact players and possible starters for the future, with the Day 2 selections of safety Nick Emmanwori, tight end Elijah Arroyo and quarterback Jalen Milroe.
Arroyo and Zabel increase the odds of Sam Darnold working out in Seattle, but in case he doesn’t, the Seahawks now have the option of turning to Milroe, the raw quarterback prospect who drew comparisons to Lamar Jackson. Coach Mike Macdonald saw firsthand how the Baltimore Ravens utilized Jackson on a day-to-day basis during his time as the defensive coordinator there.
Also, Milroe, a third-round selection, won’t have to rush to the field and will get time to improve as a passer playing behind Darnold. And let’s not forget that Macdonald added his potential version of Ravens star safety Kyle Hamilton after the team took the 6' 3" Emmanwori early in the second round.
After being critical of the Seahawks’ free agency moves, I’ll likely be saying more good things about them after Day 3 of the draft.
Browns’ second-round picks
Putting the gaping hole at quarterback aside, the Cleveland Browns came away with plenty of talent in the second round.
Linebacker Carson Schwesinger, Cleveland’s first of two second-round selections, has outstanding instincts, sideline-to-sideline speed and could do wonders playing next to Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah. The Browns also gained a dynamic playmaker for the offense, grabbing bruising running back Quinshon Judkins three picks after Schwesinger at No. 36.
Along with defensive tackle Mason Graham, the Browns might have added three cornerstone players with their first three picks. Passing on Travis Hunter after trading the No. 2 pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars doesn’t look as bad now, but the Browns now need to execute a trade with the Atlanta Falcons for Kirk Cousins. It’s tough seeing Dillon Gabriel, the team’s third-round selection, competing with Kenny Pickett for the starting job.
Clearly, the Browns weren’t interested in this year’s top QB prospects, waiting until pick No. 94 to take Gabriel, but they’re at least in a good spot to be competitive this year with the amount of talent they’ve gained at other positions the past few days. The Falcons will be by the phone waiting for GM Andrew Berry to call.
Jets QB Justin Fields
It’s very difficult to say this because it’s the New York Jets, but Fields could be set up for success based on what his new team has done through the draft.
First, the Jets made the smart, safer choice going with offensive tackle Armand Membou at No. 7 instead of taking one of the top tight ends such as Tyler Warren and Colston Loveland. After filling their void at right tackle, New York still managed to come away with a talented pass-catching tight end after selecting LSU’s Mason Taylor in the second round with pick No. 42.
Mason might not be Warren or Loveland, but he impressed former Alabama coach Nick Saban enough for him to call him his biggest regret after failing to recruit him in college.
The Jets have a long history of not putting quarterbacks in ideal surroundings, but there’s plenty to like about coach Aaron Glenn’s first draft after three rounds.
Patriots QB Drake Maye
Maye could be in store for a monster second season with the moves Mike Vrabel and his front office have made in their first offseason with the New England Patriots.
Maye has a revamped offensive line after having poor blocking throughout his rookie season. A day after drafting Will Campbell to be Maye’s new blindside protector, the Patriots drafted former Georgia center Jared Wilson, who might need to earn a spot at guard with the team signing Garrett Bradbury in free agency. There’s finally depth on the offensive line to possibly keep Maye upright in Year 2.
The skill positions have also drastically improved after the Patriots drafted explosive running back TreVeyon Henderson and downfield threat Kyle Williams. With the impressive draft picks and the many notable free-agent additions, the Patriots will be a popular playoff pick in the coming months.
Cardinals’ defense
Will Johnson appeared to be caught off by the medical concerns from teams, which caused him to fall out of the first round. If Johnson is healthy like he claims to be, the Arizona Cardinals could have a dominant defense this season.
Johnson, the No. 47 selection, could end up being the steal of the draft because of the defensive prowess he displayed at Michigan against the best wide receivers in the country. In one offseason, coach Jonathan Gannon’s defense added veterans Josh Sweat and Dalvin Tomlinson and drafted Walter Nolen and Johnson. It took two years, but Gannon finally has the defensive talent to fully run his scheme in the desert.
Question marks
Will Saints regret picking Tyler Shough over Sanders?
The Saints might have listened too much about how pro-ready Shough is after spending seven years in college.
Yes, the Saints could need an immediate starter amid the drama with Derek Carr, but they might have made a mistake in the long term by passing on Sanders. The Seahawks opting for the long-term project in Milroe makes sense with Darnold in the fold. The Browns selecting Gabriel seems to be more about insurance and leverage—they’re armed with an extra first-round pick next year to possibly take a quarterback high in the draft and could also soon trade for Cousins.
As for the Saints, they might have panicked with the Carr situation and merely wanted another option for this year without focusing more on the future. Sanders offers more upside than Shough, who’s nearly three years older than Sanders, and has the qualities to be a Day 1 starter thanks to his outstanding accuracy and rhythm playing from the pocket.
Perhaps new Saints coach Kellen Moore didn’t want to deal with the extra baggage that comes with adding the son of Deion Sanders. Moore just spent the past few seasons working with mild-mannered quarterbacks Jalen Hurts and Justin Herbert. But Moore spent many seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, constantly dealing with needless drama.
Having Sanders’s dad give a few negative words every now and then shouldn’t be enough for a team to pass on Sanders’s impressive skill set, but then again, 32 teams just passed on him multiple times the past two days. Still, it makes little sense that the Saints didn’t at least take a chance on Sanders.
Were the Steelers right to go the best player available route?
It’s understandable as to why the Pittsburgh Steelers didn’t select Sanders. They likely know Aaron Rodgers will sign at some point this offseason and they need immediate impact players with a talented roster filled with older players.
If Rodgers signs and holds up, the Steelers will likely have a better team this season, especially with the draft selections of defensive tackle Derrick Harmon and running back Kaleb Johnson, two players who filled needs and were rated among the best at their respective positions.
Harmon can help stop the run and rush the passer playing with Cameron Heyward, T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith. Johnson is a thumper with the skill set to close games in the fourth quarter.
Did the Bears wait too long for an offensive tackle?
The Chicago Bears’ 2025 draft feels a lot like last year when they favored the skill positions more than the offensive line.
Drafting Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze in the first round earned the Bears plenty of offseason praise, but that didn’t lead to wins in 2024 due to a disastrous offensive line. The Bears at least have more reasons to favor the skilled players this draft because they added guards Joe Thuney, Jonah Jackson and center Drew Dalman in March. But they might regret waiting until the 56th pick to address their concerns at the tackle spots. Ozzy Trapilo was the eighth offensive tackle selected.
Once again, the Bears are receiving praise for drafting Loveland and wide receiver Luther Burden III with their first two picks before adding Trapilo, perhaps giving new coach Ben Johnson the pieces to produce a productive offensive scheme for Williams in 2025.
After how poorly the Bears have done over the years, this might be one of those gotta see it to believe it situations after another draft with Chicago favoring the skill positions over the trenches. But give them credit for taking defensive tackle Shemar Turner, who has plenty of upside.
Did the Packers focus too much on wide receivers?
After making Matthew Golden their first first-round wide receiver since 2002, the Packers took wide receiver Savion Williams in the third round. Jordan Love might not still have a legitimate No. 1 wide receiver, but Green Bay could have the deepest receiving corps in the league.
Perhaps one of the veteran receivers could be on the trading block, most likely Romeo Doubs, who’s dealt with injuries and is heading into a contract year. There’s also the dilemma with Williams having a similar skill set as Jayden Reed, who’s coming off a quiet second season. They’re both versatile players who can make plays from the backfield, but Williams offers more size and could take the wear and tear from seeing a few carries.
But this is not to say that I don’t like the Golden selection. He’ll help fill the void downfield with the absence of Christian Watson, who’s recovering from a knee injury. Eventually, Golden could be a friendly target for Love from the slot and as a speedy vertical threat. Still, it’s hard not to wonder whether the Packers should have spent Day 2 focusing more on the defensive side. It’s going to be on coach Matt LaFleur to figure out a productive rotation with his receivers.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as 2025 NFL Draft Day 2 Winners and Questions: Saints Passing on Shedeur Sanders Makes Little Sense.