The President of the United States is tasked with being the Commander in Chief and the leader of the free world. Very rarely are they consulted when it comes to the NFL Draft.
The 2025 NFL Draft was toward the end of April and one of the main storylines was Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders. He had a solid collegiate career, starting out with his father coaching him at Jackson State and then both making the move to Colorado. The 2025 quarterback class had its own year overall, but Sanders was long considered the second-best at the position behind Miami's Cam Ward.
The Titans wasted little time selecting Ward with the No. 1 overall pick, and then it was Sanders' turn. There were quarterback-needy teams littered throughout the first round, including the Browns, Giants, Raiders, Saints and Steelers. Over the offseason, Sanders was mocked to each of these teams at different times, but when the dust of the first round settled, he hadn't heard his name called.
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Friday afternoon, ahead of the second round beginning, President Donald Trump took to Truth Social and demanded that Sanders be selected. Here's what happened.
Donald Trump-Shedeur Sanders post
Every year in the NFL Draft, a player who was consistently mocked in the first round tends to slide to the second day of the draft. It could be concern over a previous injury, an off-the-field incident or the right team just not being on the clock at the right time for that player.
Sanders had a good career in college. Unfortunately, his numbers aren't the only thing that comes with the prospect.
Since high school, Sanders has only played for his father. He had good, not great numbers for the Buffaloes, and yet his jersey number has already been retired by the school at the urging of his dad. That is unheard of. From being a mediocre prospect to having a high potential for off-the-field distractions, Sanders plummeted down draft boards.
President Trump took to Truth Social to give his thoughts on Sanders' slide.
SHEDEUR SANDERS NFL DRAFT SLIDE:
- How Shedeur Sanders fits in Cleveland
- Winners and losers in Shedeur Sanders draft drama
- Can Shedeur Sanders fulfill NFL dreams in nightmare QB situation?
- Browns QB depth chart after 2025 NFL Draft
- Is Kevin Stefanski on hot seat after Shedeur Sanders pick?
- Comparing Browns rookie QB's Dillon Gabriel & Shedeur Sanders
- Reactions to Shedeur Sanders draft fall, from Trump to Stephen A.
- What we know about Shedeur Sanders' 'unprofessional' pre-draft interviews
- Shedeur Sanders' wild post-draft celebration
Why Donald Trump is taking credit for Shedeur Sanders draft pick
While the message went viral, NFL teams didn't listen. The second day of the draft, consisting of the second and third rounds, came and went and Sanders was still undrafted. Concerns over his pre-draft process and how he handled his interviews surfaced as reasons for his slide, as social media gave its two cents.
Finally, with the sixth pick in the fifth round (No. 144 overall) the Browns selected Sanders. This move was perplexing because Cleveland had taken Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel 50 picks prior, marking the shortest gap in NFL history that one team had drafted two quarterbacks.
On the Monday after the draft, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt was given a light-hearted question about the post from the President. She was asked if the President takes credit for Sanders getting drafted and if he, Trump, thought that going to Cleveland was better than being undrafted.
Leavitt responded, saying:
"All I will say is the president put out a statement, and a few rounds later he was drafted, so I think the facts speak for themselves."
Leavitt on Shedeur Sanders: "All I will say is the president put out a statement, and a few rounds later he was drafted, so I think the facts speak for themselves." pic.twitter.com/rAFrAbex2s
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 28, 2025