Colorado Buffaloes football legend Shedeur Sanders’ draft night slide dominated the 2025 NFL draft. After three rounds came and went without the “Grown QB” coming off the board, social media sentiment grew volatile.
ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith called Sanders’ slide a “damn disgrace” in an extended rant that featured a tag to the wrong Twitter account for Sanders. Stephen A. ended up calling out someone named Shedeur Smith.
He also evoked Colin Kaepernick’s name to make his point.
“This is a damn disgrace,” Smith prefaced before saying, “How in the hell is Shedeur not off the board, not drafted yet. Y’all still think this doesn’t have anything to do with teams hatin on Deion Sanders. This kid is a first rounder. In a different way, this is Kaepernick all over again…..being kept out. A damn disgrace. I don’t care what anyone says!”
What happened with Kaepernick superseded the sport. Many feel he was right, many feel he was wrong.
Shedeur’s issues directly correlate to who he is as a prospect.
It’s a bold comparison to say the least.
Smith’s infamous former ESPN First Take co-host, Skip Bayless, had a similarly disgusted reaction.
“WHAT IS HAPPENING TO SHEDEUR SANDERS IS THE MOST STUNNING AND DISGUSTING DEVELOPMENT IN NFL DRAFT HISTORY. HE SHOULD'VE GONE 1ST OVERALL. MEL KIPER RANKED HIM 5TH, ABOVE CAM WARD AT 6TH,” Bayless wrote.
If nothing else, Shedeur’s draft night issues are the most polarizing thing to happen to the NFL since Kaepernick.
That’s a fair statement at least.