After the draft, several more concerning reports came to light about Sanders during the pre-draft process, but one stood out above all the others. On Day 2 of the draft before the Cleveland Browns picked Sanders with the 144th overall pick in the fifth round The Ringer’s Todd McShay revealed the 23-year-old signal-caller had a troubling run-in with New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll that presumably led to the team turning its attention toward Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart,

Shedeur Sanders entered the 2025 NFL Draft widely regarded as a top-two quarterback with eventual No. 1 pick Cam Ward.

Shedeur, who was a projected borderline first-round pick, slipped all the way to the fifth round before the Cleveland Browns drafted him at No. 144 overall. The elder Sanders specifically refuted the notion that Shedeur was "unprepared" for pre-draft interviews, and that he wore headphones during one meeting with a team.