The wait continues for Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, who wasn't among the first several players picked in the second round of the NFL draft on Friday.
Although Sanders never was considered a sure bet to get selected in the first round, he garnered so much attention over the last several months that his slide to the draft’s second day has dominated coverage of the NFL’s spring extravaganza and even caught the attention of President Donald Trump.
Cleveland had two of the first four picks in the second round and has a clear need at quarterback after the team got little production out of Deshaun Watson, who will miss the upcoming season with a torn Achilles tendon. Kenny Pickett and 40-year-old Joe Flacco are the Browns' current QBs.
Yet the Browns selected UCLA linebacker Carson Schwesinger at No. 33 and Ohio State running back Quinshon Judkins at No. 36. Houston chose Iowa State wide receiver Jayden Higgins with the second pick of the second round.
The Seattle Seahawks and Miami Dolphins both traded up to get picks early in the second round. Seattle chose South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori with the 35th overall pick. Miami took Arizona guard Jonah Savaiinaea at No. 37.
Sanders spent the last four seasons playing for his outspoken, at times polarizing father — Hall of Famer Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders — first at Jackson State and later at Colorado.
In a post on his Truth Social platform on Friday, Trump criticized teams for not selecting Sanders and said the quarterback’s “PHENOMENAL GENES” made him “all set for Greatness.”
Sanders finished eighth in the Heisman Trophy balloting last season while throwing for a school-record 4,134 yards and helping Colorado go 9-4.
Although Sanders was rated by some draft analysts as a better QB prospect than Miami's Cam Ward — who ultimately went No. 1 overall to Tennessee — concerns mounted as the draft drew closer. One issue: Sanders was sacked 94 times over his last two college seasons. There also were worries about his arm strength and questions about how well he would adapt to playing for someone other than his dad.
Only two quarterbacks were selected in the first round. For a few moments, it appeared Sanders' wait might be over when the New York Giants traded up to the 25th pick, but the team opted for Mississippi's Jaxson Dart.
The Pittsburgh Steelers, who need a QB following the offseason departures of Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, used the 21st pick on Oregon defensive lineman Derrick Harmon.
Sanders didn't travel to Green Bay for the draft. Instead, he watched the proceedings with his family in Canton, Texas.
“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.”
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
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