3x Super Bowl champ Michael Irvin opens up on Shedeur Sanders being "punished" in 2025 NFL draft

Hall of Fame wide receiver Michael Irvin expressed mixed feelings about Shedeur Sanders's unexpected slide to the fifth round of the 2025 NFL draft. The Dallas Cowboys legend - who led the franchise to three Super Bowls in the 1990s - suggested that the former Colorado quarterback faced unfair treatment during the draft.

Shedeur Sanders — son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders — was projected as an early draft pick but had to wait till Day 3 when the Cleveland Browns selected him as the 144th pick.

Appearing on "The Rich Eisen Show" on May 17, 2025, Irvin gave his honest opinion regarding Sanders's draft drop.

"I was both p*ssed and pleased. I know how hard he pursued that dream. And how hard he wanted to be drafted higher than his dad… So, to see them punish him like that and to see him go through what he went through, it was painful for me," said Irvin.

Many analysts were surprised by Shedeur Sanders's fall in the draft. The Browns selected another quarterback, Oregon's Dillon Gabriel, in the third round before trading up to take Sanders in the fifth. Per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the Cleveland Browns view Gabriel as a "solid future backup" while Sanders represents a "lottery ticket" with starter potential.

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Shedeur Sanders can benefit adversity of the post-draft expectations

Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders during training with the Cleveland Browns. (Credits: IMAGN)

Despite his frustration with Shedeur Sanders's draft position, Irvin found a silver lining.

"All they did by doing this, even though it was painful to watch him drop, I was pleased with how he handled it. They gave him that same start again. Start from the bottom and climb his way up, and he'll make it work," Irvin told Eisen.

The fifth-round choice puts Sanders in exclusive company. Elias Sports Bureau has found that only four-fifths of the quarterbacks 1967 started their team's opening game as a rookie. Mark Brunell is the sole fifth-round quarterback in the last 40 years to have won at least 10 games as an NFL starter.

The odds don't discourage Shedeur Sanders, who told reporters after being drafted:

"I'm a Sanders, so there are always going to be expectations regardless of what pick I am."

The former Colorado standout will battle for the starter's spot in Cleveland. 2024 starter Deshaun Watson is projected to miss substantial time in 2025 after suffering an Achilles injury. Shedeur Sanders enters a quarterback corps that also features veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett, and fellow rookie Gabriel.

Shedeur Sanders showcased his talent in college, completing 74 percent of his passes in his final season at Colorado. His accuracy ranked first in the FBS; his 6.5 percent off-target rate was the third-lowest mark nationally. He also protected the football well, posting a 2.1 percent interception rate.