NFL Draft winners/losers: Sanders slides
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Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
University of Colorado football players Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders were expected to give Buffs fans something to celebrate last week, but the 2025 NFL Draft sent Boulderites on an emotional rollercoaster.
Why it matters: Arguably, two of the biggest storylines of this draft were the shocking Day 1 trade that got Hunter to Jacksonville and Sanders' historic fall from a projected top pick to a fifth-round selection.
State of play: The personalities and high drama made for an intriguing draft weekend, and the two Buffs were the center of attention.
Losers 📉
Shedeur Sanders: Draft prospects have slid before, and while some experts pegged Sanders as the No. 1 pick overall at last season's start, others had him as a second-rounder.
- Reality check: This was a Wile E. Coyote-style free fall. Sanders wasn't even the first quarterback the Cleveland Browns drafted this weekend.
- In theory, his fall to the fifth round cost Sanders about $40 million over the lifespan of his first contract.
- Oh, and if all that wasn't enough, he got prank-called and President Trump got involved, saying Sanders' possible future bosses are "stupid."
Cleveland quarterbacks: Sanders will be one of the Browns' four new quarterbacks likely competing for roster spots.
- The fifth, the injured Deshaun Watson, has been embroiled in controversy and poor play. But his historic contract makes him almost impossible to trade or cut this year.
Winners 📈
Travis Hunter: Hunter is going back to his birth state of Florida to be the face of the franchise. If that's not enough to dance about, the avid angler can now go fishing year-round.
- The wide receiver/cornerback dual star also got some fishing buddies out of the draft; fellow Buffs BJ Green and Cam'Ron Silmon-Craig signed with the Jags as undrafted free agents.
Other Buffs receivers: Jimmy Horn Jr. was picked by the Carolina Panthers and LaJohntay Wester went to the Baltimore Ravens, both in the sixth round.
CU Boulder: Athletics department spokesperson Steve Hurlbert told Axios the school estimates the pre-draft and draft exposure was worth more than $47 million in advertising for the university.
The bottom line: Hunter's potential as a one-of-a-kind player prompted the biggest trade of the week, while Sanders took the scenic route but ultimately wound up where some expected all along.
- But as a lower pick, Sanders will have to prove the doubters wrong in training camp if he is going to secure a spot. And he'll have to do so amid speculation about the reason for his fall.
What's next: Buffs fans will keep an eye on training camp to see how Hunter's two-way experiment works and if Sanders and other late picks and signees can make a roster.