GREEN BAY, Wis. — NFL teams sure found a way to disrupt the quarterback.
And that quarterback was Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, who waited and waited and waited some more Thursday night but never heard his name called in the first round of the NFL draft.
The son of Hall of Famer Deion Sanders and a player once thought to be a potential No. 1 pick found himself in a similar spot as Aaron Rodgers, Brady Quinn, Geno Smith and all those other NFL quarterbacks who famously languished in that eternity of a limbo.
In a city loaded with football-themed street names — Lombardi Avenue, Bart Starr Drive, Brett Favre Pass — Sanders discovered a disappointing dead end.
He did show shrewd anticipation in turning down the invitation to attend the draft, the first in Green Bay (although there was one in Milwaukee in 1939).
“People say Green Bay was too small, with a population of 107,000,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell told the sea of fans before the giant stage that faced Lambeau Field. “But we have over 125,000 and still counting.”
By the end of the night, the league estimated that crowd had swelled to 205,000.
A quarterback was taken first overall, but it was Miami’s Cam Ward, a selection by the Tennessee Titans that had been forecast for weeks. Another was taken 25th, when the New York Giants traded back into the first round to grab Mississippi’s Jaxson Dart.
Meanwhile, the Chargers got a bruising running back in North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton, and Rams made out like bandits in a trade with Atlanta, bailing out of the 26th pick in exchange for the Falcons’ second-rounder — the Rams didn’t have a selection in that round — and a first-rounder in 2026.
Two former Servite High players went in the first eight selections: Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham (Cleveland at No. 5) and Arizona receiver Tetairoa McMillan (Carolina at 8).
There was a lot of focus with the big men up front, with nine defensive linemen — beginning with No. 3 pick Abdul Carter of Penn State — and eight offensive linemen selected.
Pete Carroll, new coach of the Las Vegas Raiders, picked up the most coveted running back in Ashton Jeanty, the No. 6 pick and highest-drafted player in Boise State history.
The coach posted a meme of Marshawn Lynch, his old running back in Seattle, on X and wrote, “We’re fired up!! RAAAAIIIDDDEERRRSS!!”
The Packers delighted hometown fans by finally using a first-round pick on a receiver for the first time since 2002, selecting Texas wideout Matthew Golden, who covered 40 yards in a scorching 4.29 seconds at the scouting combine. When Golden took the stage, there was a roar of cheers and fireworks exploded over the city.
So Sanders will continue to wait, with the second and third rounds Friday, and the fourth through seventh on Saturday. There’s a strong possibility that Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe, who did attend the draft, will be taken before him.
The Cleveland Browns have the 33rd pick and are still in search of a quarterback. Another possible spot for a quarterback to go is No. 40 when the New Orleans Saints are on the clock. That franchise has gone 54 consecutive years without taking a quarterback in the first round, easily an NFL record.
Regardless of what happened with Sanders, it turned out to be a big night for Colorado football, as Jacksonville traded up three spots to No. 2 to select dual-threat Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter, a receiver and cornerback.
Duuuval — the chant of Jaguars fans, referring to Duval County — is now Two-val, as Hunter wants to play both positions. The Cleveland Browns traded out of that second spot, even though their general manager described Hunter as football’s answer to Shohei Ohtani.
“There are players that you can target and acquire that alter the trajectory of a football team,” said first-year Jaguars GM James Gladstone on the team’s YouTube show. “There are very few, and it’s rare to be able to target and prioritize a player who can alter the sport itself. And Travis is somebody that we view has the potential to do that.”
Hunter might change the game. For the moment, Sanders is just looking for a change of address.
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