2025 NFL Draft: Here's how much money Shedeur Sanders missed out on by not being drafted in first four rounds

Sanders, a projected first-round pick, got selected in the fifth

The story of the 2025 NFL Draft has to do with a player who was actually selected in the fifth round at No. 144 overall. Former Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year and son of NFL legend Deion Sanders, was expected to be a first-round pick, but instead went unselected in the first four rounds of the draft before finally being scooped by the Cleveland Browns early in the fifth.

The Pittsburgh Steelers passed on him multiple times, while the New York Giants, New Orleans Saints, Seattle Seahawks and even the Browns all selected different quarterbacks before Sanders. Every player will be given the opportunity to compete whether they are a first-round pick or fifth-round pick, but their paychecks will be very different. For example, No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward is expected to sign a deal projected to be worth $48,757,500, according to Spotrac, while Tyler Shough, who was drafted 40th overall, is expected to make $10,793,226 in his rookie contract. 

Given the new world of NIL and who his father is, Sanders likely isn't hurting for money. But how much money did he actually miss out on with this slide? Let's take a look at what Spotrac's projections say, using the Steelers at No. 21 overall as a baseline -- since they were considered a landing spot for the young quarterback. Keep in mind these numbers are not exact, but they should be close to accurate. 

Landing spot	Total value of projected contract
No. 21 Pittsburgh Steelers	$17,948,806
No. 144 Cleveland Browns	$4,646,553

Sanders missed out on approximately $13,302,253 by falling to No. 144 overall compared to being selected at No. 21 overall. 

In Cleveland, Sanders joins a very full quarterback room which includes the injured Deshaun Watson, Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett and Dillon Gabriel, who was selected in the third round.