Shedeur Sanders Tops NFL Rookie Jersey Sales Despite Draft Slide

In a year of jaw-dropping draft storylines, no player has flipped the script more than Shedeur Sanders. Once considered a first-round pick, Sanders fell all the way to the fifth round before the Cleveland Browns selected him. Yet even after this tumble, his popularity hasn’t waned — it may be stronger than ever. Sanders’ jersey is currently the best-selling among all of the 2025 NFL rookies, even surpassing the number one and number two draft picks.

Jersey Sales Skyrocket for Sanders

After initial sales figures had Sanders’ jersey trailing Jaguars sensation Travis Hunter and Titans quarterback Cam Ward, the former Colorado quarterback has ascended to the top. According to Fanatics via cllct’s Darren Rovell, Sanders leads all 2025 draft picks in jersey sales on Fanatics’ websites, like NFLShop.com and the Browns team store. What is more remarkable is the fact that he rose to No. 1 despite being taken two days after the first-round picks.

Part of the interest stems from Sanders’ broad popularity built up playing for Colorado, where he was one of college football’s largest marketable stars. Already boasting a national following through NIL sponsorship deals with major brands like Nike and Beats by Dre, Sanders On3 NIL valuation was $6.5 million — second only to Arch Manning — giving him the brand name awareness of few rookies. Now in the NFL, that publicity has turned into immediate commercial success.

Adding to the jersey frenzy is the fact that Sanders has not yet been officially assigned a number by the Browns. While he used No. 2 in college, that is not an available number in Cleveland. The team tweeted out a picture of him in No. 5, but nothing is finalized. To that end, fans are buying pre-order jerseys in record amounts, eager to wear one of the most touted rookies in recent years.

A Breathtaking Slide on Draft Weekend

Sanders’ jersey dominance is opposite to his actual draft weekend fate. A one-time supposed top-10 prospect, he dropped to the 144th overall pick. He was the sixth QB drafted and wasn’t even Cleveland’s first QB picked — that honor went to Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel in the third round. Fans and analysts were all perplexed by his fall.

There were several reasons why his sudden fall surprised. While praised for his leadership and accuracy, some scouts panned Sander’s arm and his tendency to cling to the ball too long. Others questioned how much his collegiate production could be attributed to Colorado’s inability to field a good run game that subjected him to constant pressure. Vet quarterback Chris Simms was among the few who predicted a decline, seeing the absence of elite physical abilities from Sanders’ game.

Teams may also have been reluctant about the media attention that comes with Sanders as the son of NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders. With media scrutiny, commercial endorsements, and a high public profile, some front offices may have calculated that the cost-benefit of drafting him wasn’t appealing. It is possible too that franchises were not under the same pressure to fill their quarterback needs this season, as there were so many already committed to veterans or other contenders. In the end, the value of a franchise as a player was more important than as a brand name.

Final Thoughts

Sanders’ path to the NFL hasn’t been as scripted as many had envisioned, but perhaps it makes his story even more compelling. His drop in the draft can be motivation for him, just as his jersey sales show he is still a fan favorite. The Browns may have gotten an incentivized, marketable player on the cheap. If he gets on the field or not in 2025, Sanders is already succeeding in the war off the field.