Shedeur Sanders Gets The Last Laugh With NFL’s Best-Selling Rookie Jersey After Draft Snub – Essence

Shedeur Sanders is having the last laugh… all the way to the bank.

Despite the NFL seemingly sending a clear message by letting the talented quarterback slip all the way to the fifth round of the 2025 draft, Sanders is already proving his doubters wrong where it truly counts, and that’s with the fans and their wallets.

According to data confirmed by Fanatics, the Cleveland Browns’ newest quarterback now boasts the highest-selling jersey among ALL 2025 draft picks — including Travis Hunter, Sanders’ former Colorado teammate who went No. 2 overall to Jacksonville, and even Tennessee’s Cam Ward, the draft’s first overall pick.

The son of NFL legend Deion Sanders sat through four rounds during the draft, watching five other quarterbacks get selected before him: Ward (No. 1), Jaxson Dart (No. 25), Tyler Shough (No. 40), Jalen Milroe (No. 92), and Dillon Gabriel (No. 94). This despite being widely projected as a top-10 talent for much of the previous year.

We previously reported that Sanders’ draft day experience included a shameful prank call from Jax Ulbrich, son of Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich. Jax called Sanders pretending to be the general manager of the New Orleans Saints, telling him he’d “have to wait a little longer” before abruptly hanging up. Ulbrich has since publicly apologized for the “completely inexcusable, embarrassing, and shameful” act that interfered with one of the most significant moments of Sanders’ life.

But through it all, Sanders has maintained the composure and dignity that defined his college career at both Jackson State and Colorado under the coaching of his father. Speaking with the media after being drafted, he didn’t let the prank define his night. “It didn’t really have an impact on me,” he said. “I don’t feed into negativity. It is what it is. Of course, the dude was childish… but everybody does childish things here and there.” And now, the fans are speaking with their support.

Sanders’ merchandise is putting up numbers without fans even knowing what number he’ll wear in Cleveland. At both college stops, Sanders wore No. 2, but his official NFL number hasn’t yet been announced.

The Browns clearly saw something special in Sanders, trading picks No. 166 and 192 to the Seattle Seahawks specifically to move up and select him at 144. That decision is already looking like a stroke of genius from a marketing perspective, regardless of how Sanders’ on-field career develops.

During his final season at Colorado, Sanders threw for 3,230 yards with 27 touchdowns against just 3 interceptions while completing 69.3% of his passes. Those aren’t fifth-round numbers by any traditional metric.

So while the NFL might have tried to send a message with his draft position, Shedeur Sanders’ fans are sending a much louder one right back. And it comes in the form of unwavering support and open wallets.