Every athlete dreams of getting drafted and going pro. Hearing their name called and walking across a stage to shake the commissioner’s hand is the culmination of years of hard work, sacrifice, and resilience. It’s a special moment that only a select few ever get to experience, and regardless of where they’re picked, every player deserves to have that moment celebrated.
Yet each year, when draft day arrives, we’re given a narrative rooted in negativity. Sports media focuses more on who “fell,” who was “overdrafted” or which teams made the “wrong” decision. Networks broadcasting the draft become overly fixated on the faults of players and teams, which ends up overshadowing the joy and emotion the day is intended to highlight.
From April 25-27, the NFL held their annual first-year player draft in Green Bay, with major networks such as ESPN and NFL Network covering the event live from start to finish.
University of Colorado prospect Shedeur Sanders was recognized as one of the top quarterback options in the class, with many projecting him to be drafted somewhere in the first two rounds. When the first round concluded, Sanders remained undrafted, with numerous teams he’d reportedly been linked to passing on him. The slide continued over the next several rounds until the Cleveland Browns finally selected Sanders in the fifth round on the draft’s third and final day.
For all three days, Sanders’ unexpected slide dominated draft coverage across every major platform. With each passing pick, the focus shifted toward speculating as to why he was falling. Questions arose over whether his father, NFL legend and head coach at the University of Colorado, Deion Sanders was a factor, or if his confidence rubbed teams the wrong way. Suddenly the 2025 NFL Draft became not about the 257 draftees entering the league, but about one single player.
What became lost in the coverage of Sanders’ so-called “fall” was the fact that he still achieved what every young football player dreams of. Rather than being allowed to celebrate the life-changing moment of being drafted to the NFL, his story became framed as a disappointment. The constant focus on where he wasn’t picked casted a dark cloud over what should have been a joyful and validating milestone for him and his family, regardless of the round.
That same negativity shifted the spotlight away from countless other incredible stories across draft weekend. Pittsburgh Steelers first-rounder Derrick Harmon got to tell his mother he’d made it to the NFL just moments before she passed away. Malaki Starks, drafted by the Ravens, overcame homelessness to become a first-round pick. In the green room, future Buffalo Bill Maxwell Hairston stood and applauded every single player chosen before him.
The stories of perseverance, gratitude, and personal triumph all embody the true meaning of sports and the human impact they have. But when coverage is shaped by overreactions, hot takes, and narratives of failure, those emotional moments are pushed aside.
It’s sickening to see nearly every draft turn into a spectacle of drama, controversy and ridicule. The intense analysis of what went right and wrong can come afterward, but not in the moment.
Draft day should center on honoring each player’s journey and recognizing the fulfillment of lifelong dreams. That’s what makes the draft special, and that’s what coverage ought to reflect.
