Aaron Rodgers, Randy Moss and the biggest falls in NFL Draft history

Ever since the 2024 college football season came to a close, Shedeur Sanders has been expected to be one of the first three players selected in the upcoming NFL draft later this month.

That is, until recently.

Having previously been touted as the likely choice for either the Cleveland Browns or the New York Giants – two quarterback-needy teams who will pick second and third respectively on April 24 – most analysts are now predicting that Sanders could fall down the draft order.

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The New Orleans Saints, who hold the ninth overall pick, are now considered the former University of Colorado signal caller’s most likely destination, while some believe the 23-year-old could slide back even further, landing with a team picking in the 20s.

But Sanders’ falling stock needn’t be seen as an indictment of his NFL future. A glimpse into the recent history of the draft reveals several players who slid further down the picking order than expected yet went on to achieve stardom at the professional level.

One prime example is that of Hall of Fame defensive tackle Warren Sapp.

The former Miami Hurricanes prospect was rated as top-five pick ahead of the 1995 draft, but he fell to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at pick No.12 following reports of his marijuana usage in college.

Sapp went on to earn six All-Pro selections, seven Pro-Bowl nods, a Defensive Player of the Year award in 1999 and the Super Bowl in 2003.

Randy Moss was considered one of the greatest wide receiver prospects of all time after back-to-back seasons of 1,709 and 1,820 receiving yards for the Marshall Thundering Herd.

However, despite being expected to be a top three pick in the 1998 draft after quarterbacks Peyton Manning and Ryan Leif, Moss fell all the way to the 21st pick, which belonged to the Minnesota Vikings, due to concerns over his previous brushes with the law in high school.

Regarded as one of the best pass catchers in football history, Moss owns several NFL records from a career that took in stops with the Vikings, Oakland Raiders, New England Patriots, Tennessee Titans and San Francisco 49ers.

And if Sanders is to slide to the back end of the first round this year, he can take solace from the stellar NFL career of another top-rated quarterback who experienced the same thing in 2005.

Aaron Rodgers was believed to be in contention to be the first overall pick that year. But instead he fell all the way to the Green Bay Packers, who were picking 24th.

Fortuitously for his development, this meant that Rodgers served as the back-up to three-time MVP Brett Favre during his early years at Lambeau Field.

When he finally took over the starting job under centre in 2008, he quickly established himself as one of the best quarterbacks of his generation.

Rodgers won a Super Bowl and four MVP awards in Green Bay, earning recognition as one of the most naturally gifted quarterbacks of all time.

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