NFL draft confidential: College coaches' surprises, sleepers - ESPN

The NFL draft kicked off just as college football's spring transfer portal window was set to close. Although college coaches were primarily focused on the final few pieces of their rosters for the 2025 season, they were also tracking the selections in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Few groups have a better perspective of the draft than college coaches, who directly worked with or coached against the players hearing their names called last weekend. The transfer portal itself is also a factor, as the increased movement of players exposes them to more coaches before they finish their college careers.

ESPN spoke with coaches and coordinators in every Power 4 league, both ahead of and after the draft, to gather opinions on standouts, snubs, team performances and much more.

Here's an evaluation of the 2025 NFL draft through the eyes of college coaches. (Note: Coaches are listed according to their roles during the 2024 season.)

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Shedeur's slide | First-round observations
Notable trends | Team breakdowns

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The biggest story during the first two days of the draft was a player not selected: Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders. Once projected as a top-five pick, Sanders fell all the way to No. 144, going in the fifth round after the Cleveland Browns traded up for him.

Coaches tracked the Sanders saga throughout the weekend. A defensive coordinator who faced Sanders wasn't surprised by the initial hesitancy, saying, «I thought he'd fall but not like this.»

«I was shocked,» a Big 12 coach said. «You never know what the interview process, how that went. I thought besides Cam