Former Colorado star quarterback Shedeur Sanders remained available after the first round of the NFL draft drew to a close Thursday night in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Ditto for Michigan cornerback Will Johnson, Marshall edge Mike Green and South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori.
Those players could be among the top picks Friday when the draft shifts to the second of seven rounds. Round 3 also is set for Friday, followed by rounds 4-7 on Saturday.
Here are some of the other players who could hear their name called early in the second round of the NFL draft:
• Boston College edge Donovan Ezeiruaku
• LSU tight end Mason Taylor
• Missouri receiver Luther Burden III
• Ohio State running back TreVeyon Henderson
• UCLA linebacker Carson Schwesinger
• Ohio State running back Quinshon Judkins
And here’s the draft order for the first 10 picks of the second round:
Round 2
33. Cleveland
34. Houston
35. Tennessee
36. Cleveland
37. Las Vegas
38. New England
39. Chicago
40. New Orleans
41. Chicago
42. New York Jets
The New York Giants passed on Sanders twice in Thursday’s first round, including with the No. 3 pick. Las Vegas (at No. 6), the New York Jets (No. 7), New Orleans (No. 9) and Pittsburgh (No. 21) also said no thanks to Sanders, and that’s four teams seemingly in need of a signal-caller.
How far will Sanders fall now?
He will definitely be available when the second round begins with QB-needy Cleveland on the clock. The Browns hold two of the first four picks in the round.
There was some thought a team would trade into the bottom end of the first round and grab Sanders. But no one did.
The Giants looked like they might. They sent three picks to Houston for the 25th overall selection and then chose Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart over Sanders. TV cameras showed a solemn Sanders family watching and waiting in Canton, Texas.
Concerns about Sanders’ arm strength have become an issue in recent weeks, although his father, Pro Football Hall of Famer and Colorado coach Deion Sanders, laughed at that notion. In 50 collegiate games, Shedeur Sanders threw for 14,347 yards, with 134 touchdowns and 27 interceptions. He completed 70.1% of his passes and ran for 17 more scores.
He finished eighth in Heisman Trophy voting. Former Colorado teammate Travis Hunter went second overall to Jacksonville, which traded four picks to move up three spots and select the Heisman winner.
But Sanders didn’t get the same first-round party. Although there was some speculation he might slide to the second round, most outsiders figured someone — maybe a big-city franchise — would take a chance on the talented left-hander who brings an entourage.
Sanders previously said he didn’t need the bright lights of Broadway or the Bellagio. “I could bring cameras and eyes anywhere I go,” he said. And he insisted the attention wouldn’t bother him one bit because, as his father said, he was raised to keep calm and carry on.
“One thing I learned is to not really care about anybody’s opinion but those around us who matter,” Shedeur said.
His father has been outspoken all along the way.
“We’ve already won,” Deion Sanders said. “We came from a private school. And we came from an HBCU. We’ve won.”
— From staff and wire reports