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Nobody can quite pinpoint why Shedeur Sanders slid into the fifth round of the 2025 NFL draft, but several high-level NFL team executives have offered their reasons.
After the draft, speculation and reports ran rampant about how Sanders handled the pre-draft process poorly, and some of these executives agreed. Two executives were quick to point to Sanders' brand and his father's involvement, Deion Sanders, which weighed heavily on their decision-making.
"It's not about being a brand," one of those high-ranking decision-makers told USA Today's Jarrett Bell. "It's about being a teammate and earning a job."
All the executives echoed the sentiment that they did not see Sanders's talent as worthy of a first-round pick. An executive for an AFC team said they did have Sanders mocked in the first round, but that was primarily due to the premium paid for the quarterback position.
That AFC executive said that players of Sanders' caliber "usually go in the first round," while a different high-ranking decision maker said that while they didn't have a first-round grade on him, it was "higher than fifth [round]."
This contrasts with a statement from an NFC executive, who offered a scalding opinion of Sanders's handling of the pre-draft process. The executive said that his team tried to schedule an interview with Sanders despite not being in the market for a quarterback, and he outright refused the interview.
The NFC executive claims that Sanders told a scout from his team, "You've already got a quarterback, and you're not in the top 5."
Despite this, the NFC executive claims it didn't affect Sanders's third-round grade. The executive said he felt Sanders's arm strength was "good, not great" and that he held onto the ball too long at Colorado.
Multiple executives felt Sanders had an "unrealistic view of his value," but they blamed Sanders's father, Deion Sanders, more for this.
"I think he had some bad advice from his father," an executive said. "He needed a traditional agent like other players. He and his dad felt like they didn't need that. I think that affected him."
While the confusion around Sanders continues to gain clarity by the day, it's evident that there is not one reason why he slid down the draft. Sanders, for his part, is trying to put it behind him and focus on competing for the starting job in Cleveland.
Contact/Follow us @BuffaloesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Colorado news, notes and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Buffaloes Wire: Shedeur Sanders draft slide: NFL executives give honest reasons
Continue reading...
After the draft, speculation and reports ran rampant about how Sanders handled the pre-draft process poorly, and some of these executives agreed. Two executives were quick to point to Sanders' brand and his father's involvement, Deion Sanders, which weighed heavily on their decision-making.
"It's not about being a brand," one of those high-ranking decision-makers told USA Today's Jarrett Bell. "It's about being a teammate and earning a job."
All the executives echoed the sentiment that they did not see Sanders's talent as worthy of a first-round pick. An executive for an AFC team said they did have Sanders mocked in the first round, but that was primarily due to the premium paid for the quarterback position.
That AFC executive said that players of Sanders' caliber "usually go in the first round," while a different high-ranking decision maker said that while they didn't have a first-round grade on him, it was "higher than fifth [round]."
This contrasts with a statement from an NFC executive, who offered a scalding opinion of Sanders's handling of the pre-draft process. The executive said that his team tried to schedule an interview with Sanders despite not being in the market for a quarterback, and he outright refused the interview.
The NFC executive claims that Sanders told a scout from his team, "You've already got a quarterback, and you're not in the top 5."
Despite this, the NFC executive claims it didn't affect Sanders's third-round grade. The executive said he felt Sanders's arm strength was "good, not great" and that he held onto the ball too long at Colorado.
Multiple executives felt Sanders had an "unrealistic view of his value," but they blamed Sanders's father, Deion Sanders, more for this.
"I think he had some bad advice from his father," an executive said. "He needed a traditional agent like other players. He and his dad felt like they didn't need that. I think that affected him."
While the confusion around Sanders continues to gain clarity by the day, it's evident that there is not one reason why he slid down the draft. Sanders, for his part, is trying to put it behind him and focus on competing for the starting job in Cleveland.
Contact/Follow us @BuffaloesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Colorado news, notes and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Buffaloes Wire: Shedeur Sanders draft slide: NFL executives give honest reasons
Continue reading...
