The Sanders family has a lot to look forward to this weekend. After an unprecedented draft day slide left him as a fifth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Shedeur Sanders has finally earned a spot as the starting quarterback of the Cleveland Browns in Week 1 of the preseason. However, he isn’t the only member of the family who could see some playing time this week.
His elder brother, Shilo Sanders, was brought on as an undrafted free agent by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the conclusion of this year’s draft. However, that hasn’t guaranteed him a spot on the official 53-man roster. With a team desperate to improve its defense, depth in the secondary could be vital for head coach Todd Bowles. But the latest reports out of Tampa Bay aren’t painting a very bright picture for the elder Sanders’ rookie.
Can Shilo Sanders Find His Way on the Roster?
A six-year career at the collegiate level, split between South Carolina on his own, and Jackson State and Colorado with his brother and father, Deion Sanders, saw Shilo establish himself as a solid safety coming into the draft.
As the Buffaloes became the sensation of the entire college football landscape, the elder Sanders brother clearly showed enough for the Buccaneers to take a flyer on him. And he hasn’t disappointed since coming onto the team.
Bowles, in particular, was highly complimentary of his work ethic, while adding that the youngster had made some good plays during his time on the field. He also mentioned that the preseason games were a unique test for the undrafted free agent.
However, the latest news from their official depth chart for their preseason opener against the Tennessee Titans could raise some alarm bells. Evan Winter of A to Z Sports pointed out how Sanders was fourth on the safety depth chart behind the likes of Tykee Smith, Kaevon Merriweather, and Rashad Wisdom.
Haven’t seen anyone post the Bucs’ first unofficial depth chart, so here we are.
It’s obviously unofficial, but the positions for Trey Palmer, Sterling Shepard, and Elijah Roberts are a bit interesting and then there’s Shilo buried at the bottom of what’s been a tight compeition… pic.twitter.com/wBBVdovPuN
— Evan Winter (@evan_AtoZ) August 6, 2025
Of course, teams and head coaches often tend to leave veteran names near the top out of respect for their contributions. So, Shilo’s placement could be a smoking gun that doesn’t lead to a fire.
But his work is certainly cut out for him in an extremely deep secondary to stand out to Bowles. However, the one thing the youngster has going for him is the support of the coach. In the same interview, Bowles made it clear, “He’s got a chance to make it.”
