Shedeur Sanders is coming into the 2025 NFL Draft as arguably its most polarizing player. While immensely popular, his pedigree and game have left fans, media, and analysts conflicted on how good he could be in the NFL. As a result, his draft positioning continues to fluctuate.
But at the collegiate level, there is no doubt that Sanders was an exceptional talent. As he turned the fate of the Jackson State and Colorado programs around, he had a familiar face in his dad, NFL legend Deion Sanders, as the head coach. A question from a fan on his podcast left the quarterback prospect to make a tough choice regarding his father.
Shedeur Sanders vs. Deion Sanders: Who Wins?
Ahead of draft day in Green Bay, Wisc., Shedeur sat down for the latest episode of his podcast, “2Legendary with Shedeur Sanders,” where fans had a rather interesting question to pose for him. “Could your dad get any interceptions off you?”
A two-time Super Bowl champion, Deion is one of the most remarkable athletes in American Sports history. One of the few players to play in multiple sports professionally, he even appeared in a World Series in the MLB.
In the NFL, he was a singularly dominant force, winning a Defensive Player of the Year award and making eight Pro Bowl and All-Pro appearances as one of the best corners in the history of the game. For the younger Sanders, the decision wasn’t very difficult to make.
“Yeah, I feel like he can. I let some random guys get it, so I know he’s able to get it.”
Sanders, of course, is talking about his collegiate career. Over four years, split between two seasons each at Jackson State and Colorado, he recorded a relatively low 27 interceptions.
Still, he built his name on efficiency, finishing his college run with a completion rate above 70%, including 74% in his final season.
But Deion? He picked off 53 passes in the NFL and grabbed 13 more while at Florida State. So it’s not a stretch to say he could’ve taken one off his son.
The incoming rookie had no problem accepting that defeat as he prepares for a pivotal April 24. Long predicted to be a first-round selection, Sanders was sent to the New Orleans Saints with the ninth overall pick in the latest mock draft from PFSN.
With the injury to Derek Carr forcing him out of the starting job, potentially for the entire 2025 season, it might put the onus on Sanders to lead his new team right off the bat. It’ll be interesting to see how he handles that pressure immediately.
