Shilo Sanders, son of NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, has signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent.
In 2023, he led Colorado with 70 tackles, four forced fumbles, and returned an 80-yard interception for a touchdown. Despite missing three games in 2024 due to a broken forearm, Sanders amassed 55 tackles, one sack, and a forced fumble.
What Was Shilo Sanders’ Message to the Bucs?
Upon signing, Sanders expressed his gratitude on social media, stating: “Shout out (to) God! All I needed was a opportunity!!! Thank you.”
Sanders was considered a fringe prospect because of his injury history. He had ACL issues and a broken forearm that negatively affected two of his six college seasons. Both injuries may have been the result of his aggressive style of play. However, he excels in run support, and is capable of delivering heavy hits. He’s a versatile defensive back who can play deep safety and step up in the box.
His high football IQ and coachability are green-flags for any team, especially since Deion Sanders is known for being hard on all of his players — especially his own sons. He’s a ball hawk who forces fumbles, nabs interceptions, and brings big defensive momentum swings.
However, Sanders needs to improve in some major areas. He may be a ball hawk, but he needs to refine his man-to-man technique if he wants any chance at making an NFL roster. Though he can smack and hit with the best of them, he absolutely must work on fundamental tackling and avoid missed opportunities that come from going for the big hit instead of simply bringing a ball carrier down.
He had a solid college career, but Sanders did go undrafted. Some of that was attributed to injury concerns, but his athletic testing numbers were not the best. He wasn’t invited to the NFL Scouting Combine and instead held a Pro Day at the University of Colorado, where he reportedly ran a 4.52 40-yard dash, had a 9-foot-5 broad jump, and measured in at 6-foot, 195 pounds. He didn’t participate in the bench press or vertical jump during his Pro Day.
A professional career is not out of the question for Sanders if he can improve on the aforementioned areas. His physical style of play and intelligence give him a good chance to land a special teams role and be a rotational safety.
Keeping up his health will be a huge factor in whether or not he can make the Bucs’ roster. If he can boost his coverage skills, he could find himself as a rotational safety rather than just a special teams player. Regardless, he’s gotten the chance he was hoping for.