From potential top-three selection to the 144th overall pick, the slide was inexplicable, unexplainable, and historic. But what went on in the weeks and months leading up to the draft made such an unenviable part of NFL history.
From his on-field production to his conduct in pre-draft interviews, a lot of factors have been cited as potential reasons for the draft-day slide that the Colorado Buffaloes superstar had to suffer. Now, more details about his interviews and visits have surfaced.
Shedeur Sanders Stressed That He Doesn’t Have a Trust Fund
Throughout the draft process, Sanders was widely regarded as a top-10 pick. However, as the draft got closer, there were concerns about his demeanor and attitude during interviews.
Reports emerged about his behavior, with some executives describing him as arrogant, brash, and disinterested. FOX Sports detailed his pre-draft journey and included an odd detail: Shedeur repeatedly made it clear to teams that he isn’t financially supported by his father, certified NFL legend and two-time Super Bowl champion Deion Sanders.
“Sanders must have told interviewers 10 times during the pre-draft process that he doesn’t ‘have a trust fund.’ He said it while speaking to the media. He said it while speaking to teams,” Henry McKenna wrote.
Shedeur was trying to send the message that he isn’t set for life financially, so he is still hungry to prove himself.
“The idea [was] that Shedeur — despite his obvious financial security — might be ready to stay humble, take coaching, and put his head down to grind,” McKenna added.
However, for most teams, that wasn’t their takeaway. Shedeur “misplayed his hand during the process,” an NFL scout told McKenna. Unfortunately, there were a ton of missteps in the months that came together to impact his draft stock.
At the NFL Scouting Combine, he sat out the physical activities, and he only interviewed with the top seven teams. This came back to bite him once his draft slide began, as many teams didn’t have an opportunity to meet with him, so all they had to go off of were the narratives and rumors about him.
And several teams that did interview Shedeur didn’t come away impressed.
“A top-seven team asked Sanders to study its playbook for an install at their interview, but he showed up unprepared and instead used the time to interview the team’s leadership. He asked what the plan was to support him,” McKenna wrote. “That question might have been OK — after he scored an A+ on the install. But because Sanders didn’t do the work the team requested, the questions came off as presumptuous.”
Instead, it became a tag that would continue to hang over his head: “Sanders’ lack of professionalism, preparation, and self-awareness killed his chances with at least one team.”
As a result, the reports about his attitude became far more relevant as his draft day slide began. Sanders said all of the right things throughout the draft, yet he still fell to the fifth round in what was the most shocking draft slide in NFL history.
Now, trust fund or not, the path forward for Sanders is clear. He’s joining a QB room in Cleveland that has five quarterbacks in place. While Deshaun Watson is firmly out for the season, he still has to contend with the likes of Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett.
Not to mention Dillon Gabriel, who was taken 50 spots ahead of him with the 94th overall pick by the Browns. Standing out in that pack before taking over the starting job has to be priority numero uno for the Colorado legend.