Deion Sanders doesn’t do stress. Not when he was locking down receivers as Prime Time, not when he took over as Colorado’s head coach, and certainly not now, with his son Shedeur Sanders entering the NFL Draft. Or shall I say, with Shedeur’s stocks plummeting in the draft? Coach Prime, though, is not worried about all that. The job’s done, according to him.
“We’ve already won,” Deion said. “Shedeur’s getting drafted, he’s going in the first round. Shilo’s gonna do his thing. We’re so darn blessed. We’re not stressed.” And you know what? It’s hard to argue with that confidence. Shedeur, after all, has been one of the most talked-about QB prospects in the country. But is it the talent or the celebrity or the brand factor he brings with him?
There’s a guy, who the fans and experts touted to get drafted as the top 3 is falling out of the top 10. Then there’s Jaxson Dart… He’s darting his way up the pile. Whatever may be the reason for it…
ESPN’s Evan Cohen dropped a take that turned heads, suggesting that teams might actually pick Dart over Shedeur. His exact words? “If you told me Jaxson Dart was the second quarterback drafted in the NFL Draft, I’d believe it.”
And when Michelle Smallmon pressed Cohen on whether the Giants—yes, the quarterback-starved team—would actually take Dart over Shedeur, his response was simple: “Would you be surprised?”
“If you told me Jaxson Dart was the second quarterback drafted in the NFL Draft, I’d believe it.”@EvCoRadio thinks teams are mistakenly scared of Shedeur. pic.twitter.com/sndJIbdW0l
— UNSPORTSMANLIKE Radio (@UnSportsESPN) March 20, 2025
Would you? Because this changes everything.
Dart, the Ole Miss standout, isn’t just some long-shot prospect. The guy shattered Eli Manning’s all-time passing record at Ole Miss, a feat so impressive that even Eli—who doesn’t exactly hand out praise like candy—sent him a congratulatory message.
Dart finished his college career with 10,617 passing yards, 12,115 total yards, and 28 wins, making him the winningest quarterback in school history. The Mannings clearly see something in him. Now, it looks like NFL teams do, too.
Now that’s the part of the problem for Shedeur Sanders… The other issue? His game. He is not a run-first quarterback. In today’s NFL, where teams drool over dual-threat QBs like Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen, Shedeur is a different breed. He’s a pocket passer first, a scrambler only when necessary. That’s his game. It’s clean, efficient, and surgical.
But in a draft class without a generational QB talent, teams are looking for every edge they can get. And apparently, some of them think Dart might have it.
To be fair, we can’t see Dart as a safe bet, either. He’s a gunslinger, a risk-taker, the type of quarterback who might have a moment in one play and then force a bad decision the next. But teams love upside, and Dart’s got it in spades. His connection with the Giants’ coaching staff during the Senior Bowl didn’t hurt, either.
As for Shedeur’s connections? He’s losing them. Whatever he gained from his numbers, he’s losing with his post-college season antics. Guess that’s the ‘celeb’ in the Sanders, eh? But it hasn’t sit well with the teams.
Shedeur Sanders’ stunts aren’t helping him
You look at these numbers: 4,134 yards, completed 37 touchdowns, and had 10 interceptions… And you instantly think, ‘Yeah, that’s solid.’ But the films, the scout reports, and even if we overlook those couple things, then, there’s the whole Shedeur Sanders drama. The teams don’t want that. They don’t like that coming from the rookies, out of all their players.
Let’s take the example of the combine. Instead of showing off his arm in front of scouts, Shedeur opted out and saved it for Colorado’s Pro Day. That means if teams wanted a live look, they’ve got to pack their bags for Boulder. Huh?! NFL insider Ian Rapoport broke the news, but Titans beat writer Easton Freeze wasn’t buying the PR spin. His response? A not-so-subtle eye roll: “One of the funnier agent(ish) copy-paste tweets in a while.” Translation? Shedeur’s stunt hasn’t really got on well with the teams.
Syndication: The Coloradoan CU football s junior quarterback Shedeur Sanders warmups before the Rocky Mountain Showdown on Sept. 16, 2023 at Folsom Field in Boulder, Colo. , EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xCrisxTillerx 21441915
Now, skipping the Combine isn’t unheard of. Caleb Williams did it last year, went No. 1 overall, and didn’t look back. Same with Jayden Daniels, who went to Washington and was part of the Cinderella Commanders. But here’s the problem—Shedeur’s not riding that same hype train. His draft stock has been slipping, and the decision to skip out on throwing isn’t helping.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler summed up the league’s reaction: “The coaches I talked to today said, ‘Look, I would have liked to have seen him throw, but I guess I’m just going to have to make that trip to Colorado to see it.’” If you listen closely, you can almost hear the frustration in their voices.
And it’s not just about his stock—it’s the optics. Deion Sanders himself once questioned why any athlete would dodge the Combine. Back in 2015, he posted on X: “Why would an athlete be afraid 2 do what he’s blessed 2 do at the combine? If u have a gift open it up and show the world.”
Fast forward to 2025, and his son is doing the exact opposite. Ironic? Just a little. Shedeur’s camp insists it’s about giving his Colorado receivers a platform, but let’s be real—NFL teams don’t draft out of charity. They want to see their guy under pressure, not in a handpicked setting.
CBS Sports’ latest mock draft has him slipping to No. 22. Not exactly where he expected to be a year ago. And even the EssentiallySports Mock Draft saw him going to Pittsburgh.
So, is this a masterclass in controlling the narrative, or a misstep that could cost him millions? Either way, Shedeur’s got everyone talking. But in the NFL, it’s not about the talk—it’s about proving it on the field. And right now, he’s making teams wait longer than they’d like.
The post Massive Red Flag for Shedeur Sanders After Ditching Combines as NFL Teams Pick 21YO QB Over Deion Sanders’ Son in Drafts – Per ESPN Reporter appeared first on EssentiallySports.