Silence speaks louder than words. As cliche as that sounds, there’s a reason the phrase has stood the test of time. The overarching point stands, and will perpetually. But your significant other giving you the silent treatment after you ditched date night for March Madness is one thing. And NFL media going radio silent on you through the draft build-up, a line in the sand for your career as a prospect, is a whole ‘nother proposition. One temporarily stings, the other causes panic. This resounding silence on the media front is what safety Shilo Sanders is being subjected to. He’s retaliating back by taking matters into his own hands.
Conceded, Shilo Sanders got the short end of the stick when it came to his family’s athletic prowess. Based on pure merit and what he put on tape, he probably doesn’t warrant much hype around the NFL. But you’d assume being the son of Deion Sanders means someone takes a punt at you. Chance the genepool and hope some of Prime’s talent permeated through via osmosis by simply being around him. Yet, there’s absolutely no interested parties for Shilo- at least not ones that are even slightly vocal about their interest. To be fair, he’s not sulking and standing on ceremony, waiting for things to pass by him. Who needs proponents and wingmen boosting your draft stock when you’ve got yourself a fairly large social media following.
Shilo Sanders probably got irked by the sheer lack of news pertaining to his chances of being drafted. Maybe he felt threatened. Or maybe he just need to feel better about himself as he prepares for Colorado’s Pro Day after having not been invited to Indy for the NFL Combine. Either way, Shilo’s taken measures to counteract the silence and get some motion going. He took to his IG stories and relayed a previous post of his own. One that’s over 6 weeks old. This apparent act of desperation was him quite literally rehashing Shilo’s Greatest Hits.
The post, labelled “Shilo Sanders Top 10 hardest hits”, is exactly that. 10 different clips of him bringing down receivers and tight ends in the secondary- with force. The post is a joint-upload with the @nflrookiewatch handle from February 11. The caption of this IG post include some plaudits Shilo received for his “hits” An excerpt from the caption read “Shilo Sanders might be the HARDEST-HITTING safety in this year’s NFL Draft…One NFL scout reportedly believes Sanders has the ability to deliver ‘highlight-worthy hits’ game in and game out in the NFL.” Alas, this brute strength and ability to impose his physicality on the opposition doesn’t seem to be helping him a lot. But it is good reminder of Shilo’s one top-end trait.
Despite this lack of reporting around Shilo’s NFL future, he cannot afford to stop putting in the work and honing his skills. As aforementioned, he wasn’t present at the Combine. Meaning Pro Day has a lot riding on it. This upcoming prognosis could decide if he bets his shot in the pros. Shilo recognizes this, and has been laser-focused on testing off the charts. One drill in particular has been at the crux of his prep leading up to Pro Day.
Shilo Sanders’ Pro Day prep centered around one drill
Pro Day is more than a mere physical and skill-based testing ground. It’s an opportunity for NFL decision-makers to weigh players intangibles as well. That said, the 40-yard dash still remains the epitome. Not only is it most exciting from a spectating POV, but it’s uber-valuable in determining players’ athleticism. Which is perhaps the no.1 trait teams are looking for. You can coach skill, but you can’t coach speed. During the entirity of this draft process, Shilo Sanders has displayed tunnel-vision towards clocking a great time in the 40. It seems like the only thing on his mind. To add a little more motivation and extra spring in his step- he’s even got a bet going with his dad.
“I’m running a 4.4,” is what Shilo has promised Deion Sanders. Coach Prime, who ran a 4.27 at the 1989 Combine himself, reciprocated Shilo’s promise with one of his own. “Let’s do it…If you run a 4.4, I’ll buy you a new car.” said Deion. This interaction was posted to Shilo Sanders’ namesake YouTube channel. “When I get a good start you’re gonna be like ‘Damn’” replied Shilo, exuding confidence he’s indeed going to get that car.
To be fair, running a 4.4 could do more for Shilo Sanders than a car. It’ll surely create a dent in the NFL hivemind. At the very least, it’ll get people talking. Which is more than he’s got going right now. Off-field issues that have culminated into a lawsuit, in addition to his game have rendered a dark cloud over Shilo Sanders’ future in the sport. Pro Day will go a long way in making things clearer.
The post Shilo Sanders Sends Powerful Reminder to NFL as No Draft Stocks Update Leads to Tensions appeared first on EssentiallySports.