Shedeur Sanders comes with baggage, and none of that’s of his personal volition. The NFL Scouting Mix kicks off in Indianapolis this week, and whereas there’s little question this can be a weak draft at quarterback, Sanders nonetheless finds himself as QB1 on a majority of massive boards. Now it’s nearly cementing that place, and it’s right here the place issues get very, very muddy.
Opinions on Sanders vacillate between ridiculous extremes. These state that the Colorado quarterback will both enter the NFL and redefine the league, or he’s going to be the most important bust within the final decade – and there’s no room for wiggle within the center. That’s essentially the most infuriating a part of discussing Shedeur, as a result of he actually falls between this spectrum. There’s nothing to point he’s going to be horrible. Sanders bodily has all of the instruments, there aren’t any off-field issues about him, and he’s usually been credited for having a peerless work ethic.
Concurrently there are some clear points right here too. Sanders doesn’t have elite arm energy, nor has he proven velocity to scream the ball into tight home windows. As well as, regardless of having stable NFL measurement, Shedeur usually performed small, responding to imagined strain when not within the shotgun, and bailing on performs too early. That is partially resulting from Colorado’s abysmal offensive line, but it surely’s additionally a trait that doesn’t bode effectively for his future within the NFL.
When taken in totality there’s a really particular ceiling to Shedeur Sanders. He merely doesn’t have the instruments to be one of many NFL’s greatest quarterbacks, however that doesn’t imply he’s going to be unhealthy both. If his ceiling within the league is somebody like Tua Tagovailoa, who’s extraordinarily correct, however lacks elite arm energy, making him scheme dependent – then that’s sufficient to win within the NFL. Whether or not or not that’s value a High 5 decide within the NFL Draft is one other story, and one thing groups might want to choose.
There’s no level mincing phrases. The most important drawback with Shedeur Sanders as a prospect is Deion Sanders. Soccer’s king of selling and self-promotion, Prime Time casts a shadow over his son that’s troublesome to flee. When Deion seems on TV saying he has no drawback pulling an Eli Manning and stopping a workforce from drafting Shedeur, certain, a part of that’s simply fatherly concern – but it surely’s additionally a pink flag when Shedeur actually isn’t able to name his personal photographs. Each Eli Manning and John Elway have been coveted No. 1 decide locks after they threw their weight round pre-draft, whereas there’s a really actual likelihood Shedeur is the QB2 behind Miami’s Cam Ward – and that wouldn’t occur if not for Deion Sanders.
The opposite ingredient is that some members of the media are merely frightened of incurring the wrath of Deion Sanders. Prior to now he’s confirmed to be petty with reporters who don’t serve his agenda, and whether or not or not Colorado is nice is immaterial. Deion has made the workforce one of many greatest storylines in school soccer, and reporters stroll on eggshells in consequence – frightened of being minimize off from tales.
This makes it okay to lift an eyebrow and query when reviews are written like this, which sound like crib notes instantly from a sports activities agent.
“He’ll enable his 4 years of movie to talk loudly” is the most important eye-roll conceivable, even when it’s technically true. You merely don’t hear about different prospects getting this identical stage of deference in relation to not throwing — and we’ve got the receipts from one 12 months in the past. Discover how completely different the wording is when it got here to Jayden Daniels, who received the rattling Heisman and had a stronger resume.
#LSU QB Jayden Daniels, one of many NFL Draft’s prime QBs, plans to throw at his Professional Day somewhat than the NFL Mix, sources say. He’ll be in Indy for interviews and conferences, however not work out. pic.twitter.com/nci8RXI9Kr
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 26, 2024
The entire state of affairs makes it troublesome to fully purchase in to Shedeur Sanders. It’s like doing your individual analysis on shopping for a automobile, selecting it, then you definitely get such a tough promote on the dealership that you just begin to get the ick and your toes go chilly for no good cause. It’s abundantly clear that Deion and his workforce are working behind the scenes to bolster Shedeur’s draft inventory, which in comprehensible, however we’re not even in Indy but and that is going to far.
This course of will proceed. Sanders goes to get constructed up for the remainder of this week and into the subsequent till we’re consistently being informed he’s a can’t-miss, Andrew Luck stage prospect — as a result of that’s the plan for him. The pushback to this hyperbole will probably be to model him as a bust, and as soon as extra we’ve got a very good participant (although not nice), caught within the center unfairly.
The very best factor you are able to do as a soccer fan is watch the movie your self. Reduce out the noise. See the authentic professionals and cons to Sanders as a quarterback and formulate an opinion from there — as a result of proper now there’s a whole lot of funding moving into to swaying public opinion and hoping it trickles as much as entrance workplaces.
