Shedeur Sanders’ Slide in NFL Draft Cost Him $44 Million

Shedeur might have the most talent in the room but I'm not sure he has the mental ability to be a NFL QB.

Most of his success in college was tied to being an athlete and having Travis Hunter out there to bail him out. You can get away with that in college, doesn't work so well in the NFL.

Can he read defenses and make the right throws......I highly doubt it.

Browns QB "battle" will be interesting to watch play out. 5 bodies but only 2 or 3 will actually make the team. They have a lot of options.....not many good ones.....but a lot of options.
This is absolutely not the truth.

Shadeur is not a great athlete. He threw the ball almost 500 times with an almost 75% completion percentage. The Colorado offense had 5 guys with over 30 catches.

You can argue he doesn't process coverages very quickly and his style won't work in the NFL, but he is much more similar to a Case Keenum than he is to a guy who gets by on athleticism. His lack of athleticism was a drawback.
 

Plenty of guys with talent flame out because they don't have their priorities straight. The comments from around the league were super concerning regarding Shedeur's interviews. What's the point in drafting a guy who thinks that he's already made it? He hasn't. Shedeur could be an NFL caliber QB if he puts in the work. Pretty clear that he needs to get his head screwed on straight or he'll be playing in the UFL in a handful of years.
 

This is exactly it.

The other part of it is that no team wants a distraction as a backup QB. We saw it with Tebow. We saw it with Kapernick (if you believe he really wanted to come back).

If you're a Teddy Bridgewater level talent, with a Johnny Manziel level ego and Tim Tebow level spotlight chasing your around, teams just don't want to deal with it. I think if you adjusted any of those three variables (talent, attitude, spotlight) he's a 2nd round pick minimum.

The antics annoy me, but I think he's pretty talented. I think he's considerably more talented than Gabriel or Pickett.
I'd be more worried about his talent than his antics. You watch games he comes off as an old school WAC or MWC QB. Flinging it all over the place against overmatched DB's on bad teams and then when it came time to play real defenses, it was less than impressive.
 

Plenty of guys with talent flame out because they don't have their priorities straight. The comments from around the league were super concerning regarding Shedeur's interviews. What's the point in drafting a guy who thinks that he's already made it? He hasn't. Shedeur could be an NFL caliber QB if he puts in the work. Pretty clear that he needs to get his head screwed on straight or he'll be playing in the UFL in a handful of years.
If he ends up in the UFL, he will be one completion away from Mel Kiper spending a whole week talking about how he should be starting in the NFL.
 

Shedeur's attitude or ability aside, one takeaway from this draft will be a lot fewer QBs putting their name in the draft with remaining eligibility. Unless they are absolutely certain of going Rd1.

Shedeur, Ewers, and a few other QBs taken in this draft will take pay cuts to go pro. Sanders and Ewers stand to lose several million playing in the NFL next season. Even in the 2nd round they would have taken pay cuts.

This will be the draft that popularizes the professional college player who avoids the draft if they aren't a 1st rounder. In a year or two it will be considered ballsy to enter the draft with remaining eligibility.
 


This is exactly it.

The other part of it is that no team wants a distraction as a backup QB. We saw it with Tebow. We saw it with Kapernick (if you believe he really wanted to come back).

If you're a Teddy Bridgewater level talent, with a Johnny Manziel level ego and Tim Tebow level spotlight chasing your around, teams just don't want to deal with it. I think if you adjusted any of those three variables (talent, attitude, spotlight) he's a 2nd round pick minimum.

The antics annoy me, but I think he's pretty talented. I think he's considerably more talented than Gabriel or Pickett.
I'm not so sure he's more talented than Gabriel or Pickett and the experts in the NFL didn't seem to think so even before the draft. The NFL draft profile for Pickett was 6.4, Shedeur 6.3 & Gabriel 6.1. Most of the reason the shine has come off of Pickett is because he's been competing against NFL level athletes and brains for three years while Shedeur was competing in a lower level P4 conference & FCS Jackson State.

https://www.nfl.com/prospects/kenny-pickett/32005049-4377-7233-6101-772adaebe15c
- Pickett summary: Good size and athlete with a strong arm, but some anticipation and accuracy issues. Boom/bust type prospect. So far Pickett hasn't been either. He's basically proven to be a quality backup or low level starter which makes his floor at only 26 years old a lot higher than either of the two drafted guys below.

https://www.nfl.com/prospects/shedeur-sanders/32005341-4e47-8221-56fd-8e3864421298
- Shedeur summary: Average size and athlete with average arm with good accuracy and anticipation. I saw "game manager" mentioned on multiple profiles. Low ceiling, high floor. Four of the receivers he was throwing to were drafted in the NFL. Did they make him look better or vice versa? Travis Hunter (2nd pick, Rd 1), LaJohntay Wester (Rd 6), Jimmy Horn Jr. (Rd 6), Will Sheppard was also picked up as a UDFA by Tampa Bay.

https://www.nfl.com/prospects/dillon-gabriel/32004741-4260-1185-23ec-097a05dff640
- Gabriel summary: Small size, but good athlete. Below average arm with average accuracy. Game manager.

The more I think about it, not only was Shedeur not a great prospect, he fell multiple levels because what NFL owner wants a rookie coming in promoting his own brand, Legendary, instead of the team brand? They want you promoting and selling TEAM jerseys, not yours. Talk about a lack of focus on the team and distractions galore! The Sanders family badly miscalculated!!! Now, Shedeur is going to be in a dogfight with multiple similarly talented QBs instead of, if he was drafted in round 2 or 3, likely being the anointed future starter behind maybe one capable veteran. Shedeur should consider at least temporarily changing his "Legendary" brand to "Meh".

Cleveland is obviously taking a quantity over quality approach to finally solving their QB problem. They're taking multiple shots at winning the QB lottery.
 

I'm not so sure he's more talented than Gabriel or Pickett and the experts in the NFL didn't seem to think so even before the draft. The NFL draft profile for Pickett was 6.4, Shedeur 6.3 & Gabriel 6.1. Most of the reason the shine has come off of Pickett is because he's been competing against NFL level athletes and brains for three years while Shedeur was competing in a lower level P4 conference & FCS Jackson State.

https://www.nfl.com/prospects/kenny-pickett/32005049-4377-7233-6101-772adaebe15c
- Pickett summary: Good size and athlete with a strong arm, but some anticipation and accuracy issues. Boom/bust type prospect. So far Pickett hasn't been either. He's basically proven to be a quality backup or low level starter which makes his floor at only 26 years old a lot higher than either of the two drafted guys below.

https://www.nfl.com/prospects/shedeur-sanders/32005341-4e47-8221-56fd-8e3864421298
- Shedeur summary: Average size and athlete with average arm with good accuracy and anticipation. I saw "game manager" mentioned on multiple profiles. Low ceiling, high floor. Four of the receivers he was throwing to were drafted in the NFL. Did they make him look better or vice versa? Travis Hunter (2nd pick, Rd 1), LaJohntay Wester (Rd 6), Jimmy Horn Jr. (Rd 6), Will Sheppard was also picked up as a UDFA by Tampa Bay.

https://www.nfl.com/prospects/dillon-gabriel/32004741-4260-1185-23ec-097a05dff640
- Gabriel summary: Small size, but good athlete. Below average arm with average accuracy. Game manager.

The more I think about it, not only was Shedeur not a great prospect, he fell multiple levels because what NFL owner wants a rookie coming in promoting his own brand, Legendary, instead of the team brand? They want you promoting and selling TEAM jerseys, not yours. Talk about a lack of focus on the team and distractions galore! The Sanders family badly miscalculated!!! Now, Shedeur is going to be in a dogfight with multiple similarly talented QBs instead of, if he was drafted in round 2 or 3, likely being the anointed future starter behind maybe one capable veteran. Shedeur should consider at least temporarily changing his "Legendary" brand to "Meh".

Cleveland is obviously taking a quantity over quality approach to finally solving their QB problem. They're taking multiple shots at winning the QB lottery.
Good point on the wrs, always hear how his oline was so bad, but not much mention of his wrs outside of Hunter.
 

This is absolutely not the truth.

Shadeur is not a great athlete. He threw the ball almost 500 times with an almost 75% completion percentage. The Colorado offense had 5 guys with over 30 catches.

You can argue he doesn't process coverages very quickly and his style won't work in the NFL, but he is much more similar to a Case Keenum than he is to a guy who gets by on athleticism. His lack of athleticism was a drawback.
You are right......I may not have described the offense Colorado ran well but it was 100% not a pro system and it is the kind of offense you can use in college but not the pros.

I will be surprised if Shedeur succeeds in the NFL....
 

This is absolutely not the truth.

Shadeur is not a great athlete. He threw the ball almost 500 times with an almost 75% completion percentage. The Colorado offense had 5 guys with over 30 catches.

You can argue he doesn't process coverages very quickly and his style won't work in the NFL, but he is much more similar to a Case Keenum than he is to a guy who gets by on athleticism. His lack of athleticism was a drawback.
Yup

He held the ball too long which is hard to coach out of a guy.
He is seemingly a big headache for a guy who you have to coach timing into




For some reason I was thinking about his 21 million dollar insurance policy for the bowls if he got catastrophically injured during the bowl would his career earnings end up higher?
 



Shedeur's attitude or ability aside, one takeaway from this draft will be a lot fewer QBs putting their name in the draft with remaining eligibility. Unless they are absolutely certain of going Rd1.

Shedeur, Ewers, and a few other QBs taken in this draft will take pay cuts to go pro. Sanders and Ewers stand to lose several million playing in the NFL next season. Even in the 2nd round they would have taken pay cuts.

This will be the draft that popularizes the professional college player who avoids the draft if they aren't a 1st rounder. In a year or two it will be considered ballsy to enter the draft with remaining eligibility.
Carson Beck is laughing all the way to the Lamborghini repair center.
 

Yup

He held the ball too long which is hard to coach out of a guy.
He is seemingly a big headache for a guy who you have to coach timing into




For some reason I was thinking about his 21 million dollar insurance policy for the bowls if he got catastrophically injured during the bowl would his career earnings end up higher?
All of the theatrics aside, he's an interesting prospect for me.

I get that he holds the ball too long and he only throws to open receivers (rather than throwing them to get open), but he has been extremely accurate and he really had the worst OL I've ever seen for a decent college football team. From a pure football standpoint, he reminds me of those guys who played in Leach's system.

It'll be interesting to see what happens in Cleveland. I think he's better than Gabriel and their veterans stink. I think he'll have a chance next year to show something.

Cleveland is absolutely stacked in the draft next year after the Hunter trade and they can either see if they have something in Sanders (unlikely, I agree) and then have a TON of draft capital in a draft with a ton of QB prospects when you don't need a QB - so you can just stockpile future draft capital.

If he doesn't show something, who cares, just draft one of those QBs.
 

I did quite a lot of searching for reasons why he "dropped" and I will try to remember some of them.

An interview of one of the QB whisperers that trains NFL QB's. He said that Sander should be a 6th round pick. Sander has trouble reading defensives which is noted by him being a leader in holding the ball the longest and being a leader in completing passes behind the line. He isn't very athletic, not a good runner and not a very good passer. The guy was not impressed.

At an Interview with a NFL team, they asked SS to explain a specific defensive coverage and he did not know anything about it and he was not very interested in learning. Then, I think it was the Giants that said Sander started to BS his way through a discussion about defensive coverages, he got call out on it and then he got mad about being corrected. uh oh!

It seems quite obvious that SS thought (or was given the impression) that his talent alone would carry him through the games. He did not spend enough time learning defensives and how to attack them. His coaches accepted/encouraged that behavior and it could cost him dearly in the NFL.

We all know that a QB has to be an unending student of the game in order to succeed in the NFL. SS is in for a rude awakening in the NFL. He not at all prepared to be a QB in the NFL.
 

I did quite a lot of searching for reasons why he "dropped" and I will try to remember some of them.

An interview of one of the QB whisperers that trains NFL QB's. He said that Sander should be a 6th round pick. Sander has trouble reading defensives which is noted by him being a leader in holding the ball the longest and being a leader in completing passes behind the line. He isn't very athletic, not a good runner and not a very good passer. The guy was not impressed.

At an Interview with a NFL team, they asked SS to explain a specific defensive coverage and he did not know anything about it and he was not very interested in learning. Then, I think it was the Giants that said Sander started to BS his way through a discussion about defensive coverages, he got call out on it and then he got mad about being corrected. uh oh!

It seems quite obvious that SS thought (or was given the impression) that his talent alone would carry him through the games. He did not spend enough time learning defensives and how to attack them. His coaches accepted/encouraged that behavior and it could cost him dearly in the NFL.

We all know that a QB has to be an unending student of the game in order to succeed in the NFL. SS is in for a rude awakening in the NFL. He not at all prepared to be a QB in the NFL.
Seems like a pretty good summary of the situation with Sanders.

Bottom line is that you can survive in high school and often in college without a lot of the intangibles you need to have to make it in the NFL. But if you don't have those intangibles the NFL will chew you up and spit you out quickly and move on to someone else.

We will get to see real quick what Shedeur is made of. Doesn't look promising but maybe he will prove people wrong and make it. Low risk, high reward proposition for the Browns. If he pans out they got a talent late in the draft, if he doesn't they just cut him and move on to one of their other bad options.
 




All of the theatrics aside, he's an interesting prospect for me.

I get that he holds the ball too long and he only throws to open receivers (rather than throwing them to get open), but he has been extremely accurate and he really had the worst OL I've ever seen for a decent college football team. From a pure football standpoint, he reminds me of those guys who played in Leach's system.

It'll be interesting to see what happens in Cleveland. I think he's better than Gabriel and their veterans stink. I think he'll have a chance next year to show something.

Cleveland is absolutely stacked in the draft next year after the Hunter trade and they can either see if they have something in Sanders (unlikely, I agree) and then have a TON of draft capital in a draft with a ton of QB prospects when you don't need a QB - so you can just stockpile future draft capital.

If he doesn't show something, who cares, just draft one of those QBs.
Agree
I wouldn’t have mind my team taking sanders after the second round.


Only 20% of 4th round picks become 4 year starters
Only 25% of 3rd round picks

A lot of upside to be had in round 3+ with sanders
 

Many of the NFL commentators are throwing massive fits about his slide. It boils down to that the sports media bought into the Sanders hype and predicted that he would be a high pick based on that. The NFL teams didn’t agree and maybe never did during the process. And now many in the media are furious. Deep down they want to create the narrative, not report on it. It sure didn’t play out that way here and they are not happy.
 

What would he have been like if he did not play for his dad in college?

His entitlement screams out loudly. He does not sound like a team player.
 

What would he have been like if he did not play for his dad in college?

His entitlement screams out loudly. He does not sound like a team player.
I think he would have been a 5th round pick. Just minus the conspiracy theories as to why he wasn’t a 1st round pick.
 

I think what happened here is Sanders is probably really like a late 1st to 2nd prospect based on talent. He doesn't have elite arm talent or athleticism. And then you have his dad out there telling people they will refuse to sign with certain teams. And then he goes into interviews with headphones blaring and not prepared for the questions.

Then when he starts falling into the mid rounds people are not really wanting that circus for a backup QB.

I have a feeling that the kid is not very aware of himself due to his father and he was probably given bad advice on how to act in the interviews. He definitely has NFL level talent but given things is father said and the fact that he is not a true blue chip QB based on talent, and the interviews went badly it's not a surprise he fell as far as he did.

Young man probably got some really bad advice and father did him a disservice not being real with him. He was not in a position to demand things, or take interviews lightly but I think he was totally unaware of that fact.
 




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