There was a time when Shedeur Sanders was touted as the No.1 overall pick in this year’s NFL draft. However, once the dust had settled, Sanders went through one of the biggest draft slides ever in NFL history. Someone who had led FBS in pass completion percentage and had one of the lowest interception rates. How could a player of such caliber drop to the fifth round? Well, the answer apparently lies in his name. Beyond the negative traits Sanders had in his game, his dad, Deion, might be the biggest reason behind his free fall in the draft.

Well, there were a lot of critics pointing out Sanders’ lack of deep ball capabilities. There’s also his lack of mobility, which made him one of the highest-sacked QBs in college. But those narratives weren’t just limited to football. One high-ranking decision maker for an NFL team said, “It’s never strictly football.” Another high-level executive went on to add, “I think his dad’s involvement hurt him. Some of the things his dad said. I think that weighed on people’s minds.”

Going back a few months before the draft, Deion said some things that may not have gone down well among the NFL franchises. Referring to Shedeur, Shilo, and even Travis Hunter, the Hall of Famer quipped, “I know where I kinda want them to go, and let’s not forget Shilo. But I know where I want them to go. So, there are certain cities that ain’t gonna happen.” Sanders didn’t just speak about dictating the future of his Colorado boys. If things didn’t go in his favor, he even threatened to repeat Eli Manning’s 2004 draft situation. “It’s going to be an Eli. We ain’t doing it,” Deion added.

Manning famously declined to play for the Chargers after they picked him No.1 overall. Eventually, they had to trade him to the Giants, where he spent his entire career winning 2 Super Bowls. But Deion’s comments weren’t the only probable reason behind his son falling to the fifth round. An unnamed executive told USA Today, “He needed a traditional agent like other players. He and his dad, they felt like they didn’t need that. I think that affected him.”

Sanders tried emulating Caleb Williams and Lamar Jackson, who also didn’t have traditional agents. However, unlike those two, it quickly backfired for Sanders. Having a traditional agent could have helped Sanders understand his draft stock. He would have got an idea where the NFL ranks him among other QBs. But nah. Shedeur learned it in a brutal way, falling to the fifth round. While the Bucs picked Shilo as an undrafted free agent, only after sacking Deion as his agent.

Tampa Bay later owned up to how they didn’t want Shilo until his new agent, Drew Rosenhaus, brokered a deal for the team. So, it’s safe to say Deion did had a negative impact on Shedeur and Shilo’s draft stock. But now it’s time to move on as Shedeur looks to nail down a roster spot in a bloated QB room.

Kevin Stefanski’s stern warning to Shedeur Sanders and Co

The Browns have brought in 7 rookies to kickstart a new chapter for their 2025 season. However, the one that caught everyone’s eye was their approach to QBs. After repeatedly ignoring Shedeur Sanders and picking Dillon Gabriel instead, the Browns chose the Colorado superstar QB as their final pick of the draft. His addition to the Browns was heavily scrutinized. Considering the Browns already had Kenny Pickett, Joe Flacco and Dillon Gabriel ahead of him. With two rookie QBs looking to nail down a starting berth, the Browns kicked off their first day of rookie minicamp on Friday.

And unsurprisingly, all eyes were on Stefanski and his approach to Gabriel and Sanders. Shedeur might be a bigger name than his rookie counterpart. However, it was Gabriel who got the first reps ahead of everyone else. But later on, Sanders also got a chance to showcase his capabilities. Those reps in the practice were pretty evenly split between the two. Still, practice snaps won’t determine your place on the team. In his first speech to the rookies, Stefanski made it clear that “You have not made the team.” Whether or not you are a first-rounder or a fifth-rounder, the chances of you making the team depend on your overall evaluation.

Basically, what Stefanski tried to say was that you have to earn your role. Otherwise, you might have to face the consequences. “No one will be given a role. It doesn’t work that way. You will earn a role, and you’ll earn that role based off what you do in this room. In your position. Meeting room. In the weight room, out on the field, in this building, that’s what you’re doing. Earn that role,” Stefanski mused.

Well, only time will tell whether or not Shedeur Sanders can earn his role as a Brown. If not, then those critics who constantly threw shade at Sanders’ capabilities will be proven right. And surely Sanders wouldn’t like that as he prepares to shut down his critics by winning the QB1 role.