The NFL Draft has wrapped, and two former Colorado stars dominated the headlines. Travis Hunter lived out a fairytale, going second overall after the Jaguars traded up and gave up significant capital to land him, even though it was the Browns who had that pick.
Advertisement
But the biggest shock of the weekend was the dramatic fall of his former quarterback, Shedeur Sanders, who slid from a projected first-rounder to the fifth round, where the Browns selected him at 144th overall. In the end, the true winners of both storylines were the Browns.
Cam Newton has finally weighed in on what Shedeur Sanders should expect moving forward after his draft-day slide. Newton believes the NFL humbled Sanders — even though, in his eyes, the former Colorado quarterback deserved to be a top-10 pick. Now, Shedeur enters unfamiliar territory. For the first time in his football journey, he’ll face adversity without his father, Deion Sanders, coaching him, protecting him, or guiding him from the sidelines.
“The first time in Shedeur’s life as a grown man, he’s not being coached by his dad. That’s a lot of impact. Is he deserving of a top-ten pick? Absolutely. Is this a way where people want to be like – we want to humble this guy, even having his jersey retired. Those types of things are going to follow you in the locker room. Daddy ain’t going to be able to save you now.”
Newton warned that Shedeur’s aura and confidence might rub some people the wrong way. In the NFL, nobody hands you anything — and Sanders will have to prove himself, earn respect, and meet every challenge head-on. He has the power to put everything behind him by performing again and rebuilding the narrative around him.
So why did Shedeur Sanders slide down the draft board? It wasn’t due to a single misstep — it was a combination of factors. His personality and bravado reportedly rubbed some decision-makers the wrong way, especially during pre-draft interviews.
In a league where front office personnel and coaches can be thin-skinned and hyper-sensitive to attitude, Shedeur’s confidence may have been perceived as arrogance. And in the close-knit fraternity that is the NFL, rumors and impressions spread like wildfire. Collectively, it seems they wanted to send Sanders a clear message: you’re not in charge here, and we won’t tolerate what we perceive as entitlement.
Beyond personality concerns, there were also legitimate questions about his game. Some evaluators doubted his arm strength, criticized his tendency to take unnecessary sacks, and questioned his athleticism. For many teams, he simply didn’t project as a seamless fit for their system or culture.
Seeing his son spiral down the draft board and remain undrafted during the first two days must have been excruciating for Coach Prime. It’s because he is not only his father but also his coach. However, he didn’t want to harm Shedeur’s confidence, and rather than showing his pain, he urged his son to put all his faith in God. Deion told him merely three powerful words- “God Got Us”.
