After Shedeur Sanders was initially expected to be a top three pick in the 2025 NFL Draft following his departure from Colorado, the 23-year-old signal caller is now facing concerns over falling out of the top 10 altogether. Mock drafts from around the nation are forecasting a harsh reality check for Sanders come draft day, however, some believe that his faltering stock is nothing more than the result of an unjust smear campaign.
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Among those who believe that the football community has over-corrected in their evaluation of Sanders as a prospect is ESPN’s long-standing talk show host, Stephen A. Smith. During the latest episode of the aptly titled Stephen A. Smith Show, the controversial media personality exclaimed “I don’t like this at all,” when attempting to assess the ongoing narrative surrounding the former Buffalo.
“I think it is B.S. I understand these kind of things happen, but to me, the downfall or the diminished status of his cache, his value, hit when he went to see the New York Jets. Then you heard something along the lines of ‘arrogance.’ …You heard something about him being overly confident. You’re a quarterback entering the National Football League, what are you supposed to feel?,” Smith outlined.
According to Smith, the NFL front office members and fans alike are simply looking for “an excuse to devalue this kid.” Considering that Sanders’ stock continues to fall even though a single game has yet to be played, the tenured analyst might be onto something.
While the 2024 Golden Arm winner has aligned his brand with that of luxury watches and designer shoes, there remains plenty of on-field talent to back that up. After all, Sanders did manage to set the all-time FBS career record for pass completion percentage throughout his time at Jaxson State and Colorado.
Smith did maintain that Cam Ward is the rightful number one QB prospect of the draft, but that fact shouldn’t come at the cost of Sanders.
“Does he have the arm strength or the wheels that Cam Ward has? No. But the brother can ball,” Smith shared.
Despite his assertion that Sanders is a more than a reputable prospect that NFL teams should be more excited about, Smith suggests that the father-son dynamic involving Shedeur’s hall of fame father, Deion, is ultimately to blame for his dwindling interest.
Nevertheless, Smith made sure to give the former Atlanta Falcon his due credit in surmising that his presence could be problematic to scouts.
“I think the number one thing that Shedeur Sanders has going up against him is that people know that to deal with him, you’re going to have to deal with his father… An incredible football mind, who knows the game better than most? He’s not going to let you take advantage of his son.”
Many pundits have begun to link Sanders’ name to the Pittsburgh Steelers and, to a greater extent, the Los Angeles Rams. Ever the contrarian, Smith still proposed that Sanders will hear his name called upon early during the night one of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Citing the Las Vegas Raiders and New Orleans Saints, two teams who both have picks within the top 10, as potential landing spots, the analyst seemingly suggested that it would be impossible to see Sanders slide past the Steelers. However, it’s worth noting that the Saints are still the odds-on favorite to draft him at this point in time.
Even though the draft is officially just a few sleeps away, neither the fans nor Sanders are any closer to knowing where he will land. Given the hectic nature of this draft cycle, it’s hard to have any confidence in a potential landing spot until it is announced live on April 24th.
