Shedeur Sanders is expected to be one of this year’s top NFL Draft picks — despite not working out at the combine.
The Colorado Buffaloes quarterback announced before the annual event that he will instead bank on impressing scouts at his Pro Day later this month.
While he didn’t partake in any drills at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Sanders did interview with teams, and apparently made some waves.
According to NFL insider Josina Anderson, a quarterbacks coach from a top-seven drafting team labeled the 23-year-old’s conduct as ‘brash’ and ‘arrogant’ during his meeting.
Todd McShay of Underdog Fantasy also suggested some felt Sanders ‘did not take a professional approach to his interviews’.
He added that he heard from two teams with top 10 draft picks that felt the prospect ‘did not care too much what they or the organization felt of him.’
Dane Brugler, The Athletic’s NFL Draft Analyst, suggested the issue with Sanders is not that he’s a ‘good guy or a bad guy’ but that he’s a ‘not for everyone’ guy.
The reports sparked a big debate, with some suggestion that Sanders’ draft stock potentially took a hit before he has thrown a single pass.
Others, meanwhile, suggested that brashness and arrogance are two traits that can make an NFL quarterback great.
An anonymous NFC assistant coach even compared the young prospect to the great Tom Brady.
“The assistant believed Sanders’ personality would be infectious, his pocket presence and mechanics looking kind of Brady-esque,” Yahoo Sports reporter Jori Epstein wrote.
“He’s tough as nails. I think players will buy into the swag, the confidence. He knows his limitations and he plays to his strengths: His pocket presence, awareness, toughness to hang in there.”
And while there have been some questioning Sanders’ attitude in recent days, the Buffaloes star recently showed his true colors by jumping to the defense of fellow QB prospect Will Howard after he appeared to struggle in some of his combine drills.
The Ohio State star, who led the Buckeyes to the National Championship in January, connected on several shorter passes, showing his ability to move an offense when in sync with his receivers.
But he struggled with some of his longer throws, failing to find his receivers on deep balls.
Some of his throws were inaccurate, with receivers needing to jump or stretch to try and catch passes that should have been routine, while others were completely off target.
One reporter went as far as describing Howard’s showing as ‘ugly’ — and the NFL’s website suggested his stock has fallen.
Sanders, however, took to social media to defend his fellow QB after the combine.
“I don’t understand y’all hating on Will Howard,” the Colorado QB posted on X.
“He just won a Natty. It’s hard to throw to WRs that you don’t know, everyone runs routes different.”
Plenty of fans will have taken notice of the reports around Sanders’ attitude that have been coming out of the combine, but his public defence of a fellow prospect would suggest that he also possesses the traits of a true leader.
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