Sports pundits concocted all kinds of conspiracy theories as to why Shedeur Sanders failed to be picked within the first two days of the NFL Draft over the weekend, with a lot of them pointing to race despite Cam Ward going No. 1 to the Tennessee Titans.
Sanders eventually fell to the Cleveland Browns in the fifth round. Sanders was considered to be one of the top quarterback prospects, but he was the sixth taken. It was the talk of the NFL all weekend.
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On Monday, ESPN NFL analyst Damien Woody gave a simple reason as to why Sanders slid on “Get Up.”
“I think the NFL sent a message, saying you’re not that dude. Honestly. The overwhelming message I saw when Shedeur slid to the fifth round, the NFL was basically saying you’re not that guy. You’re good but you’re not that guy,” the two-time Super Bowl champion said.
“I’m here to tell everyone out there, everyone who watches the NFL Draft, who loves the NFL, trust me when I tell you this, if you’re that guy, they’re gonna pick you in the first round because the NFL and all these teams are in the winning business. If you can help a team win, they are going to pick you.
“The NFL clearly felt that Shedeur Sanders was a good prospect but he wasn’t what the young people call, he wasn’t him. And then on top of that, you factor in all the celebrity and everything that comes with Shedeur Sanders. … And I’m not the one that’s downplaying. It’s the NFL who ultimately said, you know what, when you combine that fact that we don’t think you are him, and you have all this celebrity and everything that comes with you, that is the ultimate recipe for why you found yourself in the fifth round.”
SHEDEUR SANDERS ENTERS CROWDED QUARTERBACK ROOM AS HE STARTS BROWNS CAREER
Multiple reports pointed to Sanders’ questionable pre-draft interviews as to why he fell. Sanders did not throw at the NFL Scouting Combine, electing to workout at his own showcase weeks before the draft.
Sanders addressed his fall in his first media availability.
“Nothing really affected me the last couple of days,” Sanders said. “I’m favored, I’m blessed. Besides that, it’s not really anything that changed. The love of the game is still the love of the game. When you get on the field, there wasn’t too much negativity being said. I know I gotta clean up some things in my game for me to be at my best, but that’s what I take each offseason one at a time and fix it.
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“The main thing, I’m just proving — coach (Kevin) Stefanski and (general manager Andrew) Berry — that they are right. That’s it. They’re right about picking me. I’m a good decision. I’m a good draft pick for them, to be able to come in there and do what I need to do.”
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