{"id":33526,"date":"2025-05-08T11:05:12","date_gmt":"2025-05-08T11:05:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/33526\/"},"modified":"2025-05-08T11:05:12","modified_gmt":"2025-05-08T11:05:12","slug":"nfl-executives-are-blunt-about-reasons","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/33526\/","title":{"rendered":"NFL executives are blunt about reasons"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"play\"<\/p>\n

Former QB Alex Smith shares advice for Shedeur Sanders<\/p>\n

Former NFL quarterback Alex Smith shares advice for Shedeur Sanders after his shocking fall in the draft.<\/p>\n

Sports Seriously<\/p>\n

Listen to some of the key voices from inside NFL draft war rooms. Let them tell us why Shedeur Sanders, projected by plugged-in analysts as a surefire first-round pick, became the man with arguably the most precipitous slide in draft history.<\/p>\n

What the heck happened?<\/p>\n

The former Colorado quarterback, son of Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, lasted until the 5th round, when the Cleveland Browns<\/a> drafted him 144th overall.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s never strictly football,\u201d contended a high-ranking decision-maker for an NFL team.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think his dad\u2019s involvement hurt him,\u201d a high-level executive from another team maintained. \u201cSome of the things his dad said, I think that weighed on people\u2019s minds.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was talent-based,\u201d insisted the top personnel executive from an NFC team. \u201cThere were other factors, but you can\u2019t chalk it all up to that.\u201d<\/p>\n

The three executives who shared those perspectives were among several who agreed to speak to USA TODAY Sports in the days following the draft, assessing Sanders\u2019 tumble. All spoke on the condition of anonymity, not wanting to be identified due to the sensitivity of the issue \u2013 which undoubtedly raises questions about the subjectivity of the NFL draft process and by extension the influence of cultural bias.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe liked Shedeur,\u201d added the high-ranking decision-maker, whose team was clearly in the market to draft a quarterback. \u201cBut you can\u2019t separate the other stuff from the physical abilities.\u201d<\/p>\n

The \u201cother stuff\u201d he alluded to didn\u2019t involve any of the major off-the-field issues (such as arrests or substance abuse) that can get prospects removed from a team\u2019s draft board. Instead, he expressed concerns about Sanders\u2019 leadership style and a flashy persona that included flexing a customized, diamond-studded watch that he wore during games and promoting his personal clothing line, \u201c2Legendary.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not about being a brand,\u201d the decision-maker added. \u201cIt\u2019s about being a teammate and earning a job.\u201d<\/p>\n

We knew for months that Sanders, poised to report to the Browns rookie minicamp this weekend, represented one of the draft\u2019s biggest storylines. He was clearly the most polarizing player in the draft, as suggested during and since the three-day event by the barrage of opinions, analysis and yes, conspiracy theories hatched, which followed intense scrutiny and controversy in the weeks leading up to the late-April draft.<\/p>\n

Yet even with that, few, if any, in the NFL universe \u2013 including some charged to evaluate prospects for NFL teams \u2013 suspected that he would last until the third day of the draft.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t think \u2018first-round,'” the decision-maker added. \u201cBut I thought higher than fifth.\u201d<\/p>\n

‘We never had him as a first-round pick’<\/p>\n

Of course, where Sanders ranked on the draft board of any given team reflects the traditional crapshoot nature of the draft and nuances that include variations in standards of evaluation for one team versus another. When it comes to the draft, consensus often is not the ticket after the blue-chip players from any given crop are accounted for.<\/p>\n

One high-ranking executive described the marks his team puts on prospects as three separate grades. In addition to grades for pure football and a medical grade (which considers the effect of past injuries), there\u2019s an \u201cintensity\u201d grade that covers intangibles. Standardized cognitive testing used by the NFL, off-the-field issues, culture fit concerns are factors weighed in the latter grade.<\/p>\n

Sanders remained on that team\u2019s board, but the executive said, \u201cWe never had him as a first-round pick.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, another high-ranking executive from an AFC team that was not in the market to draft a quarterback projected Sanders as a possible first-round pick because of the premium on quarterbacks. He said Sanders did not rank among the top 32 players on their board for overall grades but projected as a \u201ccapable starter.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUsually, that guy goes in the first round,\u201d he said. \u201cAs a running back, you\u2019d think second or third round. But it\u2019s different for a quarterback. The quarterback position is more valuable. We expected him to go early.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sanders, he added, was clearly rated as the second-best quarterback prospect on their board after Cam Ward, who was drafted No. 1 overall by the Tennessee Titans. As the draft unfolded, though, Ole Miss product Jaxson Dart (Giants, 25th overall), Louisville\u2019s Tyler Shough (Saints, 40th), Alabama\u2019s Jalen Milroe (Seahawks, 92nd) and Oregon\u2019s Dillon Gabriel (Browns, 94th) were all drafted before Sanders.<\/p>\n

Interestingly, the Browns passed on Sanders in selecting Gabriel. After Day 2 of the draft, Browns general manager Andrew Berry said \u201cfit comes into play\u201d in explaining why the team passed on Sanders.<\/p>\n

The next day, Berry rationalized the decision to draft Sanders in the context of value acquired by taking a quarterback at that point in the draft.<\/p>\n

Who knows? If Sanders blossoms into the answer for a franchise that has floundered repeatedly in seeking a franchise quarterback, his bargain-basement price for draft capital and cap dollars (he will count for less than $1 million against the salary cap), it would be quite the counter to the enormous price paid ($254 million guaranteed, three first-round picks) for the bust that is Deshaun Watson, injury mishaps or not.<\/p>\n

The AFC team\u2019s executive who saw Sanders as a first-rounder said that his team had no formal interaction with the quarterback during the draft process, opting not to put resources in evaluating a prospect they viewed as a starter rather than backup. Although they were aware of reports from other teams \u2013 such as the story that surfaced during the combine when an assistant coach from another team declared that Sanders was \u201carrogant\u201d during what he rated as the worst interview he ever encountered \u2013 there were no knocks to document from first-hand experience.<\/p>\n

Conversely, the executive from an NFC team offered a scathing rebuke of Sanders. He said Sanders refused to interview with his team, which has an established quarterback in his prime. He said that in turning down the interview at the combine, Sanders told one of his team\u2019s scouts: \u201cYou\u2019ve already got a quarterback and you\u2019re not picking in the top 5.\u201d<\/p>\n

An unrealistic view of value<\/p>\n

It\u2019s typical for teams to conduct 15-minute, formal interviews with top prospects at the combine or all-star bowl games, even if they have no plans to draft them. It\u2019s an opportunity for teams to become familiar with players and file impressions, perhaps for future reference, such as with free agency or trade talks.<\/p>\n

That exchange, though, also underscores something else that multiple voices from teams expressed: Sanders had an unrealistic view of his value.<\/p>\n

In any event, in this case the executive said Sanders\u2019 refusal to interview wasn\u2019t a factor in his projection of the quarterback as a third or fourth-round pick. Nor was Sanders\u2019 decision not to work out at the combine a factor, he insisted, while mentioning that in 2024, Caleb Williams didn\u2019t work out at the combine before becoming the No. 1 pick overall.<\/p>\n

Shedeur Sanders takes high road after NFL draft plunge. His response: gratitude<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cWe grade the position the same every year,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

While he praised Sanders for his accuracy and toughness, he considered his arm strength as \u201cgood, not great\u201d and questioned his process in reading progressions. Sanders led the nation with a 74% completion rate in 2024 and in two seasons at Colorado fired 64 touchdown passes (13 interceptions). The executive said the high number of sacks Sanders absorbed (94 as a junior and senior) couldn\u2019t be blamed solely on a suspect offensive line. Sanders, he maintained, too often held onto the football for too long while locking in on targets.<\/p>\n

Although he had reservations about some of the non-football questions, he doubled down on the talent-based assessment by referencing a controversial Cincinnati Bengals pick from the 2017 draft.<\/p>\n

The executive said: \u201cJoe Mixon slapped a woman on TV<\/a> and still got drafted in the second round.\u201d<\/p>\n

In other words, the executive underscored the notion that talent so often eclipses other factors when it comes to opportunity.<\/p>\n

Still, the standards are typically different for a quarterback pegged to be the face of a franchise. Sanders’ supporters, considering race, will point to Baker Mayfield and Johnny Manziel, as examples in recent years of flashy white quarterbacks who became first-round picks. By the same token, one of the executives pointed to a Black quarterback, Cam Newton, like Mayfield a No. 1 pick overall, as a cautionary example.<\/p>\n

The son-of-coach score usually carries weight<\/p>\n

Before he was drafted in 2011, Newton raised eyebrows when he maintained that he wanted to become \u201can entertainer and an icon.\u201d<\/p>\n

More recently, Newton fueled buzz by stating that when he got to the Carolina Panthers he arrived to a \u201clocker room of losers.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a stretch to project that mentality on Sanders. But one team decision-maker contends that the quarterback\u2019s persona rubs him as a \u201clook-at-me\u201d form of selfishness \u2013 even in an age where players are more prone to social media exploits and creative on-the-field celebrations.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe quarterback\u2019s already getting the money and attention,\u201d the decision-maker said. \u201cThey don\u2019t have to make more attention. It doesn\u2019t play well with your team.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll the red flags are there. If it was a different position, it probably wouldn\u2019t have the same level of importance.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Sanders, it\u2019s even deeper than being a quarterback. Another layer of standard is attached to his famous father.<\/p>\n

This seems a bit sticky. On one hand, you\u2019d think that prospects (Shedeur\u2019s older brother, Shilo, a safety, signed as an undrafted free agent with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers) raised by one of the greatest athletes of his era would have traits instilled in them that would aid in their pursuit of pro football careers. And throughout their lives, they\u2019ve been exposed to resources (like Shedeur calling Tom Brady for advice) that many could only dream of. Also, the father happens to be an immensely successful college coach.<\/p>\n

Typically, son-of-coach scores well on the NFL evaluation meter. Yet one NFL executive viewed Coach Prime\u2019s impact on Shedeur\u2019s draft process as a detriment.<\/p>\n

Sure, some might fret about the possibility of the Hall of Famer publicly skewering a team if adversity strikes with his son. Deion has spoken in the past about teams he wouldn\u2019t want Shedeur to play for and opined on why some teams repeatedly pick high in the draft.<\/p>\n

Yet the team executive maintains that Shedeur\u2019s draft stock suffered because of the approach to the draft process.<\/p>\n

Shedeur Sanders’ dramatic NFL draft slide seems deeper than pure football<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cI think he had some bad advice from his father,\u201d the executive said. \u201cHe needed a traditional agent like other players. He and his dad, they felt like they didn\u2019t need that. I think that affected him.\u201d<\/p>\n

That\u2019s debatable, to some degree. Yet an agent might have urged Shedeur to employ a different strategy for dealing with teams during the draft process.<\/p>\n

Shortly after he was drafted, Sanders, without being specific, owned up to regrets.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like in life, there\u2019s always a way I can improve,\u201d he told Cleveland media during a conference call. \u201cI\u2019m able to improve. And some things that I (did) seemed right at the time. I could\u2019ve went about it in a different way.\u201d<\/p>\n

The executive whose team pegged Sanders as a first-round pick said he hopes the young quarterback will learn a valuable lesson about humility from the draft process.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re not your dad,\u201d he added. \u201cYou don\u2019t have that type of ability.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another key executive also threw some shade at the Hall of Fame father.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe way he reacted as the draft unfolded, I thought he handled himself well,\u201d he said of Shedeur. \u201cThe best thing to happen might be to get away from his father and be on his own.\u201d<\/p>\n

Then again, with so many strong opinions about his ability, traits and process, too, Sanders embarks on his NFL journey with no shortage of motivational fuel to prove that some particular NFL power players were so wrong.<\/p>\n

Follow Jarrett Bell on social media: @JarrettBell<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Former QB Alex Smith shares advice for Shedeur Sanders Former NFL quarterback Alex Smith shares advice for Shedeur…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4846,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[247,265,90,86,85,54,205,11,19,7,248,267,330,88,6,15,245,338,140,139,17,9,266],"class_list":{"0":"post-33526","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nfl","8":"tag-american","9":"tag-american-football","10":"tag-analysis","11":"tag-browns","12":"tag-cleveland","13":"tag-cleveland-browns","14":"tag-deion","15":"tag-deion-sanders","16":"tag-draft","17":"tag-football","18":"tag-national","19":"tag-national-sports","20":"tag-negative","21":"tag-news","22":"tag-nfl","23":"tag-nfl-draft","24":"tag-overall","25":"tag-overall-negative","26":"tag-sanders","27":"tag-shedeur","28":"tag-shedeur-sanders","29":"tag-sports","30":"tag-sports-news"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/114471890482665673","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33526","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33526"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33526\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4846"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33526"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33526"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33526"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}