At some point in the pre-draft process, Shedeur Sanders rubbed NFL front offices the wrong way – especially those that were in need of a quarterback early. Sanders wasn't selected until pick No. 144, and it's difficult to imagine that had much to do with his on-field abilities. Sanders has flaws, sure – he takes too many sacks and doesn't have the strongest of arms. Yet, he was considered QB2 or QB3 at worst by pre-draft prognosticators, and he was the sixth taken. Something doesn't add up, and I am sure we'll get more information in the weeks to come as to why Sanders fell as far as he did.
It was a great weekend for those football fans who dislike Deion Sanders and the Colorado program. It was a horrible weekend for Mel Kiper Jr., who ranted on ESPN's live draft coverage about Shedeur Sanders's fall. In fact, Kiper Jr. wouldn't stop talking about it. The Worldwide Leader saw the value of this programming – specifically in the ratings department – and continued to ask Kiper Jr. for his opinion all the way up until the Browns took Sanders at 144. It wasn't pretty.
Mel Kiper Jr.'s embarrassing weekend continues with Shedeur Sanders column
Kiper Jr. has doubled (perhaps more) down on Sanders in his post-draft column, as he gave the Cleveland Browns an A+ draft grade, which included a full paragraph on what they're getting in Sanders.
"The other main reason I gave the Browns an A+ shouldn't be a surprise. They got quarterback Shedeur Sanders at No. 144 to finish off their seven-pick draft. He was my No. 5 overall prospect in the class and clear QB1. He brings excellent accuracy, completing 74% of his throws last season. He brings toughness in the pocket. I think he is going to be an outstanding pro QB, and I believe we're going to look back on this pick in a few years and question what the rest of the NFL was doing," Kiper Jr. wrote.
There's a reason Shedeur Sanders fell in the NFL Draft
Kiper Jr. has a point, but we're past the point of beating a dead horse here. Sanders fell in large part due to personality and leadership flaws NFL teams were scared away by. His father's presence also seemed to deter some quarterback-needy teams from reaching on him.
Perhaps Sanders will prove all 32 teams wrong – including the Browns, which passed on him several times over – and mature into a Pro Bowl-level passer. For now, though, we should side with the NFL, rather than the draft pundit who once thought Jimmy Clausen would revolutionize the league.