Shedeur Sanders and Arch Manning share a lot in common. Both were born into famous football families. Both have grabbed headlines throughout their football careers. Both have been touted as potential No. 1 picks in the NFL Draft.
Manning is already one of the biggest names in the sport and he only just took on the mantle of starting quarterback for the Texas Longhorns. He was the most popular backup in sports last year. He projects to be the top quarterback in next year's draft.
The last thing he or his family wants is to end up like Sanders.
Shedeur Sanders draft slide is a warning Arch Manning shouldn't need
Manning is more talented than Sanders. He has a better arm and he's more athletic, so the same doubts that blocked Sanders from the first round aren't likely to dog Manning. Simply put, Manning has far too high a ceiling to slide down into the sixth round like the Colorado QB.
However, the closest comparison to the media attention Arch can expect to face as his draft date approaches is the Sanders circus. All eyes will be on him. Every headline will be about him. The fact that his uncle, Eli Manning, once forced his way out of an undesirable draft destination could be held against him. The concern about having too much attention on him could become a factor in his NFL future.
Fortunately, Arch's handling of his recruiting process and two years as a backup at Texas have made one thing clear: He is not going to turn off teams during the process like Sanders allegedly did. All indications are he's humble and coachable.
Sometimes it’s as simple as, it’s a job application and you declined to write a cover letter. Maybe your resume is amazing enough to carry you, but in the case it’s not, you immediately put yourself behind the 8-ball.
— Shehan Jeyarajah (@ShehanJeyarajah) April 26, 2025
Still, the Manning family needs to be keenly aware of all the Sanders hubbub as they prepare Arch for the draft, whether he enters next year or the year after. Because it's increasingly clear that Sanders wasn't just perceived as arrogant; He was woefully under-prepared and undermined by his camp at every turn in the draft process.
The Manning camp needs to do right by Arch in a way Shedeur Sanders' camp didn't
It started with evaluations. Sanders' camp misread the room and assumed he was in a tier he wasn't. They weren't honest with themselves or the player. Right now, we think Arch is a top five talent, but only time will tell if that's the case. He needs to prove himself as a starter first. Then, he and his family need to take heed of what the tape really says about him.
Blinded by internal perception, Sanders' camp operated like he was a surefire top five selection by declining workouts and only talking to certain teams. He didn't give teams the chance to answer their own questions about his skill set. He eliminated himself from contention for teams that might have been interested in him under different circumstances.
Finally, it seems no one took the time to prep Shedeur for his interviews.
Lots of discussions on the QB meetings w/ Coach Daboll. Hard Knocks w/ #NYGiants gave just a taste of the paces he put the top QBs through last year on the whiteboard. If you were unprepared or unwilling or whatever, there really isn't many places to hide. pic.twitter.com/1wbl2JgAEP
— BigBlueVCR (@BigBlueVCR) April 26, 2025
This is like the SAT. There is a way to take the test. If you never open a prep book, you're going to have a hard time keeping up.
What it comes down to is self-awareness. Arch Manning is going to be one of the most high-profile draft prospects of the century. He would do well to take note of what went wrong for one of the other most high-profile prospect of the century.