Shedeur Sanders shuts down mock draft that has him falling in first round

To his immense credit, Shedeur Sanders has endured the media firestorm around his father's program at Colorado and lived up to every ounce of hype. He was among the most productive quarterbacks in college football last season, throwing for 4,134 yards and 37 touchdowns. Both led the Big 12.

Not long ago, Colorado was the laughing stock of college football — a chronically underperforming team with no semblance of direction or momentum. We can quibble with some of Deion Sanders' tactics, but he has transformed the Buffaloes into must-watch television and a legitimate contender. All the success of these last two years started with Shedeur, who took off into the stratosphere despite a patchwork offensive line and zero prior D-I experience.

For all his success, Sanders is expected to be rewarded with a top-3 pick in the upcoming NFL Draft. He has scheduled meetings with the Cleveland Browns and New York Giants, who pick second and third overall, respectively. He famously wore Giants cleats to the Alamo Bowl, not-so-subtly signaling his preferred NFL destination. I'd want to throw to Malik Nabers, too.

That said, there is uncertainty over just where Sanders will end up. This is a weak draft at the quarterback position, and Sanders isn't without his shortcomings.

ESPN's latest NFL mock draft from Field Yates has Sanders falling all the way to the Las Vegas Raiders at No. 6.

It's safe to say Sanders was not thrilled.

Shedeur Sanders calls NFL mock draft putting him sixth overall 'cap'

Sanders happened to be in the gym surrounded by cameras when an ESPN segment outlining his hypothetical selection by Las Vegas at No. 6 popped up on the television (definitely not staged). The 23-year-old signal-caller expressed his disapproval in no uncertain terms.

Sanders never lacks for confidence. Does it sometimes border on arrogance? Absolutely. He is Deion's son, after all. That isn't necessarily a bad trait for a quarterback, though. If Sanders delivers on the field, he should have the utmost faith in his own abilities. The only point where it becomes a problem is if Sanders struggles in the NFL; then, he will need to prove that he can take accountability for his own shortcomings.

As far as this simple clip is concerned, Sanders has made it clear he wants to go somewhere in the top-3. Yates' mock happens to project Miami's Cam Ward to the Giants at No. 3, which has to wound Sanders' ego a bit. He's a competitor at heart. Sanders has made lemons out of lemonade when it comes to the rumors tying him to New York. If the Giants are faced with the chance to add Sanders and go in a different direction, the Buffs quarterback will probably feel disappointed.

That said, ESPN is a reputable source. Yates is plugged-in and well-versed in the NFL Draft landscape. If he has Sanders falling to No. 6, then it's definitely a plausible outcome. The Raiders need a quarterback as badly as any team in the NFL and would love for Sanders to fall into their lap.

FanSided's own Cody Williams recently outlined the drawbacks of Sanders, writing that he "may not have the biggest arm or even the best intangible tools." Williams does call the Buffs signal-caller a "high-floor prospect," though, which is a major complement in such a weak draft at the position. Sanders' lack of an explosive arm or outlier athleticism may convince the Giants and Browns to go in a different direction, but falling to No. 6 is not an insult. It's free motivation at worst. Sanders should hardly feel disrespected. He should get every opportunity to prove his worth if the Raiders do end up picking him sixth.

Success at the NFL level is all about what a player does with his opportunity, not his exact draft slot. Plenty of top-3 picks have gone badly over the years. Plenty of No. 6 picks, by comparison, have flourished. Sanders should focus on the upside of these potential outcomes, rather than shooting down the mere suggestion of sliding down the board a few spots.