Shedeur Sanders‘ stunning fall down the draft board was quickly attributed to a questionable skill set and/or a perceived lack of maturity. ESPN’s Stephen Holder points to another concern among teams: the “circus” that would accompany a Sanders selection.
Holder is adamant that Sanders’ first-round snub was about talent, but he believes his Day 2 absence was “about something else.” The reporter references Tim Tebow‘s free agency, noting that teams were wary of the attention that naturally follows a “celebrity” athlete. Sanders obviously isn’t an exact equivalent to Tebow, but the popular Colorado star will now attract even more attention after suddenly dropping out of the first two days of the draft.
There’s been a popular sentiment today that the reward now outweighs any risk, but that would likely only apply to teams that don’t have a future answer at QB. When it comes to teams that would only consider Sanders as a backup, Holder warns that the concerns would only become “more pronounced.”
It’s still assumed that Sanders will hear his name called at some point today, although potential landing spots continue to dry up. The Giants were once a key suitor for Sanders, but the team clearly removed themselves from that sweepstakes when they traded back into the first to select Jaxson Dart. We later heard reports that a meeting between Sanders and Giants head coach Brian Daboll had not gone well, and the organization’s interest in the prospect cooled as the coaching staff became more involved in the evaluation process. Concerns about maturity appear to extend beyond the Giants.
The Browns were also mentioned as a Sanders suitor, but they used a third-round selection on Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel. The Saints also seemingly confirmed a report that they wouldn’t be pursuing the Colorado product, as New Orleans used a second-round pick on Louisville’s Tyler Shough.
There is one clear QB-needy squad that could still select Sanders. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Steelers remain an option for the prospect, as the organization is confident Sanders could serve “as a distributing point guard in its offense.” Fowler adds that the Steelers have also done extensive work on Ohio State’s Will Howard.
The Steelers are still awaiting a resolution on Aaron Rodgers, although owner Art Rooney II said last night that the veteran free agent wants to play in Pittsburgh. Even if a signing comes to fruition, the Steelers would still be a natural landing spot for rookie QBs. The team’s current QB depth consists of Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson, so the front office could be seeking an upgrade for both now and the future.
