- NCAA. Deion Sanders has one thing clear as he builds a 'new Colorado' without Shedeur Sanders
- NCAA. Travis Hunter shuts down speculation and reveals level of concern over Shedeur Sanders 'smear campaign'
Roughly 250 players each year are selected across the seven rounds of the NFL Draft, with many others eventually signed as undrafred free agents. There is no doubt that Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders will be chosen in this year's draft...but as the countdown to April 24 continues, there seems to be less and less certainty that Sanders is a sure-fire first-round pick.
Though Sanders impressed in two seasons playing for his dad Deion at Colorado, NFL execs and talent evaluators have sounded alarms on the 23-year-old for weeks -- reports that have been denigrated as part of a coordinated "smear campaign" against the young signal-caller. But in a class weak on franchise quarterback prospects -- and with multiple teams needing one such player -- Sanders could still hear his name called early in the first round next month.
Bill Simmons warns the Browns: Don't overthink it, take Shedeur
Analyst and podcaster Bill Simmons took to X/Twitter on Sunday and fired off a take aimed specifically at the Cleveland Browns. It has already been a tumultuous offseason in Cleveland; the Browns were rocked by star rusher Myles Garrett's trade request but ultimately paid him a record salary (for a non-quarterback) to stay. Now, they need to prove to Garrett that Super Bowl contention really is on the cards in future seasons.
Simmons, drawing on decades of sports heartbreak in Cleveland, urged the Browns to select Sanders despite reservations over his ceiling and the behind-the-scenes impact of Deion. At the very least, Simmons reasons, Shedeur would represent an instant improvement over projected starter Kenny Pickett, as well as the injured Deshaun Watson.
To Simmons' point, local reports in Cleveland are indicating that the Browns are thinking very seriously about taking Shedeur with the second overall pick in next month's draft; the Big 12 Conference Offensive Player of the Year left a great impression when interviewing with the Browns franchise, and the need for a new quarterback on a rookie contract amid Garrett's lucrative $40 million per year extension might be too good to up.