- Cleveland Browns. Shedeur Sanders and the Browns face an NFL cold shoulder as the league keeps them away from the media spotlight
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Shilo Sanders attitude already causing murmurs with Buccaneers' head coaches as he walks in like he is the boss during practice
Shilo Sanders and his younger brother, Shedeur Sanders, are on a mission to make the final 53-man roster of the NFL teams that gave them a chance a couple of weeks ago.
Shilo's road is even more challenging because the former Colorado Buffaloes safety went undrafted. the 6'0, 196 defender was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent.
Shedeur Sanders, on the other hand, got drafted with the No. 144 pick overall during the fifth round by the Cleveland Browns, a team that had selected former Oregon Ducks star Dillon Gabriel with the 94th pick overall. And we have to that the Ohio team already have a veteran quarterback on their roster - Joe Flacco -, and a young QB in Kenny Pickett.
Shilo Sanders goes from wide receiver to a feisty safety
Shilo Sanders' road to the NFL has been a hard one, with the safety suffering an injury on his arm that kept him away for two and a half games during the 2024 regular season with the Colorado Buffaloes. He did finished the season third on the team with 67 total tackles, 44 unassisted tackles, two tackles for loss, two fumble recoveries, one sack, one forced fumble, and one defensive touchdown.
And on a video posted in social media, we can see Shilo's football career so far, starting at Trinity Christian High School in Cedar Hill, Texas, where as a cornerback prospect, he helped the Tigers get a 14-0 perfect season and won the TAPPS Division II state championship in 2018. During his tenure, he played cornerback, wide receiver, and he punted and returned kicks.
He got a full-ride athletic scholarship to play at South Carolina, where he was named to SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll in 2019. He then transferred to Jackson State to play under his father's leadership, Deion "Coach Prime" Sanders. He played in 20 games over two seasons before he moved to Colorado, following Shedeur an Deion.
Tampa Bay could be home for Shilo
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers gave Shilo Sanders the opportunity to fight for a spot in the NFL, and the safety is not taking it for granted. On his scouting report, he's viewed as a hard-hitting safety who plays with aggression. The problem is that he also lacks consistency and playmaking traits, which are required in the league.
Another big concern for teams is the fact that Shilo will be a 25-year-old rookie, and he has missed significant time due to injuries in each of the last three seasons. "He lacks ideal range and instincts to play high safety, but he has enough vision and aggression to compete as a down safety," the scouting report states.
Ultimately, Sanders will need to eliminate his inconsistencies with pursuit angles and shine on special teams to have a chance of sticking with an NFL squad. It's time for Shilo to step up to the plate and make teams realize that he has the talent and the desire to make it in the league for years.