Shedeur Sanders had his Colorado Buffaloes football jersey number retired last week, but this week he’s expected to fall from the top of the first round to the NFL draft’s bottom half – if he doesn’t fall to the second round altogether.
Ahead of Shedeur’s professional initiation on Thursday, USA Today’s Jarrett Bell compared Shedeur’s draft night slippage to Tesla’s stock plunging 71% in the first quarter of 2025.
“Shedeur Sanders, Deion’s youngest son, is undoubtedly the most polarizing player in the draft. The Colorado quarterback was once considered as a possibility to be chosen No. 1 overall when the draft kicks off on Thursday night at Lambeau Field in Green Bay. Now, if so many of the draft pundits are to be believed, Shedeur’s standing in recent weeks has supposedly tumbled like Tesla stock,” Bell wrote.
Bell feels this narrative is harmful to the “Grown QB,” who he believes is being discredited by sources who don’t have the courage to put their name on their questionable criticisms.
“At least that’s the narrative fueling draft hype. Shedeur’s talent, mechanics, arm strength and character have all been criticized during the ramp-up to the draft, often but not always by nameless, faceless sources,” Bell wrote.
“Sure, Shedeur tended to hold onto the ball too long behind shaky protection. Yet his production, toughness and resilience can’t be knocked.”
Sanders was once a unanimous projected top pick. Now, though, teams either believe the anonymous negative scouting reporters are choosing to platform or are afraid of the shadow Coach Prime may cast on Shedeur’s first pro head coach.