Giants WR Malik Nabers backs Shedeur Sanders to shine despite his draft slide: “You can’t knock his talent”

Malik Nabers brought up Sanders’ success in college to prove that he shouldn’t have fallen to the fifth round.

Giants WR Malik Nabers backs Shedeur Sanders to shine despite his draft slide: “You can’t knock his talent”

Malik Nabers and Shedeur Sanders (Image via IMAGO)

Like many out there, Malik Nabers was confident that Shedeur Sanders would be drafted around the same region as he was in 2024. So, it came as a surprise when the former Colorado quarterback went undrafted on the first two days.

Nabers witnessed Cam Ward (Tennessee Titans), Jaxson Dart (New York Giants), Tyler Shough (New Orleans Saints), Jalen Milroe (Seattle Seahawks), and Dillon Gabriel (Cleveland Browns) drafted before Sanders. Social media warriors peddled various theories based on inside reports. However, his draft slide remains a mystery.

The second year Giant WR couldn’t believe what he was watching on TV. The Browns eventually locked Sanders at 144.

You don’t do that to a person. You don’t do that to somebody like that [and] you can’t knock his talent [because he fell to the fifth round]… I heard a lot of things about [things about him, like] he takes unnecessary sacks. I mean, he had a bad [offensive] line [but] he [still] threw [70% completion percentage] with a bad [offensive] line.

Malik Nabers said while appearing on NBA legend Carmelo Anthony’s 7 PM in Brooklyn podcast

Nabers noted that the criticism surrounding Shedeur is because of the Sanders’ name. It’s as if the league is shunning the 23-year-old to get back at Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders.

Anthony agreed with Nabers and pointed out that everyone tries to put a confident Black guy down.

It’s the dark side of sports—where this is an attack on Prime [Deion Sanders] in a sense. It’s an attack on a Black family and a Black man who raised his young men to be men.

Carmelo Anthony said

Malik Nabers believes Shedeur Sanders will be a hit at the Cleveland Browns

Sanders and Nabers have been acquainted with each other since their high school days. After the 2024-25 college football season ended, Sanders reached out to the second-year NFL wideout. The pair was filmed playing catch in the streets of New York around the time when the Giants showed serious interest in the FBS leader in pass completion (2024).

Giants WR Malik Nabers backs Shedeur Sanders to shine despite his draft slide "You can't knock his talent"
Malik Nabers (Image via IMAGO)

Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen drafted Ole Miss’ Dart. Veteran sports contributor Skip Bayless took a dig at the Giants organization.

Shedeur Sanders is so much better than Jaxson Dart. This is just laughably sad.

Skip Bayless tweeted

Sanders reportedly didn’t have a good private meeting with the Giants. After the media pushed for a reason, Daboll replied that they had good meetings with every draft prospect.

Quarterback meetings were productive, and you know, we’re happy with Jaxson [Dart].

Brian Daboll said

Nabers, in a roundabout way, agreed with Bayless. He brought up Sanders’ success in college to prove that he shouldn’t have fallen to the fifth round.

[Shedeur] brought a lot of people to Jackson State that never knew about Jackson State. Then went to Colorado—where nobody was even looking at Colorado like that. They have all these people look at him play and do what he did, and then do him like that?

Malik Nabers stated

Sanders isn’t someone to take the draft day’s disappointment to heart. Instead, in classic Prime fashion, he will fight for his spot and bring glory to a city longing for a championship since LeBron James won the NBA title with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016.

I’m trying to bring Cleveland a Super Bowl! But off the field, I want to bring more hope and positivity to the city, and connecting with young people is one of the best ways to do that.

Shedeur Sanders said while visiting the John Marshall High School in Cleveland after the draft

Sanders’ final season with the Buffaloes was exceptional. He threw 353 completions from 477 attempts for 4134 yards, 41 overall touchdowns, and 10 interceptions.

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