Shedeur Sanders stays unbothered amid pre-draft criticism and first-round doubts

Shedeur Sanders is not allowing the criticism from scouts and analysts to get into his head in the days leading up to the NFL Draft.

Shedeur Sanders stays unbothered amid pre-draft criticism and first-round doubts

Shedeur Sanders (Image via AP)

The days leading up to the NFL Draft must be amongst some of the most anxiety-inducing and stressful period. From an athlete’s perspective, everything they do in this period matters as their positioning in the Draft can make or break their career. For Hall of Fame defensive back Deion Sanders, this year’s draft will be a full-circle moment.

This is because his son Shedeur Sanders is a projected top pick in the Draft and, just like his pops, is expected to be a top 5 pick. Shedeur has an edge over his peers; hailing from the family of an NFL player, he has been around cameras and experienced media attention since he was a child. While this attention is new to the other athletes in the Class of 2025, for Shedeur, it is nothing new.

YouTube video

The quarterback has made bold statements, not holding back from making it known that he will turn the culture around in the franchise that picks him. Sanders boasts a level of confidence that his father had. He knows that the NFL is his destiny and no matter how loud the criticism gets, the quarterback knows how to shut it all out.

FS Video

At his Pro Day, Shedeur Sanders was asked about his experience leading up to the draft. The quarterback’s response reflected how calm and composed he remains during a time that is usually deemed to be stressful for athletes.

It’s definitely a learning experience, a lot of things aren’t in your control and just getting the knowledge from dad and just close family and friends and everybody supporting me and helping me through this process is extremely important and I’m thankful that I have those resources.

Shedeur Sanders said

The quarterback expressed his gratitude to his friends and family for staying with him and helping him stay humble and sane during this phase. He went on to express that the criticism and hate do not get to him.

We always understood to block out the noise even from Jackson State to Colorado. There’s a lot of critics, there’s a lot of hate. We know what to do, we know how to handle that every way. So we remain happy.

Shedeur Sanders added

Shedeur learned how to deal with the naysayers from a young age and when Deion Sanders began to coach him at Jackson State and subsequently Colorado, he just got better at dealing with the negativity.

Shedeur Sanders’ draft stock has been fluctuating over the past two weeks

A month ago, Shedeur Sanders was expected to be a top-three pick with a few scouts giving him a good chance of going first overall. However, since then, his stock has taken a dive.

The quarterback did not take part in the physical tests such as throwing and the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. He kept it strictly interviews only. This led to many calling him out for being overconfident and questioning his attitude.

Shedeur Sanders
Shedeur Sanders (Image via NFL/X)

Since then, Sanders’ stock has been fluctuating a lot. Former New York Jets scout Daniel Kelly is one of many critics who have questioned Shedeur’s ability to succeed in the NFL. He went as far as to call him a “ticking time bomb” due to his on-field demeanor and alleging a lack of discipline. One incident where Sanders nearly got into a fight with a ball boy fueled Kelly’s doubts and convinced him that Shedeur was not yet ready to handle the pressures of the NFL.

Despite the noise, Shedeur knows his game and his family has faith in him. That is all that matters to the quarterback. He has the numbers to back his game.

In the last two seasons of college football, he completed 71.8% of his passes, threw for over 7,300 yards, and 64 touchdowns. The 2024 Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year and a top 10 prospect to win the coveted Heisman Trophy, the future is bright for Shedeur Sanders, irrespective of the direction of the tide.