One of the biggest surprises for the 2025 draft, if not the biggest, was quarterback Shedeur Sanders of the Colorado Buffaloes not getting drafted until the very final day of the draft. At one point, Sanders was expected to be among the first quarterbacks drafted, and the New York Giants were supposed to be one of his main suitors. But, something went very wrong for Sanders during his meeting the Brian Daboll and company, and that trend seemed to continue for his meetings with other NFL teams ahead of the event.
Sanders ended up getting drafted by the Cleveland Browns as a fifth-round pick. It was certainly a nail-biter waiting to hear his named called for him and everyone watching who couldn’t help but feel bad for the guy.
Now, Sanders’ father, NFL Hall of Famer and Colorado head football coach Deion Sanders, is speaking out and defending his son against claims that Shedeur wasn’t prepared for those NFL meetings.
Deion Sanders Opens Up About Difficult Draft
During an appearance on Asante Samuel’s “Say What Needs To Be Said” podcast, Deion talked about how difficult it was for him to watch his son go through the agony of falling from one of the top draft picks to a much later selection.
“It hurt. But the bible says God uses the foolish things to confound the wise,” Deion said per NBC Sports. “There was some foolish stuff that went on, but that gave them something that they needed.”
He added, “That edge that Tom (Brady) had, it gave them the edge that you had, it gave them the edge that I have. Folks said we weren’t gonna be nothing. But we had to prove that. It gave them the edge that they needed. Both of them.”
Deion Sanders Defends Son Against ‘Unprepared’ Meetings, Including New York Giants Meeting
Then, Deion defended his son’s supposedly “unprepared” meetings with NFL staffers.
“When you sit up there and say something like he went into a meeting unprepared, like, dude. Shedeur Sanders? Who has had six different [offensive] coordinators, who has still functioned and leveled up every time we brought somebody new in, and you’re gonna tell me he was unprepared?” Deion said. “You’re gonna tell me he had on headphones? Anybody who knows my son understands he’s a professional.”
He added, “You got to understand my kids are built for everything… We’ve always been in front of the camera, so they know how to navigate, they know how to handle themselves. You’re not going to catch them in no foolery or no mess. You’re not going to do that whatsoever.”
Back in April, the Ringer’s Todd McShay revealed in a podcast appearance Thursday night that he heard the Giants didn’t get a good impression for Sanders during their early meeting.
“Shedeur didn’t have a great interview with Brian Daboll in a private visit,” McShay said of the New York Giants visit. “An install package came in. Preparation wasn’t there for it. [He] got called out on it. Didn’t like that. Brian didn’t appreciate him not liking it.”
The New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy also reported, “Sanders’ slip is attributable to both flaws in his game and the brash attitude he displayed during the pre-draft process.”
