Shedeur Sanders 'sandbagged' interviews during pre-draft process per report

USA Today

26-04-2025

Shedeur Sanders 'sandbagged' interviews during pre-draft process per report
It seems like everyone is trying to figure out how and why Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders went from a consensus top 10 pick to still on the board at the start of the NFL Draft's fourth round.
Over at CBS Sports, NFL Insider Jonathan Jones is adding to reporting that Sanders interviewed poorly, noting that his sources believe Sanders may have tanked his pre-draft meetings to avoid getting picked by certain teams. It doesn't entirely explain Sanders' extraordinary slide, but it does add some context.
"I was told that he more or less sandbagged in those interviews," Jones said. "I don't know if he didn't take them seriously, what it was, but he did not give it his all."
That's a pretty big accusation to be sure, but it's one that doesn't exactly fail the smell test. Remember, a year ago Deion Sanders was still publicly talking about where he wouldn't let Shedeur play as a pro. Last week, an anonymous NFL coach ripped Sanders as "entitled". Coupled with what Jones called an average pro day after Sanders declined to workout at the Senior Bowl, Shrine Bowl and NFL Draft Combine, it may have scared a few teams off from using a high pick on the QB.
As quarterbacks like Tyler Shough, Jalen Milroe and Dillon Gabriel came off the board before Sanders, ESPN's Mel Kiper lost it on the league's front offices. Even Patrick Mahomes couldn't believe how far Sanders had fallen. Adam Schefter called the slide "unprecedented" on the draft broadcast.
There's likely a combination of factors at play here. Regardless, were more than two days into an NFL Draft and much of the conversation is still revolving around who teams aren't taking, rather than who they can't wait to grab.