Shedeur Sanders’ name been buzzing all offseason. Ever since the season wrapped up, every draft analyst and their mama got him in the top 5 of their mock drafts—some even got him bold No. 1 ahead of Cam Ward and his own teammate, Heisman winner Travis Hunter. But the internet? Yeah, they ain’t buying it.
On February 16th, NFL analyst Art Stapleton took to X to drop a take that set social media on fire: “I try to respect the entire NFL Draft community, I really do. And there are those I trust more than others. We all have our preference, even if we disagree. But that being said: I can’t recall a situation where a prospect has been as polarizing as Shedeur Sanders seems to be.” And just like that, the floodgates opened.
I try to respect the entire NFL Draft community, I really do. And there are those I trust more than others. We all have our preference, even if we disagree.
But that being said: I can’t recall a situation where a prospect has been as polarizing as Shedeur Sanders seems to be.
— Art Stapleton (@art_stapleton) February 16, 2025
Let’s be real—Shedeur ain’t beyond-top-6 material. He had a 74.2% completion rate, threw for 4,134 yards, and stacked up 37 touchdowns in 2024. That’s cold. But for every stat head hyping him up, there’s another saying he’s just living off the Prime Time name. And when Field Yates dropped his latest mock draft, putting Shedeur at No. 6 to the Raiders, Sanders wasn’t feeling it. “That’s cap, bruh. I ain’t going sixth.”
Confidence? For sure. But the internet took that as a little too much entitlement for a QB who got sacked 43 times last season. And don’t forget, when that BYU defense brought that heat in the Alamo Bowl, Shedeur was running for his life. NFL pass rushers ain’t moving at BYU’s pace—they out here running 4.5s off the edge, and if he ain’t adjusting, it’s gonna be a long Sunday.
Shedeur got the best pure arm in the class—that’s what analysts say. But his decision-making under pressure? Suspect to some when blitz’s incoming. The film don’t lie: defenses that dial up complex blitzes got him shook. And don’t even get fans started on his escapability—or lack thereof. When that pocket collapses, he’s backpedaling 15 yards instead of stepping up and making a play. NFL scouts ain’t just looking at the flashy numbers, they watching how you handle the smoke.
Then there’s the Deion factor. Fans been side-eyeing his draft hype since day one. Is Shedeur really THAT guy? Or is this just another case of ‘my dad is famous, so I get first-class treatment’? The internet made up their mind real quick.
The Internet Ain’t Climbing on the Shedeur Sanders hype Train
When Stapleton called Shedeur the “most polarizing NFL prospect,” social media had zero mercy.
A fan started with backing Shedeur Sanders, “It’s cool if you don’t like him, but to say he’s terrible is laughable. Also, the takes where people act like he’s AB at the end of his career are hilarious.” Look, Shedeur ain’t a bust, and he for sure ain’t moving like AB. But people talking like he’s already stamped as the next great QB? That’ maybe stretch. The kid can ball, but is he really a top-3 pick? For some people, he ain’t.
The next fan called out Shedeur Sanders a ‘Nepo baby’, “He wouldn’t be ranked so high if his dad wasn’t Prime Time.” This take been floating around since he stepped on campus. If his last name was Johnson, would he still be a top pick? That’s what got people skeptical. No doubt he’s talented, but some fans feel like his draft stock is inflated off name value alone.
Another user chimed in on Shedeur’s Polarizing take. “What’s polarizing? To me, watching Colorado, he doesn’t have superior physical skills or size. It comes down to accuracy, quick processing, and toughness. I see some of that, but at the top of the draft? That’s tough. If he had Jeff George’s arm, nobody would question him.” This is the real convo. Shedeur got solid intangibles, but is he elite? The NFL is all about traits and upside—and when you don’t have crazy arm talent or freakish athleticism, your draft stock gets questioned. Some analyst consider Shedeur’s arm as B-tier and ‘slightly-above-average’ arm talent.
The X user literally wasn’t buying it at all: “Sorry, but I disagree. If his name wasn’t connected to a great NFL player, there wouldn’t be much hype on the kid.” Straight up, a lot of fans ain’t buying the hype. They see nepo privilege at work. And it don’t help that Deion been running the biggest PR campaign of all time. The hype ain’t just coming from scouts—it’s coming from Coach Prime’s machine.
The last went off, “Y’all just hypnotized by the nonsense Deion and Shedeur been doing. The kid is a decent QB prospect, but he doesn’t have the talent to be picked in the top 5. Let alone first round is a stretch.” Calling Shedeur Sanders stretch is crazy work. Yes, people have their opinions and they are entitled to their opinion, but let’s hit the brake before dropping a diabolical take.
Look, end of the day, Shedeur got the skills to be an NFL QB franchise if he lands somewhere safe. That’s not up for debate. For some fans, that’s where folks start side-eyeing. The numbers look good, but the pressure stats and sack numbers tell a different story. His 43 sacks weren’t just bad O-line play—some of that was on him, too. The film shows a QB who struggles against elite defenses.
And let’s not ignore the Buffaloes in the room: the Prime effect. Shedeur ain’t just another prospect—he’s the son of one of the most marketable, polarizing figures in sports. That’s why some fans believe in the hype while others are calling him the biggest reach in the draft.
Where will he land? We’ll see. But one thing’s for sure—the internet ain’t handing him no gold jacket just yet.
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