NFL draft picks are risky.
But former Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders, in the running to be the first overall pick in April's draft, believes he's a different kind of risk, as he made clear while speaking to reporters at the Shrine Bowl this past weekend, via Ron Murray on X (formerly Twitter).
"We went and we changed the program at Jackson [Jackson State]," Sanders said while speaking about his HBCU roots. "We went to Colorado, changed the program. And we did everything people didn't think we was able to do."
"That's why I know I'm the most guaranteed risk you can take."
Sanders, alongside his father, Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, indeed revitalized Colorado's football program, helping the team improve from one win in 2022 to four wins in '23 and then nine victories this past season. All the while, Sanders, the 2024 Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year, continued to boost his draft stock under the watchful eye of his father, who has been his coach for his entire competitive football career.
It's something that's been viewed, at times, as a negative, to which Sanders pushed back against.
"I ain't know your parents being involved and wanting the best for you was a problem," Sanders said. "I think as parents, every single one would want the best for their kids. So, the fact that he has an opportunity to do that for me and he has the best quarterback in the country ... He's supposed to do that."
Sanders met with the Tennessee Titans, who hold the draft's top selection, the Cleveland Browns, who own the second pick, and the New York Giants, who will be third on the clock come April.
Sanders declined to delve into the details of his meetings with the three teams, but was clear in the confidence he had in himself, wherever he should ultimately end up.
"It's not what I think, it's what I know I can bring," Sanders said when asked what he thinks he can bring to an NFL team. "Just them understanding my personality, being able to see it. They see media, they see cameras. They see everything and not everybody has the best and greatest intentions to represent me well."
"So I just came here to represent the game and bring attention to the game and to meet people so they can understand."
And what does Sanders know he can bring to an NFL team?
"A lot of wins," Sanders said with a smile. "A lot of wins."
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Shedeur Sanders Had Bold Line About Being a Guarantee at NFL Level.
