Deion Sanders and his sons have been at the center of many things from the jump. With the 2025 NFL Draft approaching, the microscope is getting sharper. While Shedeur Sanders is widely projected as a top-10 pick, his older brother, Shilo Sanders, finds himself in a different situation. Unlike Shedeur, who is considered a franchise quarterback prospect. Shilo faces an uphill battle to solidify his draft stock. His playstyle, his level of competition before transferring to Colorado, and now, even the viral clips from pre-draft workouts have all fueled the discussion around his NFL future. Deion Sanders Jr. had to come to the defense of his half-brother, and it got explicit.

Senior graduate, Shilo Sanders, a hard-hitting safety who spent the four seasons under his father, Deion Sanders, first at Jackson State and then at Colorado Buffaloes, entered the pre-draft process, needing to prove himself. While he was a starter of Colorado’s secondary and flashed big-time playmaking ability—racking up 45 tackles and forcing 1 fumble and 2 PDs this season—questions remained about his range, coverage skills, and whether he could be a true difference-maker at the next level. The East-West Shrine Bowl was an opportunity to impress scouts, but instead, it became the latest battleground for those questioning his NFL future.

A clip surfaced online, showing Shilo struggling in 1-on-1 drills during practice, and that was all it took for social media to pounce. Sports media personality Dov Kleiman posted the video with a scathing caption: “Shilo’s draft stock is tanking.” The clip gained traction quickly, sparking debate over whether a single practice rep should define a player’s outlook. But as criticism piled on, Deion Sanders Jr. wasn’t having it. The older Sanders brother fired back with a blunt response on X/Twitter, calling Kleiman’s post “🧢.. yall funny as hell.” In social media terms, he was calling it a flat-out lie. But the debate didn’t stop there.

When fans continued pressing, arguing that the struggles were “LITERALLY ON VIDEO,” Deion Sanders Jr. doubled down. “Well, if 1 or 2 plays of somebody catching a ball during 1-on-1s mean you suck, then every ni**** playing corner & safety in America is a** then.” It was an emotional, unfiltered response that captured the frustration the Sanders family has felt throughout this process. And truth be told, he had a point. Defensive backs in one-on-one drills are at a natural disadvantage—no pass rush, no help over the top, and the receiver has all the space in the world to work with. Evaluating an entire NFL future off one rep? That’s social media at its finest.

Still, the reality is that Shilo is currently projected as a late-round pick at best. According to NFL Draft Buzz, he’s ranked as the No. 21 safety in the class. Some analysts believe he could sneak into the later rounds due to his physicality and NFL pedigree, while others think he might go undrafted and have to fight for a roster spot in training camp. But if that happens, it won’t be because of one bad practice rep. His stock is more tied to his athletic testing, his ability to show he can be a reliable coverage safety, and whether teams believe he can contribute on special teams right away.

Deion Sanders himself weighed in, showing his unwavering support for his son. He made it clear that the family was “keeping receipts” on the doubters, a phrase that’s become synonymous with Coach Prime’s approach to handling criticism. Definitely, resilience doesn’t get you a top-10 pick, putting receivers on lockdown will do.

Deion Sanders is watching you hecklers

Well, no doubt that Shilo has more to prove than his presumed No. 1 NFL pick brother Shedeur Sanders. While sons of Coach Prime are going at it, he is too. If there’s one thing Deion Sanders knows better than most, it’s how the NFL pre-draft process works. So, when his son Shilo Sanders started catching heat from critics after training clips surfaced, Coach Prime wasn’t the least bit fazed. In fact, he had some fatherly—and Hall of Famer—level advice ready to go.

Appearing on The Late Show, Deion broke it down in classic Prime Time fashion. “It’s a game,” he said. “All the way until the draft, teams are going to say you’re garbage, they don’t want you, you’re the worst thing ever—because they want you to fall into their laps. So, I’ve guided my kids and others and said look, don’t believe nothing they say right now because it’s the assault. They are going to assault you and say you are not this and not that because they want you to come.”

Don’t take the bait. This is all part of the pre-draft smokescreen where teams try to downplay prospects they secretly want, hoping they’ll slip a few spots. Sanders has seen it all before and isn’t about to let Shilo or any other young player fall for the trap. “Don’t believe nothing they say right now,” he continued. “Don’t get into it, don’t go back and forth in the media. Just relax and let it ride, because it’s going to be all right.”

It will all come down to 30 January in Mobile. Trust the process, block out the noise, and let your talent do the talking, Shilo.