Shedeur Sanders is a name that screams ‘legacy.’. Inheriting the drama and media attention from his father, Deion Sanders, he has now come out of that ‘father-son’ box. And it didn’t come easy at all. He has progressed gradually from being a decent NFL-level quarterback to an acclaimed ‘generational’ talent. His numbers speak for themselves.

With a 74% pass completion rate for 4,134 yards, he has been very efficient for the Colorado Buffaloes. Having Travis Hunter in his receiving department certainly played its part, but his abilities in his own right can’t be denied in any way. Nevertheless, there are still speculations about his future and abilities regarding his arm strength and tendency to drift in the pocket. But Tennessee Titans’ new GM, Mike Borgonzi, provided some relief to the ace QB with his recent statement.

“To answer your question about Shedeur, I think he has plenty of arm strength. Sometimes, the anticipatory throws make up for a lack of arm strength.” He also provided an update about the Titans’ preferred top draft pick and things he will be looking for in him. “Draft picks are our biggest form of currency,” Borgonzi said. “We’re always going to try and gather as many picks in the top 100 as we can. But we have to be disciplined through the process here as we’re going through and looking at free agents and possible trades. We want to hold onto our draft picks as much as we can.”

While he didn’t explicitly say if Sanders was his first choice, his acknowledgment of his abilities and the type of player Sanders is certainly counts for something in the ongoing speculation. However, there are some things going on that may affect his NFL draft stock and will be quite upsetting for the QB. All of this stems from Shedeur Sanders’ decision not to throw during the Combine.

A prominent Instagram handle, ‘nflrookiewatch,’ recently posted potential speculation about Shedeur Sanders being more focused on personal gain than on focusing on his game. “Unless you’re a bona fide top-5 pick, you should be throwing. Sanders isn’t a lock to go Top-5, not even Top-8. He just gave guys like Jaxson Dart a chance to move up.” Considering the statements were coming from an NFL scout, this could be quite damaging for his draft chances. Furthermore, players like Dillon Gabriel are going to throw in the NFL Combine. So, will it affect Sanders’ chances?

Well, yes and no. Because in the past too, ace QBs have made the NFL combine snubs. Take, for example, the cases of Joe Burrow, Andrew Luck, and Bryce Young. These all are examples of players who have achieved success in drafts without showcasing their abilities in the combine. However, still, Sanders hasn’t fully snubbed the Combine, as he will be doing interviews with the media and the teams. This definitely will boost his rapport in general without the added responsibility of those cone drills or dashes that take place in the Combine. Ian Rapoport also provided an update on the issue.

Shedeur Sanders has a supporter in his decision

Recently, Ian Rapoport reported through his X account that the QB is potentially not going to throw at the upcoming NFL combine but will throw at his college’s Pro Day. “#Colorado QB and potential top pick Shedeur Sanders plans to focus on his interviews with teams at the NFL Scouting Combine, helping them continue to learn him as a person. He’ll allow his four years of film to speak loudly, then throw at his Pro Day with four draftable CU WRs“. Certainly, throwing at Pro-Day will come with its benefits, considering it will be a comfortable environment for him that will allow him to use his familiar offensive setup. This has raised some criticism from the media and fans alike.

Recently, NFL vet Cam Newton also reacted strongly to Cam Ward’s recent statements where he said, “Ifyou don’t draft me, that’s your fault. You’ve got to remember you’re the same team that’s got to play me for the rest of my career, and I’ll remember that”. Newton warned Ward not to make such statements, as they rarely go in favor of NFL prospects. Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders were seen together in a practice session where they were trash-talking. Certainly, it is advisable for the players to keep their heads down and focus on the football. However, there may be a major supporter of Sanders’ case.

Shedeur Sanders is undoubtedly a generational talent, and if throwing in the combine will make a difference or not, only time will tell. But he still has other admirers and supporters in his decision. One of them may be Giants GM Joe Schoen, who dismissed any detrimental effects on players’ draft chances due to them not throwing in the combine. “We want to figure out who they are as people. It’s a unique media market. Can they handle the pressure? Can they handle people talking negatively about them?”

Well, throwing in Combine or not, the player will still have a lot of opportunities to showcase his talent on the Pro Day. And considering the player Shedeur Sanders is, the NFL Combine will play little role in his future.