In a pair of famous siblings, there’s always one of them who is the star of the spotlight. The other one is not so fortunate. This is the case for the Sanders brothers, who have now left their father Deion Sanders’ shelter. Shedeur Sanders’ draft prospect continues to see ups and downs. For his elder brother Shilo, the road to a good chance at the draft is a steep uphill journey. Despite enjoying the fame of being his father’s son, the former Buffaloes’ safety is yet to see it translate into any benefit for his pro career.

Shilo, unlike Shedeur, hasn’t had an overwhelmingly good season. He has yet to have a majority of analysts and experts side with him. His biggest issue is his pocket awareness, where he struggles to anticipate pressure and work in the pocket effectively. NFL analyst Greg Cosell noted on the Ross Tucker podcast that Shilo also tends to hold the ball with one hand. Marca also mentioned that Shilo keeps moving backward in the pocket instead of forward. Shilo failed to impress and missed out on an invite to the NFL combine. That alone was a major blow to his draft hopes.

He also kept sliding downwards in the draft, for which he has to work so much harder than Shedeur. His recurring injuries and age are two other problematic factors affecting his prospects. However, he still has the potential to turn up to be a dependable safety. On NFL Rookie Watch’s Top 5 safeties in the draft (based on turnovers), Shilo ranked No. 3. He follows behind Billy Bowman Jr. and Rayuan Lane III. In his 2023 season, Shilo was involved in 70 tackles and one forced recovery. After being sidelined by the NFL from the combine, being back on their radar does seem like good news for Shilo.

Unlike Shedeur Sanders, who is expected to be a Day 1 pick, Shilo’s turn is projected to come on Day 3. He is not among the top 200 prospects in the draft, but that does not take away the fact that Shilo can be a promising player when healthy. He was Colorado’s leading tackler in 2023, and third-best in 2024. Though Shedeur himself has an uncertain future, it’s far more muddled for his older brother.

Shilo Sanders’ possible draft prospects

As a probable Day 3 pick, Shilo is expected to be a Round 4 or 5 pick. Marca notes that Shilo could go to the Pittsburgh Steelers, a team that is also looking at Shedeur. At Colorado’s Pro Day, Shilo spoke to Steelers West Coast scout Kelvin Fisher. Sports Illustrated noted that the team has been consistent with good defenses, and can look to keep Shilo as an option.

Shilo has also been projected to go to the Baltimore Ravens in mock drafts. A part of that is because Coach Prime was a former Raven. Also known for its good defenses, they could use Shilo as a future investment for the later NFL seasons. It’s clear he won’t get to show much this year in the season, but he has the potential to deliver after spending some time to learn.

Shilo Sanders, not having much to his benefit in the draft, is trying everything within his grasp to give himself that shot. Fears of him slipping out of the draft are very real. However, he’s been showing the community and the pro world that he’ll work for the job with everything hr’s got. What he needs is for one of those teams to give him a chance at showing what he can do.