“Y’all can’t tell me Legacies and last names don’t matter,” said Deiondra Sanders. Although it was meant to celebrate Bronny James getting picked by the Lakers, one of the Sanders seems to have taken the words seriously: Shilo Sanders. Since the rumors of LeBron James having a part to play in Bronny’s pick surfaced, fans have been predicting Deion Sanders pulling a similar move for his sons in the 2025 NFL Draft.

After all, Coach Prime’s influence in the league is undeniable — so undeniable that Shilo Sanders even mentioned it out loud in one of his interviews. Since his brother, Shedeur, and teammate Travis Hunter are the picks discussed more in draft terms, Shilo aimed a direct jibe at them, reminding everyone, “You know I’m going to the league too, right?” 

Along with that, he had something else to top off his opinion: a bold statement. “Little package deal, that would be cool. My dad just LeBron James that thing that. That would be great,” Shilo said with a sheepish smile. Little did he know the storm of criticism that would erupt after those words.

Coach JB and Big Smitty were the first to drag Shilo Sanders into hot waters over his statement during their July 14 show. Going all no-nonsense, Coach JB aimed at the camera and said, “You are not a f**king NFL player, Shilo,” followed by a series of profanities. Since the news of Shilo assaulting Jean Darjean and his $11.8 million lawsuit, after which he declared bankruptcy despite his good NIL deals, he might as well get ready for more such claims in this season leading up to the NFL draft.

Shilo Sanders’ pick in the mock draft

Shilo Sanders’ draft stock has suffered serious damage following his lawsuit. The ranks that Shilo was initially expected to rake in have also fallen to a great extent. Were it not for the hit that Shilo’s reputation bore, he might have had a shot at being a first-rounder. After the allegations of Jean Darjean proved true, however, that seems like a Hail Mary.

While Shilo Sanders’s mock draft rank is not yet in, his rank as an NFL safety of the class of 2025 is based on his scouting report. Per NFL Draft Buzz, Shilo Sanders ranks seventh, following other NCAA safeties like North Dakota’s Xavier Watts, Georgia’s Malaki Starks, Texas’ Andrew Mukaba, and three more.

Given that Shilo does not rank in the top 5 safeties, his getting drafted in the first round seems like a stretch. However, not looking over Shilo’s confidence when he said that his dad would take care of it, the NFL draft, especially for Sanders, would surely be a rollercoaster ride.