"Deion Sanders is a lightning rod": Louis Riddick makes his stance clear on Shedeur as his draft stock continues to drop

Deion Sanders and his son, Shedeur, enjoyed a successful partnership at Colorado. As a result, Shedeur has been projected to go in the top five of mock drafts. He's also been slated to fall down the order as far as the end of the first round, and some believe it's possible he won't be taken within the first 32 picks at all.

The Colorado quarterback might be the most intriguing prospect in the 2025 NFL draft. As Shedeur's draft stock slides, former NFL player and professional scout Louis Riddick feels that he knows why.

"People have been at this game, so to speak, of trying to talk certain prospects down for years," Riddick said Monday on "The Dan Patrick Show." "Deion is a lightning rod. That's where it starts. It doesn't even start with Shedeur. It starts with his father, then it just trickles down to him. It's been that way since I played with Deion back in 1992 in Atlanta.

"People don't like flashy guys like that who can back it up. They just don't. They don't like people who are strong, confident. It's funny, like, we love it, then with some people, we don't love it. With Deion, he's always been a polarizing player to the people who don't know him."

Shedeur Sanders has been criticized for his attitude, which one undisclosed coach described as arrogant after hearing him talk at the NFL Scouting Combine. Riddick believes such ridicule is unfounded once you actually get to know someone like he did with Deion Sanders.

"If you know him personally, you'd be like, 'I get it, and I love it. Give me more of it,'" Riddick said. "With Shedeur, he has some of his father in him. There's no question. How could he not? He's the man's son. And so a lot of it comes from who he is and what his last name is.

"As far as him individually ... does he have Cam Ward's arm? No. Do you need Cam Ward's arm? Do you need John Elway's arm? Do you need Josh Allen's arm in order to play high-level winning football in the NFL? No."

What to watch for regarding Deion Sanders and his son

Deion Sanders helped revive a failing Colorado program over a two-season span with his son. The elder Sanders knows that his son has a similar nature to his and has gone on the record to put his full confidence in Shedeur no matter where he lands at the next level.

There have been concerns for whichever team takes Shedeur Sanders, as some wonder whether Deion Sanders will be involved.