“His [Cam Ward] color doesn’t matter”: Jason Whitlock rips apart Ryan Clark for pulling race card to defend Shedeur Sanders

Sports analyst Jason Whitlock is having none of ESPN analyst Ryan Clark’s take on Shedeur Sanders’ reported slide on draft boards being due to race. Whitlock, who is a conservative media analyst, went after Clark on Thursday’s “Fearless with Jason Whitlock.”

On Wednesday's edition of "First Take," Clark questioned whether Sanders’ attitude and skin color are playing against him in the minds of some NFL executives. In turn, Whitlock pointed at the quarterback considered the favorite to land at the top of the draft, Cam Ward, as proof that skin color isn’t an issue.

“Cam Ward, who I believe is Black. The Miami quarterback, he’s scheduled to be the first quarterback taken. His color doesn’t matter," Whitlock said (14:11). "No one has questions about his color, it doesn’t raise questions. Cam Ward.

“So what’s the difference between Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders? Maybe it’s attitude, maybe it’s the way they carry themselves, maybe Shedeur is a bit cocky. Maybe he doesn’t have the kind of self-awareness where he is able to admit a mistake, able to humble himself, and not have an excuse or a rationalization for anything.”

Jason Whitlock also pointed out possible off-field distractions, like rapping, as things teams might question, especially with the investment franchises make on quarterbacks in today's pass-happy NFL.

The former columnist also said teams should question if Sanders could potentially turn out to be like Johnny Manziel or Cam Newton, interested in “turning himself into an icon.”

What did Ryan Clark say about Shedeur Sanders that ticked Jason Whitlock off?

On Wednesday, Ryan Clark responded to some reports that Shedeur Sanders' draft stock was dropping because some NFL scouts considered him to be “brash” and “arrogant.” Clark said it was about his football background and race.

“It’s not just about him being Deion Sanders’ son," Clark said. "It’s about the bravado he carries. It’s about the fact that he looks a certain way. It is about the fact that the color of his skin sometimes at the position can be questioned, and I believe Shedeur Sanders is going to have to live with that until he gets on the field.”

As evidenced by his words, Clark believes that Sanders' confident attitude, along with his race, could become an issue with some scouts.

Of course, Shedeur Sanders is the son of Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive back Deion Sanders, considered a brash player and coach in his own right. The elder Sanders was also one of the top cornerbacks in the NFL for years and coached Shedeur throughout his college career, first at Jackson State and then at Colorado.