"Archie Manning was notoriously quiet": CFB insider contrasts Eli & Shedeur's draft situation amid rumors of Coach Prime's involvement

Deion Sanders has coached his son, Shedeur, for the entirety of his collegiate career. He saw what Archie Manning was able to do to help his son get where was best for him.

When it comes to the younger Sanders and his brother, Shilo, being drafted this April, many are convinced Coach Prime will take an approach similar to that of Manning.

Archie Manning was a driving force in facilitating a trade for his son, Eli, to land with the New York Giants rather than the lowly San Diego Chargers in the 2004 NFL Draft. College football insider Steve Kim doesn't quite think the two instances mirror one another, having recently shared his thoughts on Jason Whitlock's "Fearless with Jason Whitlock."

"This is where the comparisons stop," Kim said. "Archie Manning was notoriously quiet. He stood out of the way as much as possible. He would do the interview once in a while, he would be the basis of a documentary, and that's about it. He never actually said stuff like, 'Well, I've got to see who's running the franchise.' Once he got him to the Giants, for the most part, Archie Manning stayed out of it."

Deion Sanders made comments in March 2024 on the "Million Dollaz Worth of Game" podcast that prompted that belief, referencing Archie Manning's situation over two decades earlier.

"I know where I kinda want them to go," Deion Sanders said. "There are certain cities where it ain't gonna happen. It's gonna be an Eli."

Steve Kim on why Deion Sanders' approach won't be like that of Archie Manning

Photos of Shedeur Sanders' red-and-blue custom Nike cleats only fanned the narrative's flames, leading some to think the New York Giants — much like they were for Archie Manning and Eli Manning — would be a preferred destination for Sanders. Sanders didn't wear them in the Alamo Bowl game against BYU, though, not even for warmups.

Still, it seemed as if a statement was being made. The Giants lost the No. 1 spot in the NFL Draft order, however. That now belongs to Tennessee. Wherever the younger Sanders end up, namely Shedeur, Kim claimed Coach Prime might pose problems, unlike Manning did for the franchises who fielded his sons.

"Let's say that he gets to the franchise that he wants," Kim said. "Let's say now that the head coach brings in a coordinator that's not Coach Prime-approved. Now you've got this, 'Well, why are you running this? Why are you running that?' Then, they bring in a quarterback coach. (Now, it's,) 'What's his background? What's his track record?' ... Then, every year of the draft, you don't get the specific offensive lineman or the No. 1 receiver — 'Well, they're not helping my son.'

"The whole specter of the Sanders dynamic, I think, is a factor to at least a few teams."