Shedeur Sanders' 'haterism' compared to pre-draft criticism of $303.7M NBA superstar, by Stephen A. Smith

ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith compared criticism of NFL draft prospect Shedeur Sanders to Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown, who allegedly endured similar criticism leading up to the 2016 NBA Draft.

On Wednesday's episode of First Take, Smith responded to rumors that Sanders' draft status was down due to attitude concerns. The analyst thinks it had something to do with his father, Deion Sanders.

"There's a lot of false rumors, and there's a lot of haterism going on out there, because of Prime Time—Deion Sanders," Smith said.

He compared Sanders' draft movement similar to what happened to Brown in 2016. The Celtics star is signed to a five-year contract extension worth up to $303.7 million.

"You know, on the NFL level—well, on the NBA level, rather—people have done this to Jaylen Brown," Smith added. "Jaylen Brown from the Boston Celtics—his draft stock was compromised years ago in some people's eyes. Why? Because leading up to the draft, they were saying he was problematic. They used words like 'arrogant' and stuff like that."

Some NFL scouts reportedly characterized Sanders as "brash," "arrogant," "unprofessional," and "disinterested" in pre-draft interviews, as per NBC Sports' Matthew Berry and NFL insider Josina Anderson.

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ESPN analyst Ryan Clark opined on Wednesday, that racial issues may be behind the negative reports regarding Shedeur Sanders.

"It's not just about him being Deion Sanders' son. 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," Clark said on ESPN.

Other ESPN analyst Louis Riddick echoed the same when he was talking to Dan Patrick, pointing towards a "smear campaign" against Sanders.

"People have been at this game... trying to talk certain prospects down for years," Riddick said. "Deion is a lightning rod. That's where it starts — it doesn't even start with Shedeur, this starts with his father and then it just trickles down to him."

Shedeur Sanders himself countered the criticism in an early March livestream with Bradley Martyn (March 6).

"Everybody tryna make my stock drop right now, please don't believe the media," the quarterback said.

Despite these rumors, The Athletic's Dane Brugler pointed out that Sanders still might go as high as the top-six selection or fall out of the first round altogether.

Deion Sanders forecasted in February that teams would tactically attempt to bring down his son's worth.

Colorado's Pro Day on March 18 presents Sanders with a new chance to present himself directly to NFL franchises and possibly reverse the negative reports concerning his draft value.