“Shedeur Sanders' tape sometimes is tough to watch” - Ex-NFL QB raises minor red flag as ESPN projects major slide

It's draft season and all eyes will be on the Tennessee Titans in the build-up to April amid rumors of the franchise being open to offers for the No. 1 overall pick. There are a few contenders to go No. 1 overall this year, including Colorado's Shedeur Sanders, Penn State's Abdul Carter, Heisman winner Travis Hunter and Miami's Cam Ward.

Sanders has made it known his primary objective is to be the first QB off the board but ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr.'s latest mock draft has Deion Sanders' son slipping all the way past the QB-needy Cleveland Browns, New York Giants and Las Vegas Raiders to fall to the New York Jets at No. 7 overall.

Kiper Jr. has Sanders firmly as the QB2 in this year's class but sees the Giants land someone of Matthew Stafford's caliber.

That mock draft raised a few eyebrowns and former Detroit Lions QB turned ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky also had something to say about Shedeur Sanders ahead of the NFL Combine:

"Shedeur’s tape sometimes is tough to watch because the pass protection at times is so poor that he's just running for his life. Holding on to the ball, that's going to be a part of the conversation."

He continued:

"But if you wanted to play to say, 'Hey, who is Shedeur Sanders? Why should he be in the conversation for some people at QB1? Is he worthy of going top five? Should he go to the New York Jets at seven like Mel Kiper had him today?'

"The push is going to be this in the NFL - can you make that throw now with a little bit of touch? Because that extra hitch in the league may not be there, but the ball placement? Awesome.”

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Mel Kiper issues eyebrow-raising scouting report on Shedeur Sanders

Like Sportskeeda's Tony Pauline reported this month, Kiper Jr. added that there are mixed feelings on Sanders around the league. The ESPN draft analyst also added that Sanders isn't seen as a "surefire top-five pick" in this year's class.

He instead has the Giants going with Sanders' teammate Travis Hunter followed by Will Campbell to the Patriots, Mason Graham to the Jaguars, and Ashton Jeanty to the Raiders.

Like with the Giants, Kiper's explanation was that the Raiders could look at free agency instead of signing on for the Shedeur Sanders experience in April.