"They will forever regret it”: Skip Bayless rips NFL scouts for undermining Shedeur Sanders’ draft stock

One of the most well-known American sports personalities fired a warning shot at teams that may pass on Shedeur Sanders in April’s draft. Among the concerns raised by NFL teams about the Colorado quarterback and son of the legendary “Prime Time” Deion Sanders is his arm strength, ability to read clever NFL defenses, and how focused he’ll be on football, given his off-field endeavors.

Skip Bayless said on X Friday that not taking the 2024 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award winner would be a huge mistake.

"Lots of veteran NFL evaluators won’t love how confidently outspoken Shedeur is, how much jewelry he wears, that his dad is Neon Deion," Bayless wrote. "BUT IF THEY NEED A QB AND THEY PASS ON SHEDEUR, THEY WILL FOREVER REGRET IT. HE’S SO DEADLY ACCURATE, SO SMART, SO MENTALLY/PHYSICALLY TOUGH.

Sanders and the Miami Hurricanes’ Cam Ward are projected to be the first two quarterbacks off the board in April’s draft. Shedeur, who was a First-team All-Big 12 last season, had a message for those who doubted his ability on Friday.

"You think I’m worried about what critics say? You know who my dad is? They hated on him too," Sanders said.

Deion Sanders won two Super Bowls and was elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Shedeur Sanders’ college numbers are a good sign heading into NFL Draft

Like his dad, Shedeur Sanders has had his share of doubters, but his college stats suggest he’ll help turn around a struggling team quickly.

That’s what the quarterback did at Jackson State, coming to a program that went through some lean years, guiding them to consecutive SWAC championships. In his first season with the Tigers in 2021, he captured the Jerry Rice Award as the most outstanding freshman player in the country, throwing for over 3,000 yards in two seasons with them.

With his dad as the head coach at Colorado, he continued to develop into an elite pivot, with a passer rating of 151.7 and 168.2 in his two seasons as a starter. A First-team All-Big 12 in 2024, Sanders had a career-high 353 completions and a completion percentage of 74.0, with 37 touchdown passes. He helped them get to the Alamo Bowl in 2024.

Sanders’ ability to turn around two college teams that were mediocre at best before he arrived should be taken into consideration for NFL teams that have a chance to select him in the draft.