Former Minnesota Vikings quarterback Daunte Culpepper believes National Football League (NFL) teams slipped up by overlooking Shedeur Sanders in the NFL Draft this year.
Sanders had been widely tipped to be an early pick after shining in college football, but he was ultimately not selected until the fifth round.
The Cleveland Browns eventually made him the 144th overall pick, and the move sparked plenty of debate about why he had dropped so far.
One NFL coach reportedly described Sanders as ‘entitled’, but Culpepper believes other teams will regret not taking a chance on him.
While recently speaking to Betway, Culpepper insisted that Sanders has what it takes to become a major star in the NFL over the next few years.
“Based on all the quarterbacks I got to see last season in college, I think Shedeur was a close second behind Cam Ward,” Culpepper said.
“I think if Cam Ward was one, I thought Shedeur should have been ‘1B’. Obviously, I’m not in the war rooms with the teams and I don’t know what they were evaluating.
“But just off the off the football aspect of it, I thought he was the second-best quarterback coming out and I was very surprised to see him drop the way he did.”
The former Colorado quarterback and son of NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders inevitably garnered plenty of attention during the off-season.
His father was also his coach in college football, which raised questions about whether he had the ability to adapt to playing under a different regime.
Sanders Snr has been vocal on social media and in press conferences whenever his son was criticised, triggering further concerns in NFL circles.
Colorado undoubtedly progressed with Sanders in the team having posted a 1-11 record in 2022, improving to 4-8 and 9-4 in the next two seasons.
However, one NFL coordinator noted that he often displayed questionable decision-making during games and doubted his ability to make an impact in the NFL.
“He’s not going to extend plays the way he did at Colorado,” he said. “Nobody does, unless you’re Lamar (Jackson), Josh Allen, Kyler (Murray).
“Those guys are elite athletes. He’s not. So, it’s going to be a very different game he’s asked to play. I’m not saying he can’t do it. But that’s where the hesitation is going to come into play.”
While plenty of people in the NFL have doubts about Sanders, there have been early signs that he could become a useful asset for the Browns.
He looked comfortable in a pre-season victory over the Carolina Panthers and appears to be buying in to the culture of being a team player in Cleveland.
His sideline support for second-year kicker Andre Szmyt during the season opening defeat against the Cincinnati Bengals was an indication that he has the right mindset for the NFL.
Culpepper is convinced that Sanders will prove the doubters wrong and has backed him to enjoy a successful career at the highest level.
“You hear stories, but the bottom line is you want a quarterback who can make plays and get your team to be in the best situation to win,” Culpepper added.
“For whatever reason, teams didn’t pick him, but he was the second-best option in my opinion. Every day is now an opportunity for him to go out and showcase himself, even at practice.
“He’s just got to go out and show who he is, and show he’s worthy of being a starting quarterback in the NFL. He did have a great game in pre-season and he’s got to build on that.”
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