Shedeur Sanders Reveals His 'Edge'

Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders has already lost the battle. Barring the Tennessee Titans pulling off the best smoke screen in recent memory, Miami’s Cam Ward will be the first pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

His year-long quest to be the first quarterback taken will have fallen short. In the days before the draft, though, he’s making his case to the Cleveland Browns and quarterback-needy teams early in the first round.

If he pulls it off, he’ll jump one of the class’ blue-chip prospects and be a top-three draft pick. If not, he may fall concerningly deep into Round 1.

In an interview with ESPN, the Browns draft target revealed his “edge” over the other quarterbacks in this class.

"I feel like nothing can faze me mentally, because I've been in the most high-pressure situation that there is to be known," Shedeur said. "That's the edge I have over any other player, because they haven't dealt with expectation immediately.

"See, a lot of people got to grow their name, and they had to build their name. They were nobody, then became someone. Being the son of my dad, you somebody [from the beginning]."

Being the son of Deion Sanders has its perks, but a constant spotlight isn’t one of them. The spotlight has always been on the quarterback, amplified by the position he plays and the task he’s about to embark on. Yet, he helped turn Jackson State around, then did the same at Colorado.

According to the quarterback, that resume speaks for itself.

"I know I've done it, so I know what it looks like, back-to-back, over and over. I've been in situations where I know I had to change my playing style to adapt. I had six different offensive coordinators, I'm able to adapt to each one, and the production always went up. It never went down.”

If Cleveland does pull the trigger, Sanders will have plenty of adversity to prove his point with. The cloud of Deshaun Watson – and his massive contract – hang over the franchise, stifling progress and hurting the supporting cast meant to make his life easier. Combined with the pressures of being the son of a Hall of Famer and the hope of a fanbase hanging in the balance, Sanders will have his work cut out for him. Ultimately, it’s on him to prove Tennessee wrong.

"Pressure-wise, expectation-wise, I always had it my whole life," Sanders said. "So going to an NFL franchise is not going to change anything for me, it's just another day in the life."