Insider shares Deion Sanders theory about supposed slide of Shedeur Sanders' draft stock

For an article published Wednesday, The Athletic's Mike Sando shared that one reason Miami's Cam Ward ended the NFL Scouting Combine as the "consensus" No. 1 quarterback in this year's draft class ahead of Colorado's Shedeur Sanders is because Sanders "hit the wrong notes in combine interviews" with teams. 

Later in the day, Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio offered a different theory regarding the supposed slide of Sanders' draft stock. 

"Colorado coach (and Shedeur’s father) Deion Sanders has said he’d only take a head-coaching job in the NFL if he would be coaching his son," Florio wrote. "This means that the NFL head coach who lands Shedeur will need to have sufficient self-confidence to not worry that, in a year or two, the coach could be supplanted by Deion. Shedeur’s first NFL head coach also will have to be wired to shrug at any comments from Deion regarding the reason for any struggles that Shedeur might experience."

The Tennessee Titans (2025 draft pick No. 1), Cleveland Browns (No. 2), New York Giants (No. 3), Las Vegas Raiders (No. 6), New York Jets (No. 7) New Orleans Saints (No. 9), Indianapolis Colts (No. 14), Seattle Seahawks (No. 18) and Pittsburgh Steelers (No. 21) are all potential landing spots for Shedeur Sanders. Of those clubs, at least the Browns, Giants and Colts have coaches who could be or already are on the hot seat. 

"Plenty of coaches might get skittish about the Deion factor," Florio continued. "They might think that, by signing off on Shedeur, they’ll be signing their eventual pink slip. ...Any coach who would feel threatened by the possibility of Deion eyeing his job won’t want Shedeur. Those coaches will look for negatives, whether it’s 'he’s arrogant and brash' or 'he’s not big enough to take NFL hits' or whatever else the 'anonymous evaluators' will be spreading to folks in the media who will willingly run with it." 

For what it's worth, NFL insider Connor Hughes of SNY revealed on Wednesday that "one team source actually had Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart ranked ahead of [Shedeur Sanders] leaving" the combine. Sando mentioned that multiple NFL executives think Shedeur Sanders "holds the ball too long" on pass plays and "lacks high-end traits."

Nevertheless, some are convinced the Browns will select Sanders with the draft's second pick if they can't get Ward. 

In short, the so-called "silly season" filled with rumors that surface ahead of every draft is in full swing before the official start of spring.