Shedeur Sanders denied being drafted by team Deion Sanders ended career with in April originally appeared on The Sporting News
Shedeur Sanders didn’t want to back up Lamar Jackson with the Baltimore Ravens when the franchise was interested in drafting the quarterback with the No. 141 overall selection this past April. Thus, the previously projected first-round cornerstone ended up with the Cleveland Browns three picks later in the most infamous draft slide in NFL history.
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Baltimore ended up selecting Alabama A&M Bulldogs offensive tackle Carson Vinson with that pick.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter revealed the bombshell on Sunday during Sunday NFL Countdown ahead of Browns-Ravens.
“A consensus had been headed. The Baltimore Ravens were planning to select Shedeur Sanders in the fifth round with the 141st overall selection. But, when he found out, he got word back to the Ravens that he preferred not to go to a place where he’d be competing and backing up Lamar Jackson. He wanted to be in a place that he could play,” Schefter said, per On3.
“When the Ravens got that message, they pivoted, went a different direction with the 141st overall selection. And three picks later, the Cleveland Browns selected Shedeur Sanders, who will be in Baltimore today, where he could have been spending his NFL career if he were willing to back up Lamar Jackson.”
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The Ravens organization didn’t have anyone leak the news, showing how air-tight things are in Baltimore. Steve Bisciotti and Eric DeCosta didn’t let a word get out until gameday, avoiding the media firestorm that would’ve caused had it been released in May or June when Shedeur was the hottest story in the NFL.
Shedeur Sanders chooses to avoid the team Deion retired with
Ultimately, all the hubbub about Deion Sanders’ preferred list of teams for Shedeur turned out to be for naught. The Ravens were supposedly on there, and Coach Prime supposedly didn’t want the Browns for his youngest son.
Wrong and wrong again.
Shedeur chose his own path with the Browns. So far, it’s been more ups than downs.
But unlike what was being said before the draft, Coach Prime let his son make that choice.