Deion Sanders issues a reality check to son Shilo ahead of NFL Draft 2025 while praising resilient attitude
Shilo Sanders doesn't have a path to the NFL that's as smooth as his younger brother, Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders. Their father, Deion Sanders, knows that much to be true.
Shilo's draft stock isn't as clear as Shedeur's, as the latter figures to go somewhere near the top of the order and could even go as high as No. 1. The elder Sanders doesn't think the uncertainty will deter his middle son, whose mindset he applauded in the process.
"Shilo has a situation where he gotta work his butt off to go where he wants to go, you know, whatever round that's gonna be," Sanders said Sunday on the "Million Dollaz Worth of Game" podcast (timestamp 9:51). "But, he's always had it tough. ... He's resilient, though, so God has always worked with him that way. He's gonna have to really go get it. But, I like that."
Why is Shilo's situation important to Deion Sanders?
Deion Sanders said during the podcast that seeing his sons be drafted will mean more to him than when he was.
With Dallas letting head coach Mike McCarthy walk following a season in which he missed the postseason — albeit without franchise quarterback Dak Prescott for most of it — Deion Sanders could be a viable option for Jerry Jones to pursue, especially if he wants to boost the Cowboys back to relevance after a down period. Coach Prime is also a name that's been floated in regards to the Las Vegas Raiders' vacant head coaching job.
Mainly because the elder Sanders has been on record saying that he'd only coach at the NFL level if his sons are on his team — that's what he told "Good Morning America" last Wednesday — it wouldn't be far-fetched to think he'd draft Shilo if he had the chance.
Pro Football Hall of Fame tight end Shannon Sharpe has his doubts about Shilo, however.
"We know Shedeur is gonnna have a high grade," Sharpe said on "Nightcap" last Wednesday night. "What type of grade is Shilo going to have? Does he have a third-round, fourth-round, fifth-round, sixth-round, seventh-round grade? Free agent? That's the question."
According to Pro Football Focus' Trevor Sikkema, the top-regarded NFL prospects in Shilo's draft class are Georgia's Malaki Starks, USC's Kamari Ramsey, Penn State's Kevin Winston Jr., Iowa's Sebastian Castro, and Ohio State's Lathan Ransom.