If the Broncos had needed a starting quarterback, Shedeur Sanders might have been staying in Colorado.
There’s a chance he’ll still end up in Denver, based on the things Broncos coach Sean Payton had to say after Sanders made it through the first three rounds of the draft unselected.
“We sat there, I watched right behind him throwing and watching the receivers, he had an outstanding Pro Day,” Payton told reporters on Friday night. “This thing is surprising. There’s nothing that ever takes place during this period of time that surprises you. Last year, we had a Plan B quarterback and shoot, we thought second round, and he went.”
This year, it appears that Payton had a first-round grade on a player who will be available at the start of round four.
“I think we all were surprised and yet the talent, holy cow,” Payton said regarding Sanders. “I think if you’re a team that needs a quarterback, and we kind of know at the start of the draft who those teams are. Again I saw him when he was in junior high, and then I saw him when he was in high school, and then I saw him when he was a sophomore in high school come practice on their way to Florida. So I’ve had the chance, I know Deion [Sanders], I felt like I grew up watching him play. There’ll be a chip on his shoulder and beware because this guy’s going to play in this league. I think it’s hard for any of us to explain what other people are looking for. We focus on what we’re looking for and yes, I think it’s surprising.”
Some would say Payton is playing the political game, given that he works in the same state that Deion does. Those skeptics will be watching carefully to see whether Sanders is still on the board the next time the Broncos are on the clock, with the 32nd pick in round four.
Remember when former Colts G.M. Bill Polian tried to claim he had a first-round grade on Tom Brady, years after Tom Brady became Tom Frickin’ Brady? The response was simple — “Well, why didn’t you pick him before he was selected by the Patriots at No. 199?”
Payton could have a chance to bolster his depth chart with a first-round quarterback at the bottom of round four. Will he do it?
At this point, the Shedeur slide could be continuing because teams are reluctant to pick a backup/developmental quarterback who will bring dynamics to the team that backup/developmental quarterbacks rarely if ever do. It’s one of the reasons Tim Tebow struggled to get a spot on a depth chart, post-Tebowmania. Football coaches don’t like distractions, and coaches who have established starters may not be interested in a No. 2 (or No. 3) option who generates as much or more attention than QB1.
If anyone can manage to navigate that situation, it’s Payton. He could quietly develop Sanders and eventually flip him for a higher pick. In the interim, Payton would have first-round insurance behind his first-round starter, Bo Nix.
It’s something to watch if Sanders isn’t picked before No. 134, when the Broncos are next in position to put his name on a card.
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