Former Atlanta Falcons head coach Mike Smith has spoken out in support of Shedeur Sanders‘ potential, brushing off any doubts about his talents.
Sanders experienced an unexpectedly long wait during the 2025 NFL Draft before being scooped up by the Cleveland Browns with the 144th overall pick. Although a first-round projection led to expectations, Sanders found himself joining a loaded quarterback lineup including Kenny Pickett, Deshaun Watson, Dillon Gabriel, and Joe Flacco.
Adding to his draft experience, Shedeur was also the butt of a practical joke orchestrated by the son of Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich. Despite this prank and a longer-than-anticipated wait time to be drafted, Sanders maintained his composure throughout the process.
Smith remains confident in Sanders’ abilities, disregarding the mix of pre-draft predictions about his future success. “There are all sorts of opinions in regards to where Shedeur Sanders will be drafted and what kind of success he is going to have in the NFL,” Smith remarked prior to the draft, per Betway.
“If you watch the tape, you can see that Sanders is an outstanding quarterback. He’s done so many great things in college, both at the University of Colorado and at Jackson State, that you want to see in an NFL quarterback. His measurables might not be the greatest and his size might not be the traditional prototypical size for a pro QB, but he has IT.
“It’s hard to describe what IT is, but he does a great job with ball security. Statistically, he can be as good as any quarterback taken in the last decade. Regardless of whether he goes second, 10th or 21st, I really believe Sanders is going to be a very successful quarterback in the NFL.”
Smith also believes that too much stock had been placed on the 23 year old’s personality while playing for the Buffaloes. Of note, the former Falcons head coach called evaluations of Sanders’ character based on what he did on the field to be “unfair.”
(Image: Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
“You want players to be confident in who they are and he is very confident in his skin,” he continued. “He’s going to be a second-generation NFL player and his dad may be the best athlete to ever play the game so there’s always going to be a lot of attention on him.
“He has been in the limelight for a number of years going back to his high school days in Texas. He’s used to this. As a coach, you want to have confident players on your team and Sanders exudes it. When your quarterback is confident in his ability, you have a better chance to be successful.
“He’ll always be talked about by the media, but I believe Sanders is going to be a very successful player in the NFL.”
Despite the humbling draft experience, Sanders expressed his deep appreciation for Cleveland and his commitment to repay the Browns organization’s faith in him.
“The main thing, I’m just proving – coach (Kevin) Stefanski and (general manager Andrew) Berry – that they are right,” Sanders stated. “That’s it. They’re right about picking me. I’m a good decision. I’m a good draft pick for them, to be able to come in there and do what I need to do.
“I know I’m going to fit in perfectly. I feel like it’s first getting in, showing respect to the vets, showing them I’m here ready to work. Show the coaches and have them understand, I’m here ready to work. So, they could actually understand the real me. That’s what I’m truly thankful to have, is the opportunity for people to actually see the real me and not be able to see stuff that could be true or not.”
- Source: NEWHD MEDIA
