Jarrett Bell of USA Today spoke to multiple NFL executives who expressed that Hall of Famer Deion Sanders' involvement in Shedeur's pre-draft process played a part in his massive drop down the draft board.

Shedeur Sanders was once considered a first-round pick by several analysts before the 2025 NFL Draft. After the dust settled, the former Colorado quarterback fell to the fifth round, going 144th overall to the Cleveland Browns.

Vardell was known as “Touchdown Tommy” in college, and was solid during his first two seasons with Cleveland, logging 1,013 yards on 270 carries and three touchdowns. His final two seasons, however, were limited by injuries and resulted in 19 carries through 10 games.