Former Colorado player assigns blames for Shedeur Sanders' draft slide.
The ongoing conversation about former Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders' slide in the 2025 NFL Draft has taken a familiar turn. However, this time it came from an unlikely source.
Former Colorado wide receiver LaJohntay Wester shared his thoughts about Sanders' journey to the league. While on the Water Boyz Sports Podcast, the current Baltimore Ravens wideout was asked about why Shedeur fell from being a projected top-50 pick to No. 144 overall.
“A lot of people don’t like to see a confident black man," Wester said. "A real public figure that is a black man that a lot of people look up to him. His coaching rubbed people the wrong way and they felt threatened.”
Wester's conclusion doesn't account for the self-inflicted mistakes Sanders made during the pre-draft process. This was not due to the family's "confidence" but more so due to not having an agent, holding the ball too long, taking unnecessary sacks, and questionable mobility. Not to mention, there were only a handful of teams in the top two rounds who needed a quarterback.
Other things that stood out were his availability (i.e. not playing in the Shrine Bowl, throwing at the Combine, and reportedly turning down specific team's private visits). Coach Prime wanted to navigate where his son would be drafted, which had become a talking point before the 2025 NFL Draft. Deion Sanders talked extensively about using the same blueprint that Archie Manning used in 2004 when he publicly told the San Diego Chargers that if they drafted Eli Manning he would sit out.
Everyone respectfully understands why Deion Sanders wanted to guide Shedeur Sanders' start to his professional career. But not having an agent before the draft is a no-go for many NFL teams. "What's hard for some players of this new era of college football to understand is not everyone is able to represent you," an NFL executive told Roundtable Sports on condition of anonymity. "Diego Pavia found out the hard way after hiring an agent at the last minute. My advice is to get one early who works NIL deals and can at least do your rookie contract."
For context, Jacoby Brissett was drafted in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft. He was one of the last players who negotiated his rookie deal.
Wester's argument centers around the fact that the Sanders' family dynamic is built on confidence and some people don't like to see them being successful. If this was the truth, all 32 NFL teams, including the Cleveland Browns, who skipped over Shedeur six times before drafting him, would have a problem with Coach Prime's confidence.
“Do not allow my confidence to offend your insecurities,” Deion Sanders has said numerous times. The former NFL great doesn’t mince his words when speaking his mind. He didn’t do it on the playing field in college or at the professional level and hasn’t skipped a beat since his coaching career.
Wester went on to say people not liking Coach Prime contributed to Sanders, Jimmy Horn Jr. and a few other Colorado players sliding in the draft. Wester's own NFL Draft profile stated obvious clues about why he was a late-round pick.
"Undersized slot target with good speed and above-average production. NFL.com writer Lance Zierlein wrote. "Wester is built for longer routes with softer angles, allowing him to build separation. He’s less effective with wiggle routes underneath. There are times his catch focus stands out but he has a very limited catch radius and drops were a major concern in 2023. Colorado’s scheme and surrounding talent created some easier looks for Wester, but his big-play potential from the slot and as a punt returner should give him a chance to make a roster."
Keep in mind, Zierlein had Wester as a seventh-rounder or undrafted free agent. He ended up going in the sixth round to the Ravens. For clarity, Zierlein had Sanders projected as a first-round pick. What changed was the process going into the draft for Sanders.
The Buffs went 9-4 overall in 2024, and the four games they lost were critical to several players' NFL stock. The offensive struggles against Kansas, Nebraska, and BYU (Alamo Bowl) didn’t help any player's draft stock, but rather it hurt them. Wester caught four passes against Nebraska for 20 yards, with the only touchdown being scored in the fourth quarter. Wester's receptions came during garbage time in the BYU game with the Cougars up a few scores.
Colorado, except for Travis Hunter, who won a Heisman Trophy playing both sides of the ball, were evaluated based on the offensive scheme the Buffs ran and the way they lost games. The inability to run the ball allowed Sanders to play in a pass-happy offensive scheme with no fluidity. This made it easier for Sanders to pre-read defensive coverage and gave the receivers favorable match-ups. Once the opposing defense shifted their coverage to focus more on Travis Hunter, Sanders would find the open target.
By no means is anyone saying Wester isn’t a decent receiver, but the point must be made that he benefited from others on the field, including Hunter. His presence on the field forced several NFL scouts to evaluate the intangibles of the other Buffs receivers. Remember, the Jacksonville Jaguars traded up for Hunter because they say his potential.
Hunter was coached by Sanders on the same team. So the question should be asked: what did the NFL evaluators see in each of the different CU players who entered the draft and had the same head Coach? Then ask a follow-up: was there hate or flaws in the athletes' size and development to play the game at the next level?
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