The 2024 Big 12 Player of the Year has one of the more compelling stories in football, being the son of Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, and the drama that came behind his draft pick.

Originally a projected top-10 pick, Sanders reportedly seemed to have rubbed people within organizations the wrong way and it resulted in him slipping all the way to the fifth round.

And everyone has had an opinion on it, including a handful of NFL legends.

Hall of Fame running back, Eric Dickerson, who has enjoyed quite the eventful post-playing career as a media personality and analyst, had some strong feelings on how Sanders’ situation panned out.

When he was stopped by TMZ, they had asked him his thoughts on Sanders, referring to past comments from Dickerson saying he was blackballed from the league.

“Yeah, I didn’t make that up, that’s true. That’s a true statement. I got it from an inside source, a guy who works for the National Football League… it’s just sometimes, they want to make a statement, to show you that you’re not all that. I know they don’t care for is dad, and I think Deion is a great guy. I just feel like it was wrong what they did to him. I mean, look, Mel Kiper said in 30 years he's never seen nothing like this. There was something to that."

To an extent, that certainly is true, and it feels like Sanders has been given a raw deal because of not just his father, but his boisterous, outspoken personality.

What Sanders did in his senior year was truly remarkable, leading the Big 12 in completions, completion percentage (led FBS as well), passing touchdowns, yards gained per attempt, and passing efficiency. 

On top of all of that, he’s the all-time leader in FBS history with a 71.8% passing completion.

So what team wouldn’t want him? He has the makings of a potential franchise cornerstone.

Well it was clear that the Cleveland Browns, who had the fifth pick overall in the draft, wanted him, but only on their terms, and they got him by picking him in the fifth round after already drafting QB Dillon Gabriel.

It’s safe to say that Dickerson was not happy about Sanders’ landing spot.

"He goes to a team like the Browns, that's not a good football team," Dickerson said. “I hate to see him there, I wish they would have cut him. Let him have another opportunity with a better football team."

In Dickerson’s defense, the Browns haven’t been the standard bearer for success. Every quarterback they’ve had has either squandered or excelled elsewhere.

And then when they find a quarterback, they throw all their guaranteed money at the guy who’s fresh off several sexual assault cases and past his prime to the point where you’re stuck with an albatross of a contract.

Regardless, it’s not exactly a situation where Sanders gets to play any time soon. Gabriel is ahead of him on the depth chart, and it doesn’t seem like that’s changing.

The only thing that may help is a possible trade. However, with all the extra attention that he gets, will any other team want to trade for him?