"This guy is not good enough" - Ex-ESPN president makes feelings known on "collusion" against Shedeur Sanders for draft slide

Former ESPN president John Skipper has joined the growing list of public figures weighing in on Shedeur Sanders’ surprising fall in the 2025 NFL draft. On Tuesday's episode of the Pablo Torre Finds Out podcast, Skipper addressed and dismissed the idea that NFL teams collectively conspired to keep Sanders from being drafted higher.

“The NFL talent managers did not believe he was a first, second, third-round choice,” Skipper said. “This is a big story because the most prominent draft expert on ESPN, Mel Kiper, who has generally been pretty accurate, this is, I think, the greatest disparity ever between a player he was expecting to be taken very high. … He expects (Shedeur) to be a high-impact player and make a difference.”

Sanders, who played under his father Deion at Colorado, was eventually selected by the Cleveland Browns with the 144th overall pick in the fifth round. His draft slide, paired with the quiet from most teams, sparked online buzz that something beyond football might have been at play.

Skipper, however, framed the situation as more of a classic NFL evaluation than a conspiracy.

“A lot of people just passed,” he continued. “They probably didn’t want the distraction of Deion Sanders, among other things. The first time your quarterback doesn’t perform well, you think Deion is going to go on SportsCenter wondering when they’re going to play my son?”

His co-host, Pablo Torre, echoed that view.

“It’s not collusion,” Torre said. “It’s a test of power, in which every NFL team was like, ‘This guy is not good enough to demand the treatment, the power that he thinks he deserves."

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Was Shedeur Sanders really worth the hype?

Though Skipper’s comments were blunt, they reflect a sentiment echoed by many league insiders in the days following the draft. NFL teams have grown increasingly wary of media-driven narratives and off-field distractions when evaluating quarterbacks, especially with so much emphasis now placed on leadership and locker room dynamics.

Interestingly, analysts had projected Sanders as a possible Day 2 pick. Mel Kiper Jr., in particular, had remained bullish on his arm strength, poise and pro readiness throughout the pre-draft process. However, the combination of immense public exposure, his father’s fame and an unconventional pre-draft approach may have raised enough red flags to give general managers pause, even if the talent was there.

Now in Cleveland, Sanders joins a quarterback room that includes Deshaun Watson, Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett and fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel. While the debate about his draft slide continues in the media, Skipper’s remarks reflect a broader league sentiment. This was not about politics but fit, risk and expectations.