Eric Dickerson’s Controversial Claim about NFL Draft

Pro Football Hall-of-Famer Eric Dickerson recently stirred up some discussion by suggesting that the NFL aimed to “make an example” out of Shedeur Sanders and discouraged teams from selecting him in the April draft.

During his appearance on the “Roggin and Rodney Show” on AM 570 LA Sports, Dickerson claimed he received this information from a “very good source” within the NFL.

Sanders, once predicted to be a first-round pick, ended up being chosen by the Browns in the fifth round. Speculations about how he handled the draft process seemed to affect his prospects.

According to Dickerson, the situation was more complicated than it seemed.

“I tell you this much, I heard from someone in the NFL that they told teams not to draft him, do not draft him,” he remarked. “They intended to make an example out of him. This came from a very reliable source.”

Interestingly, Sanders fell further in the draft than expected, with some league officials allegedly pressuring the Browns to select him at the 144th overall spot. Dickerson stated, “Somebody called the Cleveland Browns and said ‘don’t do that, draft him.’ They weren’t going to draft him either… They were pushed into selecting him because of that call.”

When questioned about the purpose of such actions, Dickerson mused that the NFL aimed to prevent Sanders from being drafted, effectively showing others, “this is what happens when you do this.”

However, some industry insiders disputed Dickerson’s narrative. Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer expressed skepticism about the claims during the “Dan Patrick Show,” stating that those “kind of conspiracies are a little overdone.”

“I don’t think there was any conspiracy here,” he added. “What happened seems pretty straightforward. The majority of NFL teams didn’t see him as a first-round prospect, unlike earlier predictions.”

Breer continued, pointing out that historically, not many quarterbacks are selected in the second or third rounds.

As the Browns gear up for the upcoming season, Joe Flacco is slated to start as quarterback, but Sanders is expected to see action in the team’s presence game on Saturday.