Chedure Sanders’ unexpected drop to the fifth round of the NFL Draft stirred quite a bit of controversy. Even President Trump weighed in on the situation back in April.
Recently, Hall of Famer Eric Dickerson suggested that there were influences telling teams not to draft Sanders. In an interview on “Rogin and Rodney” on AM 570 LA Sports, he stated, “I’ve heard from several people in the NFL that they were warned against drafting him.” He claimed this information came from a credible source, which adds weight to his words.
According to Dickerson, the NFL wields a lot of power when it comes to decisions made by franchises. He mentioned that teams were allegedly pressured to avoid drafting Sanders, saying, “They were basically going to make sure they weren’t drafting like they showed you. So the NFL has all sorts of power.” Ultimately, Sanders was selected by the Cleveland Browns as the 144th pick. He was initially considered a top contender for the first overall pick after an impressive final season at Colorado.
Interestingly, Dickerson noted that the Browns were specifically told to draft Sanders, although he didn’t reveal who imposed that instruction. “Someone called Cleveland Browns and said, ‘Don’t do that, don’t draft him.’ They didn’t intend to draft him, but felt compelled to do so because of someone else’s influence,” he remarked.
Fox News Digital has not verified Dickerson’s claims and has reached out to the NFL for a response. The reactions to Sanders’ slide, especially among fans and public figures like Trump, were significant. Trump even questioned the decision-making of NFL owners, calling Sanders a “great college football player” who should have been picked by any winning team. The buzz intensified when Sanders fell further from both the second and third rounds.
On air, ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. expressed confusion over the situation, while Stephen A. Smith relayed a text comparing it to Colin Kaepernick’s situation. The text suggested that there was a “conspiracy” against Sanders. “This looks bad for the NFL. It feels like collusion. All the efforts made to eliminate such perceptions seem to be leading to more suspicion among the fans,” Smith read from the message.
As Sanders finally joined the Browns, General Manager Andrew Berry clarified that selecting two quarterbacks wasn’t part of their original plan after they picked fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel earlier. “We trust in the best players available and believe in positional value,” he stated.
Sanders showcased some talent in his first preseason performance. He’s set to compete in the final preseason game against the Los Angeles Rams. However, he finds himself low on the team’s depth chart, positioned fourth behind veteran Joe Flacco and fellow rookie Gabriel.
