At this time last year, most big boards had Shedeur Sanders going in the top five. His draft stock took a bit of a hit when he didn't throw at the NFL Scouting Combine, but he was still projected to be a high first-round selection.
Ultimately, he fell to the No. 144 spot in what may have been the most drastic draft slide in the history of the game. While not a perfect prospect by any means, we had never seen such a disconnect between draft analysts, insiders, and what ultimately happened.
That's why some argued that there had to be something else going on. Notably, that includes Hall of Fame running back Emmitt Smith.
In an appearance on "NXT Chapter with T.D. Takes," the legendary running back doubled down on his support for Shedeur Sanders, re-igniting the debate about his draft slide.
"I was completely disappointed in terms of how the NFL treated him," Smith said. "He was the biggest name coming out of the draft. There was no other kid in the draft that was more marketable than that young man."
Emmitt Smith's take on Shedeur Sanders will re-ignite draft debate
There's a strong case to be made on Smith's comments either way.
On the one hand, the league would've benefited from Sanders being a superstar from Day 1. He had — and still has — way too much pull, a huge fan base, and is the son of one of the greatest players to ever lace them up.
On the other hand, he showed that he wasn't ready once he finally got the chance to start. He didn't play against high-level competition in college, and he wasn't the most athletic or physically gifted quarterback prospect in his class.
Perhaps the truth is somewhere in between. It's hard to believe all teams would've colluded to make a statement against one of their own just for the sake of it. This is the most competitive league in major sports. Why would all QB-needy teams give up on a chance to land a marketable star who can solve their main issues just to send a message?
We've seen NFL teams look the other way in cases of domestic violence and some serious accusations off the field. Ultimately, if the guy is good enough, they will always find a way to justify it and even sweep it under the rug. Sanders simply may not have been as good as his marketing team made him seem.
Whatever the case, Sanders can now use that draft slide as motivation for as long as his career lasts. Hopefully, with another training camp and some prior NFL experience, plus an improved coaching staff and roster, he'll prove the doubters wrong once and for all.