Skip Bayless drops shocking take on Shedeur Sanders' draft stock

Browns news: Skip Bayless drops attention-grabbing claim on Shedeur Sanders' fall in NFL Draft.

Skip Bayless has never been one to hold back a strong opinion.

This time, his target is the NFL Draft process and how one quarterback was treated.

Bayless dropped an attention-grabbing claim on Shedeur Sanders' fall in the NFL Draft, according to a post on X by Clutch Points.

"What happened to Shedeur [Sanders] in his draft was the biggest draft injustice I have ever experienced," Bayless said.

"I thought he should go No. 1 to the Titans instead of Cam Ward."

"I don't think he's gotten a fair shot in Cleveland."

"And I pray for this kid to get a chance somewhere."

Sanders was selected in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft.

That is a dramatic fall for a player many analysts projected as a potential first-round pick before his final college season.

Bayless laid out exactly why he believes Sanders dropped so far.

"He fell to the fifth round because people didn't like his style," Bayless said.

"The way that he interviewed at the (NFL Combine)."

"And his alleged arrogance, right."

"His father."

Deion Sanders, Shedeur's father, is a Pro Football Hall of Famer and the head coach at the University of Colorado.

Deion has been a vocal presence throughout his son's football career, which some evaluators reportedly viewed as a factor.

Bayless also pointed to the preseason competition between Sanders and Deshaun Watson.

"In the preseason, it was supposed to be a head-to-head fair competition," Bayless said.

"He outplayed Deshaun Watson every way you could outplay him in the preseason games."

"And he was playing with the twos and threes."

"Deshaun was playing with the starters."

Despite that performance, Watson won the starting job.

Sanders has thrown just three passes this season, completing all three for a total of two yards.

Now, Watson has entered concussion protocol, opening the door for Sanders.

Sanders will start for the Browns in Week 9 against the New Orleans Saints.

Browns head coach Todd Monken said he's excited for Sanders, according to a post on X by Mary Kay Cabot.

"He's done his work," Monken said.

"All he's done is be diligent and ask great questions."

"In every meeting, he's dialed in."

"And he's willing to talk to me about certain things or the rest of the players."

"During the game, he's talking to the guys."

"That's why I said I'm so excited to see him today."

"That's what you do."

"Doesn't matter whoever takes the field."

"That represents the Cleveland Browns."

"There's an expectation in the position of how you're going to play, and we'll hold him to that."

Offensive coordinator Travis Switzer also spoke about Sanders' preparation.

Sanders missed his second straight practice Thursday, making it more likely he would start Sunday against the Saints in New Orleans.

Sanders was the No. 2 for the first eight games, so Wednesday was the first time during the regular season he worked with the first-team offense during practice.

"I thought he had a good day, really," Switzer said.

"His urgency and his ability to command and operate was good."

"We were getting in and out of the huddle pretty well, which is some of the things we emphasized."

"Just overall he let it rip."

"He made some good throws and checked it down when he should."

"I thought it was a pretty good day for him."

Sanders lost the close preseason competition for the starting job to Watson.

Switzer said Sanders has handled life as the backup well.

"He's done a nice job of staying engaged," Switzer said.

"Our quarterback coaches in that room have done a great job, Mike (Bajakian) and Matt Baker, of trying to continue to challenge him and keep him involved."

"And he's asked questions in meetings."