NFL Draft Notes: Shedeur Sanders, Caleb Williams, Jared Verse

Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders decided to return to play for his father, former NFL CB Deion Sanders, next season instead of entering the 2024 NFL draft. He still believes that he would have been the best quarterback in this year’s draft class.

“I’m biased, but I don’t see a quarterback that’s better than me,” Sanders told SI.com. “I don’t see a quarterback that went through as much adversity as me, that had four [offensive coordinators] in four years. Coming from an HBCU, coming to a Power Five [program], having real pressure on me. A lot of people don’t understand, that’s a lot more adversity than you think just even being the son of Deion Sanders. You put any of those guys in [my] situation, they’re not doing that. I respect their game, I respect what they’re doing because to be able to be a first-round draft pick, to be able to have success on the field, it takes a lot of hard work and determination and everything. But the most pressure and the safest bet is me.”

Caleb Williams

• Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio points out USC QB Caleb Williams is listed without an agent in the directory of draft prospects published by the NFLPA this week. He’s confirmed that Williams does not plan to hire an agent at this point and will represent himself during the draft process. 
• This isn’t unprecedented, as Ravens QB Lamar Jackson elected not to have an agent when he was coming out of Louisville. 

Jared Verse

• Jordan Reid of ESPN considers Florida State EDGE Jared Verse as a prospect who can make an “instant impact” as a rookie: “I think this is a player who is, by far, the most versatile when we’re talking about the three top edge rushers… We’re talking about an instant impact type of player who can be a starter from Day 1.”