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There’s a buzz in the air at the NFL scouting combine surrounding the draft stock of Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders. As insiders from “Inside Coverage” dissected the swirling narratives, they posed a critical inquiry: Is all this talk about Sanders’ stock dropping mere noise or is there a genuine shift in how teams assess his potential?

Jori Epstein laid out a fascinating dichotomy on Shedeur’s future. The combine has been a breeding ground for elaborate smokescreens. Charles Robinson drew comparisons to last year’s prophetic warnings about Drake May: Experts suggested a fall in stock, yet come draft night, he went third overall. Could Sanders’ story unfold similarly?

“If [Matt] Stafford ends up a Giant and Sam Darnold ends up a Raider, then maybe Shedeur falls a little bit,” Fitz said. It was a candid reminder that intrigue at the combine often is more about decoding team desperation than evaluating pure talent, and, of course, things changed with Stafford staying with the Rams.

In a league where perception frequently molds reality, Sanders’ fate hinges on more than athletic prowess. His skills must mesh with team needs, locker-room chemistry and future franchise plans. “I don’t see him sliding to QB3,” Robinson said. “I’d be surprised if that happened.”

Could Shedeur’s candor and swagger appeal to certain team cultures? “He definitely comes off as overtly cocky,” Robinson noted.

Here’s a clip that will likely be touted as “receipt!” in the event he struggles:

For a franchise like Las Vegas, that bravado could align perfectly with the swaggering legacy the Raiders hope to uphold.

“The team that drafts Shedeur shouldn’t just be focused on the arm talent,” Epstein said. “They should be focused on, is he going to embody what we want?”

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