The revelation of once secret information -- whether it's learning Santa Claus isn't real or that your idol is a stuck-up jerk -- usually alters a person's opinion. LSU head coach Brian Kelly's slip of the tongue during the program's Pro Day, hinting Jayden Daniels will be drafted by the Commanders in late April, paired with Deion Sanders' new comments about where he wants Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter to play as pros, show the NFL Draft landscape is changing.
Draft prospects may not be able to determine exactly where they're selected, but it'd be foolish to think their agents aren't in the ears of general managers, expressing preferences. That information was seldom made public in recent years, but it doesn’t mean those interactions never occurred. The difference between where a player was expected to be drafted and where they actually go, isn't just due to a discrepancy between the media and team evaluations. Sometimes a player is considered too picky, or uninterested in certain cities.
Seemingly, the increase in player leverage -- as a result of NIL regulations -- has translated into an increased openness, in regard to how they feel about certain destinations. While the nature of Kelly and Sanders' comments were completely different -- the former had a mere slipup, while the latter wasted no time sharing opinions on a podcast -- they were more comfortable talking about landing spots than those in similar situations in previous years.
A legendary player and now coach who's generating plenty of buzz, Sanders figures to be a pioneer for those who want to play the media like a fiddle and boost the stock of their star athlete son. He can be viewed as a LaVar Ball on steroids, given his influence, platform, and direct connection as the leader of Colorado. Ball epitomized everything that was wrong with parent engagement when he manifested his son, Lonzo, getting drafted by the Lakers. But he was the typical loudmouth parent that just didn't know when to shut up.
Sanders is likely to be more actively involved, to a point where he could wind up following his son, Shedeur, to the NFL, or dictating the terms in personnel and coaching decisions via discussions with executives. Establishing himself as this generation's Archie Manning, a year before both his sons and Hunter are drafted, was imperative. His motive is clear.
After all, why would Sanders let his kids rot in the doldrums of winter with an irrelevant franchise when they could be the talk of town out in Dallas, Miami, or Los Angeles? It's too early to predict what those teams will need so far in advance, but they can at least start entertaining the possibility of kicking the can down the line for certain positions with Sanders expressing his opinions. While much of what Sanders pumps into circulation puts a target on the back of Colorado, his strategy only has positive ramifications for his players.
In regard to Kelly, he probably would've been more guarded if he truly didn't want Daniels' predicted destination to get out. It's unlikely he would've been as casual and open, had he been asked about LSU's gameplan or recruiting strategies. Kelly obviously wasn't being intentional, but his intuition might've allowed him to let his guard down.
The NFL world has yet to reach a point where insiders are actively reporting about players telling teams whether or not they want to play for them, but it feels like things could evolve to that. Just like the new league rule changes, sometimes change is welcome in curiosity.
Yes, a stigma might be attached to distorting the unpredictable nature of the NFL Draft, which caters toward fairness and an equal opportunity to select a specific player. But, in a world where players are largely in it for themselves, that morality component needs to be chucked out the window. While loose lips on Kelly and Sanders didn't sink ships in this scenario, they undoubtedly can create more widespread public awareness about where a player prefers to begin their pro career. The power of coach blab can only promote it.