The Cleveland Browns are still in the mix for Shedeur Sanders.
Technically, until they announce the No. 2 pick, there’s still a chance that the Browns will draft him.
That’s why team legend Hanford Dixon doesn’t want to hear any criticism about him at the moment.
Sanders’ tendency to pat the football before throwing it has drawn plenty of concerns.
Per Dixon, however, that’s just because people are hating on him.
Talking on his podcast, the legendary defender claimed that criticizing Sanders for that habit wasn’t the smartest thing to do.
“I think that’s a little picky. I think they are picking at him. A lot of them act like they like Deion Sanders, but most of them don’t,” Dixon said.
Are you bothered by the way Shedeur Sanders taps the football? #Browns #DawgPound
"Leave the kid alone!"
Presented by @liptonhardtea pic.twitter.com/82wtn9CgUU
— The Hanford Dixon Show (@TopDawgShow) April 11, 2025
Most of the people who’ve been high on Sanders throughout the course of the process are either current or former athletes.
Then again, you also have to take this with a grain of salt, as many of them admire his father, Deion Sanders.
Of course, they’re authorized voices to talk about the game, more so than analysts or journalists.
Just like Micah Parsons claimed, patting the football can be the difference between a sack and a completion.
You’re not going to have as much time in the pros as you did in college, not even if you played behind a subpar offensive line.
Then again, there are plenty of reasons to doubt Sanders and whether he will be a star at the next level, but perhaps his tendency to pat the football before throwing isn’t the biggest one.
NEXT: Analyst Names 'Best Case' QB Scenario For Browns Next Season
