Contributed to the fifth round in no. 144 Overall after extended waiting, the Colorado product NFL begins his career in a lesser position than several other teammates, knowing that he must do the work to make his way to the starting team and show why he thinks he is better than his draft position.
And when he started working towards that goal, Sanders, like the first years of the future Hall of Famer in Tom Brady, who had even longer waiting before he was selected by Patriots at no. 199 in 2000.
The owner of the Las Vegas Raiders minority said this week that he has reached Sanders to encourage young QB and remind him that results can come from anywhere in the draft, as he did for him. Sanders received the message and took to seek out the draft of his choice in the process ahead.
“My story will be similar, you know, I was a late round draft of choice,” said Sanders. “But we are here now so none of the stuff matters, it just matters during the day. I’m just excited to be here and ready to work.”
That effort begins with imminent competition between Sanders and the four members of Browns team manager. It includes a novice novice Dillon Gabriel, who has been alongside Sanders in recent days.
Although Sanders acknowledged that the group is inherently in competition for the same role, he said his focus continued on his own plays and jumped to the next level and said that “I can’t control any other decision outside of it, so I just try to be my best self at all times.”
“Of course it’s day by day. I just think something I want to perfect and perfect it to the best of my ability. It’s the only thing I focus on, just being there and a leader, a teammate and doing what I have to do any time,” said Sanders. “So I’m grateful for the opportunity. Things could have been much worse than I’m smiling here in front of you all at this facility now.”
Although the process of finding that his NFL home ended by being more unreasonable than he imagined, Sanders nevertheless has his team in Cleveland and his goal of earning a seat in sight. And with that emphasis turned to the period and from the noise, Sanders emphasized that the months and maybe years ahead are just about showing the world what he already believes about himself.
“My job here is not to prove people wrong, I’m proven right,” he said. “And I still have full faith.”