• Loading stock data...
Sunday, July 13, 2025

Deion Sanders: NFL Teams Manipulate Draft Positions

  • Coach Prime joined the ‘Front Office Sports Today’ podcast.
  • He dished on the current state of college football.
Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Deion Sanders shook up the college football world in his first year at the helm of the Colorado Buffaloes, and he’s only just getting started. Coach Prime joined the Front Office Sports Today podcast to discuss the state of college football and how, he says, NFL teams manipulate the draft behind the scenes.

On Nick Saban’s claim that college football is now about how much you can pay a player, not how well you can develop them

He’s accurate when it comes to a multitude of people. I don’t attract that type of player; I attract the type of player that wants to be great, that understands he has a window of opportunity, and he has to have a commitment to excellence. There are players who are playing for a bag, which, growing up in the environment, you can’t blame them. If you’re going to give up a bag, you’re going to have players playing for a bag. So I do understand it. I may not condone that as your focus, because I’ve always thought if you just focus on being great, the bag is gonna find you.

On the transfer portal

It’s just like somebody on a job on a 9-to-5 and you quit for an opportunity somewhere else. This is like you getting into the portal. If it’s good for the everyday man, I think it’s good for the collegiate athlete as well. 

On how NFL teams manipulate players’ draft positions

You have guys that are slated to go and slot it to go at this number pick. Randomly, something comes out that they flunked their drug tests, or they have this type of injury, or they were seen with this and wildly, their draft grade drops later in the round, or even the next round. How does that happen? How does that mysteriously come out right before the draft? That’s even more harsh [than players refusing to sign with teams], because now you’re affecting someone’s livelihood, and you’re putting a tremendous rumor on somebody that may not even be true. So that’s done every year. The reason I know is that I worked the draft for about 10 to 12 years straight. I know that to be true. 

Listen to the entire episode here and subscribe on Apple, Google, and Spotify

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

NFL

30 NFL Second-Rounders Still Unsigned With Camps Set to Open

Saturday is the earliest rookie report date for training camp.

Najee Harris Contract Situation Unclear Following Fireworks Injury

The running back signed a one-year, $5.25 million contract with the Chargers in March.
Jeff Kaplan

Letting PE Invest in Family-Owned Teams Is a ‘Watershed’

Liquidity gives owners greater flexibility to manage salary cap.

NCAA: March Madness Expansion to 76 Teams ‘Still Viable’ for 2026

Negotiations continue with media rights holder CBS and TNT Sports.

Featured Today

May 31, 2025; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Sydney McLaughin-Levrone (USA) reacts before the women's 100m hurdles during the Grand Slam Track Philadelphia at Franklin Field
exclusive

Track’s New Money Is Running Into Old Problems

The sport’s big-money era has hit some speed bumps in 2025.
Bobbleheads are seen at Vintage Indy Sports, Tuesday, April 29, 2025 in Speedway. The local sports memorabilia store opened recently.
July 12, 2025

Baseball’s Bobbleheads Are the Center of the Collectibles Universe

Baseball’s most important keepsake drives long lines—and big business.
Rimouski, QC - JUNE 1: Final Game of the 2025 Memorial Cup between the Medicine Hats Tigers and the London Knights on June 1, 2025, at the Colisée Financière Sun Life in Rimouski, Qc.
July 11, 2025

CHL Is Facing a ‘Pandora’s Box’ of Questions Amid NCAA Talent Departure

As players defect to college, the Canadian Hockey League won’t cede ground.
Jun 28, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (29) bats during the game between the Texas Rangers and the Seattle Mariners at Globe Life Field.
July 9, 2025

The Torpedo Bat Business Is Still Going Strong: ‘Here to Stay’

Demand for the oddly shaped bats has stayed strong across the sport.
The Florida State Seminoles hosted the Florida Gators at Doak Campbell Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024.

Athletic Departments Express Renewed Interest in PE in Wake of House Settlement

Schools now have more expenses—and are looking for creative solutions.
Apr 4, 2025; Tampa, FL, USA; Connecticut Huskies guard KK Arnold (2)1 dribbles against UCLA Bruins forward Angela Dugalic (32) during the third quarter in a semifinal of the women's 2025 NCAA tournament at Amalie Arena.
July 10, 2025

‘Kind of a Joke’: Frustrations Mount As New NIL Deal Approval Process..

Delays have already led to athletes losing NIL opportunities.
July 10, 2025

Deion Sanders Rips ‘Bulljunk’ in CFB, Calls for NFL-Style Salary Cap

Coach Prime is frustrated with the new revenue-sharing era.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

Dealmaker Jeffrey Kaplan maps the evolution of sports as an asset class
Jul 9, 2025; Frisco, TX, USA; Head coaches Willie Fritz of Houston, Mike Gundy of Oklahoma State, Rich Rodriguez of West Virginia, Lance Leipold of Kansas, Sonny Dykes of TCU, Kyle Whittingham of Utah, Brent Brennan of Arizona and Deion Sanders of Colorado all sit on stage for a Coaches Roundtable during 2025 Big 12 Football Media Days at The Star.
July 9, 2025

Big 12 Commish: Conference Is ‘All In’ on International Expansion

The conference had once planned a large initiative in Mexico.
Sebastian Rivera (R) tf. Danny Coles 6:47 (20-3). Rutgers University Wrestling vs Princeton in Piscataway, NJ on February 18, 2022.
July 9, 2025

The House Settlement Is Being Appealed. It Won’t Stop Revenue-Sharing—for Now

The settlement’s approval on June 6 triggered an appeals process.
July 9, 2025

Big Ten, Big 12 Commissioners Remain Far Apart on CFP’s Future

A decision on expansion must be made by December.
TSU Hockey at Bridgestone
July 8, 2025

Tennessee State’s HBCU Hockey Ambitions Delayed at Least a Year

The school will not launch the first-of-its-kind program as intended.