As the dust continues to settle on the NFL Draft class the Tampa Bay Buccaneers put together, a lot of eyes are still trained on the undrafted free agent haul the team signed. Specifically, the magnitude of signing Shilo Sanders to compete for a roster spot remains a major talking point that likely won't be going anywhere anytime soon.
It's for good reason, too. Sanders joins the Bucs with two notable things: NFL pedigree and a real shot to make the final roster.
His famous father, Deion Sanders, has managed to stay out of the way so far which has thankfully put more focus on the second part of what Shilo brings. It's something that Buccaneers great and Super Bowl MVP Dexter Jackson is offering up some hard truths about in assessing Shil's chances.
Jackson gave an interview after the NFL Draft weighing in on Sanders joining the Buccaneers and offered up some honest advice for the rookie.
"I was supposed to be drafted a lot higher than where I ended up. I hope Sanders does what I did and uses it for fuel. He should have a chip on his shoulder, and he should write down the name of every quarterback who went ahead of him and put that list on the back of his bedroom door," Jackson said. "That’s what I did so the list was the first thing I saw when I woke up and the last thing I saw before I slept. Every time I woke up, my first thought was to outwork those guys every day."
It's fantastic advice that Sanders would be smart to put into action as soon as rookie minicamp begins later in May.
Dexter Jackson's blunt advice for Shilo Sanders is absolutely perfect
Tampa Bay has been incredibly thin at safety the last few seasons, with injuries chewing through the depth chart and sparing absolutely no one. Antoine Winfield Jr., arguably the best safety in football, missed multiple games last year with various ailments, and the defense felt his absence.
Sanders won't make up for Winfield's loss if he were to go down again, but he does figure to add some nice depth with high-upside potential to the roster. Learning from Winfield could do wonders for Shilo's future in the NFL and would be mutually beneficial for Tampa Bay's defense.
At the very least he has a shot to make the roster in a special teams role, and as it stands now, there are more ways he ends up on the final 53-man roster than he doesn't. Sanders will need to heed Jackson's advice, though, and it just so happens to fit the identity of Tampa Bay's locker room.
Ever since Tom Brady retired, the Bucs have been playing with a chip on their shoulder and have fully embraced that mentality. It shows in the leadership of Baker Mayfield and extends to Todd Bowles and others who keep getting counted out.
Sanders fits that mold perfectly for all of the reasons Jackson stated. He's been overlooked, and that should be a badge of honor he wears proudly while hitching his wagon to a team of guys who love proving everyone wrong.
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