One of the most bizarre and unprecedented storylines in NFL Draft history is playing out right now, and it might play right into the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' hands.
Shedeur Sanders continues to free-fall down draft boards in ways we've never seen before from a player with no physical red flags. It's baffling, even if watching draft pundits get apoplectic over it makes for great television.
It's reaching the point where things are getting weird -- so weird that the idea of a team like the Bucs drafting Sanders is something that should at least be talked out in good faith. It's crazy to think that Tampa Bay could draft him, but so is the idea of a Top 30 player crashing out this historically hard.
If Sanders can have this sort of a historic fall, then we can at least go into I'm just asking questions mode about a team like Tampa bay taking a flier on him.
Shedeur Sanders and the Buccaneers might be the perfect pairing no one saw coming
The cons to this are too numerous and obvious that it borders on defeating the purpose, but it's not something that should simply be dismissed. That's what every team in the league has done more than twice over the last 48 hours, and at some point, something has to give.
We've very clearly reached a point where nobody is drafting Sanders to be a starter. He's unlikely to even challenge for a starting job at this point, although that's not totally out of the question.
The list of teams that had openings for Sanders to be the starter are gone; Pittsburgh is the last team standing and it seems as though they'll choose between either signing Aaron Rodgers or trading for Kirk Cousins.
Las Vegas as Geno Smith, the Jets have Justin Fields, and teams like New Orleans, Seattle, and Cleveland all drafted other quarterbacks.
All of a sudden, the idea of the Bucs draft-and-stashing Sanders isn't that crazy because they won't be the only team thinking that way. Unlike other places, Tampa Bay might be best-suited to sand off the edges of whatever is holding Sanders back.
Perhaps it's his ego or the fact that he'll have so much media attention on him wherever he lands. Who better to mentor him through that than Baker Mayfield? He was in a similar position after the Browns drafted him No. 1 overall, and he's managed to completely revive his career and his life since joining the Bucs.
A lot happened between that, and expecting Sanders to go from a brash, egotistical twentysomething to a mature and well-rounded leader is asking a lot, but this whole experience has been one giant humbling. Things could still go off the rails with whoever drafts him, but the Bucs have consistently shown over the last few years that they might be the most well-equipped team in the league to handle cases like Sanders.
The big thing here is playing time, of which Sanders would likely see none of as long as Baker is around and healthy. But ask yourself this: If Baker went down, would fans have more faith in Kyle Trask leading the team to wins or Sanders?
In a perfect world, that's all this would come down to, and the answer is pretty clear. Sanders is a Top 3 quarterback talent in this draft, and experts like Mel Kiper and Field Yates have a top-20 grade on him. At this point it's almost less about true fit and more about value; the Bucs would be getting a first-round talent with a Day 3 pick.
That right there is enough to make someone want to take a flier.
It would come at the expense of finding a pass rusher or investing in a young linebacker, but if none of the players on the board absolutely light the Bucs on fire, then the conversation about Sanders should at least be had. Perhaps it would end the same way it has for 31 other teams this entire weekend, but we've reached a point where continuing to pass on Shedeur Sanders is foolish, and the team that drafts him will be getting insane upside for pennies on the dollar.
Plus, there won't be a rookie with a bigger chip on his shoulder, and nothing fits the Buccaneers' core identity more than someone wanting to prove the world wrong. It's wild, it probably won't happen, but Shedeur Sanders and the Buccaneers are quickly becoming a perfect fit.
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