Broncos Called Out by Jackson State HC Deion Sanders for Skipping Pro Day

While Denver Broncos GM George Paton was busy with the second week of NFL free agency and completing the deal for cornerback K’Waun Williams, the coaching staff was making its preparations for the upcoming NFL draft in April.

Gems can be unearthed in the draft literally anywhere if the hole is dug deep enough. Thus it comes as a surprise to hear Jackson State head coach Deion Sanders name the Broncos among the teams that snubbed his school's pro day on Monday.

“Twenty-four teams. Twenty-four teams came to witness our kids yesterday in its entirety. And I appreciate you,” Sanders said. “But, there’s 32 teams in this Crayola box. Therefore, the Dolphins, the Broncos, the Texans, the Bills, the Buccaneers, the Ravens, the Panthers, the Browns, the Vikings, and the Eagles, where art thou? You should have sent somebody. You could have shown up just a little bit.”

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‘Neon’ Deion might have gotten his headcount wrong as NFL Network's Cameron Wolfe reported that 22 teams attended Jackson State's pro day. Whatever the correct number might be, Sanders was clearly annoyed at the blatant snub of the NFL-level talent he feels was on display.

“I guarantee you that you’re going to go to Mississippi State, and Ole Miss. I guarantee you, you’re going to show up there,” Sanders, a Pro Football Hall of Fame cornerback. said. “I understand you’re saying they have more talent, I understand. Guess what? We’re coming. And when we arrive, you better be here. Because our kids deserve it.”

Sanders' eagerness to get his school's NFL draft prospects noticed fits with his crusade to get Jackson State into the bigtime, but perhaps it’s just that Denver feels it has all its bases covered already. Jackson State's most pro-ready prospect is an edge rusher named James Houston and he failed to garner an invite to the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine.

Obviously, it's possible that many teams believe they have the information required to take a flier on such players in the later rounds, or in the college free agent ranks that will become available post-draft.

That being said, NFL GMs live and die by getting boots on the ground to evaluate talent, but in the new COVID world, the traditional scouting rulebook has gone through a serious shake-up. Even if the Broncos are embracing new ways to scout and serving as a new technological vanguard, they were among the 10-team minority that garnered Sanders' scorn for skipping Jackson State.

Ultimately, the proof in the pudding will be known after the draft when we will find out how many Jackson State prospects heard their name called.

Follow Keith on Twitter @KeithC_NFL.

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