Deion Sanders expressed disbelief that Shedeur Sanders' lack of preparation was the pitfall for his draft-day plummet. Was that the real reason?

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Deion Sanders admitted in a podcast with fellow former NFL cornerback Asante Samuel Sr. that he was “hurt” by pre-draft criticism of his son Shedeur Sanders, and that some of it was “foolish.”

Shedeur, who was a projected borderline first-round pick, slipped all the way to the fifth round before the Cleveland Browns drafted him at No. 144 overall. The elder Sanders specifically refuted the notion that Shedeur was "unprepared" for pre-draft interviews, and that he wore headphones during one meeting with a team.