Despite his last name, or perhaps because of it, Shilo Sanders did not get drafted in April, which means nothing will come easy for him at Tampa Bay Buccaneers camp this spring and summer.
To his credit, however, the undrafted rookie safety appears to be taking it all in stride and enjoying his opportunity with the Bucs — no matter how difficult a challenge certain practices may be.
While streaming live with fans after minicamp, Sanders was asked to name the “toughest” wide receiver he’s practiced against in Tampa Bay so far, and the youngster didn’t even hesitate.
@clipgoatturtle Now chat … yall do know Mike Evan’s is a hall of famer still on the bucs team right …. #skobuffs #coloradobuffaloes #shilosanders #CapCut #clipgoatturtle #tampabaybuccaneers #fyppp #mikeevans #bakermayfield #nfl @Shilo Sanders
“Bro, y’all know Mike Evans over there, right?” Sanders responded with a laugh (video shared via @clipgoatturtle on TikTok). Reiterating for effect: “Y’all know we practice against Mike Evans every day?”
The clip ends with Sanders joking that Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield “will not throw me that ball.” The rookie adds that Mayfield is a “good quarterback,” with another big smile. Stating again: “I promise you that he will not throw me that ball.”
Clearly, Sanders has already developed a respect for two very important figures in the Buccaneers locker room; one of the franchise’s all-time legends at wide receiver and the QB that’s trying to lead Tampa Bay back to the promised land.
Does Shilo Sanders Have a Chance to Make the Bucs’ 53-Man Roster After Training Camp?
In a post-draft 53-man roster projection, A-to-Z Sports Tampa Bay reporter Evan Winter had Sanders getting cut, but that was expected when he only signed with the organization a few days prior.
Along with versatile defensive backs Tykee Smith, Christian Izien and rookie Jacob Parrish, Winter only had Antoine Winfield Jr. and Kaevon Merriweather surviving the cut at safety at the time, but a lot has changed since late April.
After mandatory minicamp, veteran beat reporter Scott Reynolds of the Pewter Report identified fellow undrafted rookie J.J. Roberts as a potential sleeper to make the roster, which is bad news for Sanders.
If Sanders is going to make the team as a UDFA, he’ll likely need to beat out the other UDFA at his position, and he appears to be trailing Roberts heading into training camp. That’s before you even take into account veterans like Izien, Merriweather, Marcus Banks and Rashad Wisdom.
Needless to say, it’ll most likely be an uphill battle if Sanders is going to sneak his way onto the Week 1 roster. But on the bright side, the Bucs appeared to be holding a relatively open competition at the position throughout camp this spring, meaning Sanders should get his chances.
At the very least, head coach Todd Bowles could offer him a role on the practice squad as he continues to develop.
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This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
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