The NFL Draft took place last weekend and hundreds of college prospects saw their dreams come to fruition when their names were called to the stage.

One player that did not get selected was Rhode Island native and Bishop Hendricken alum Xavier Truss, who just completed his college career at Georgia.

Truss was considered by most to be a mid-to-late day three prospect, meaning he’d likely be drafted between rounds 5-7. I was told last fall by a source close to Truss that some evaluators had him ranked as high as the fourth round in their early draft boards.

The draft is always full of surprises, but I was scratching my head when Truss’ name was not called. Sure, he signed a deal with the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent, so he’ll have a chance to compete in the NFL, but when considering what he brings to the table, teams should have been willing to invest in him.

Yes, he checks off the physical traits with height, weight, length. That stuff is easy to identify. His biggest assets, though, are positional versatility and experience.

In his six years at Georgia, he made starts at four of the five positions on the line, with center being the only spot he didn’t play. He was Second-Team All-SEC in 2023 and then started 14 games in 2024. He also made 14 starts in 2022.

Truss was one of the most well-rounded and experienced linemen in this draft, and he did it in the toughest division in football while helping the Bulldogs win multiple national titles. I am not saying that he didn’t have technical issues to iron out, but he was a key starter on arguably the best offensive line in football for several seasons. He was successful in the SEC. Plain and simple.

We’ll see how he fares in the coming months. I expect him to be right in the mix for a roster spot come August, primarily because of his versatility. He will be able to compete for four different spots on the line, so when you combine that with his sheer size and talent, I do believe he will work his way onto the roster. At the very least the practice squad.

I’m not a coach, I am not a scout, so take what I say with a grain of salt. I understand that he is not a perfect prospect. Evaluators pointed at his footwork and anchor as issues that could slow him down at the next level. Some even said that despite his size, he needed to add strength to battle against the NFL’s elite.

Point being, I do not think Truss is going to explode on the scene this summer and all of a sudden be the best lineman in the sport. However, I do believe that he will be a successful NFL player and he should have been drafted by someone at some point. Again, experienced, versatile SEC players are hot commodities and their success typically translates to the NFL game. I believe this time next year the narrative on Truss will be much different. He will be a roster lock in Denver, rather than someone fighting for recognition. 

The biggest story of the draft was the fall of Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders.

Sanders, also the son of the legendary Deion Sanders, was projected to be a potential top-3 pick. As we approached draft night, though, reports surfaced that his pre-draft interviews with teams were disastrous. 

He rubbed just about every team he met with the wrong way with what they felt was arrogance and immaturity. His father could get away with it during his playing days because he was one of the best athletes the sport has ever seen, but he is considered to be an ordinary prospect from a physical perspective. He just happens to play the most important position on the field.

Sure enough, he had to wait until the fifth round. To go from potentially the second overall pick to the fifth round is a historic drop. I have been an avid draft enthusiast for 20 years and I can’t recall a fall like Sanders’ this past weekend. Every year we see first round talents fall to the second round, sometimes even the third. This was extraordinary.

There has since been plenty of controversy surrounding the situation. Many people feel that the NFL did Sanders dirty and that there may have even been a league-wide effort to stick it to him and his father, who had also been pretty vocal throughout the process. His dad was on record saying that certain teams were unworthy of his son’s talents and they’d refuse to suit up for them if he was drafted. 

The NFL is a corrupt organization, run by greedy, deceitful owners. Rarely do I believe that NFL owners are innocent.

In this case, it all comes down to the simple fact that Shedeur and Deion are high-maintenance and unlikable. As noted above, the younger Sanders is just not a good enough prospect to invest a premium draft selection on when you are taking on all the other baggage. 

I actually like Sanders as a player. He takes care of the ball, makes good decisions and delivers his passes with quality timing, touch and accuracy. He was a full field reader and can diagnose defenses pre-snap. I think the kid can be a pretty good quarterback if he is put in the right situation. 

That said, I do not blame the NFL for holding off until the fifth round. I also believe that this is a valuable lesson for players looking to reach the NFL. You need to be professional, especially as a quarterback. If you want to be the face of a franchise and a first-round pick, you need to prove yourself off the field just as much as on the field.