Fernando Mendoza and Shedeur Sanders may not have a similar trajectory to fame in college. But how their final year ended isn’t that different. Both delivered breakout college seasons with laser accuracy and were the leaders in their teams on the path to being first-round NFL Draft picks. Yet, things couldn’t have gone more differently.

Weeks before the D-day, Mendoza was already touted as the first overall pick, and the contention only got sharper as the draft approached. On the other hand, Sanders waited and waited only to keep falling until the Cleveland Browns picked him in the fifth round. Yes, one had the 2025 Heisman Trophy and Indiana’s national title while the other didn’t have either, but in the eyes of Warren Sapp, Sanders still takes the win as he highlighted the “ball-pat” debate.

“Let me say, Kurt Warner just did a video of that, patting the ball. Getting ready to throw, right? Because with Shedeur, it was a hitch. With Mendoza, he’s getting ready to fire,” said Sapp during his May 16 appearance on Drink Champs. “I just want to know when the last time you trusted a Cuban with a football game.

If you’ve closely observed Shedeur Sanders right before he threw the ball, he has this peculiar habit of tapping the ball. Whether it is a habit or a way to calm the nerves while locking in a target, the NFL scouts believe it is a red flag because it slows down a QB’s release.

This habit of Shedeur’s became a talking point during his Colorado Pro Day. Even critics pointed out that’s the reason for the Buffs QB’s fifth-round slide. But here’s the thing, Mendoza does this too. Yet, here we are.

Sapp revealed what hurt most: watching identical ball-tap behaviour get punished differently. For Shedeur at Colorado’s Pro Day, anonymous scouts called it “arrogance” and “hitch.” For Mendoza at Indiana, scouts praised it as “fire-ready mechanics.” This partiality got to Sapp.

“One’s white and one’s black,” said Sapp.

Instantly, one host brought up the Cuban ethnicity question, referring to Mendoza, and Warren Sapp responded candidly: “What Cuban you know that don’t consider himself white? You don’t know, like Marco Rubio, ‘I don’t speak no Spanish.'”

Sapp used Marco Rubio as an example, doubling down on the fact that Cubans and Whites are the same. Some called it bias, but Sapp’s Hall of Fame credentials and the stat comparison told a different story. It backed up his claim: Shedeur is more talented.

Like Mendoza, Shedeur Sanders didn’t lead the Buffs to a title win in his last season in Colorado, but the numbers painted a different story.

This is not to take away the fact that Mendoza transferred to IU and led the team to its first-ever championship title. But it is worth noting that, when it comes to numbers, Sanders wasn’t that far away. Mendoza isn’t short on talent, but Warren Sapp isn’t ready to buy.

“I like his decision not to go to the White House. I know that’s going to piss off a lot of these Cuban people. But now you got to go to work, and he understands that. Tom Brady can’t help you,” said the Pro Football Hall of Fame legend.

Mendoza was drafted by Brady’s front office as No. 1 overall in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Now the IU QB has to show his potential during his rookie season with the Raiders. That will help to understand how much Sapp’s evaluation remains true. But despite Sapp’s defense, the ex-Colorado QB faced immense criticism.

Reality hit Shedeur Sanders hard

In the 2025 pre-draft scenario, Shedeur was projected as a first-round pick or a lock for the second round. But critics pointed out his tendency to take unnecessary sacks. Then, he was labeled “arrogant” and “brash” following his interview during the draft process.

“I think the NFL sent a message, saying you’re not that dude,” ESPN analyst Damien Woody said. “The NFL was basically saying you’re good, but you’re not that guy.”

Despite that, the Browns drafted him in the fifth round as the No. 144 overall pick. Following that, Shedeur sent a powerful message to critics, stating,

“The main thing, I’m just proving, to coach (Kevin) Stefanski and (general manager Andrew) Berry, is that they are right. That’s it. They’re right about picking me.”

In his rookie season with the Cleveland Browns, Sanders flashed talent with 1,400 passing yards and 7 touchdowns. He was even selected for the Pro Bowl game, even if as an injury replacement. He finished the 2025 season with a 3-4 record as a starter. Now, we will see how Mendoza’s rookie season is about to begin with the Raiders.