Safety Shilo Sanders Signs With Tampa Bay Buccaneers After Going Undrafted

After a tearful and long NFL Draft weekend, Shilo Sanders has earned his opportunity at the next level. The Colorado safety signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent soon after the 2025 NFL Draft concluded. After not having his name called over seven rounds, Sanders now gets his chance to prove he has a place in the NFL. His path to the pros has been one of challenge, determination, and an overwhelmingly strong support system from his family, led by his father and Colorado Head Coach Deion Sanders.

Shilo Sanders’ Journey

Shilo Sanders showed steady progress throughout his collegiate career, which began at South Carolina in 2019. Following a transfer to Jackson State to play under his father, then along with him to Colorado, Shilo set himself up as a stout, ball-snatching safety. In 2023, he led the Buffaloes with 70 tackles and intercepted a pass back for a score. He led the Pac-12 with 4 forced fumbles. His last season was briefly derailed by a broken forearm, but he still managed 67 tackles, a sack, 2 fumble recoveries, and 1 forced fumble in 2024.

Although he wasn’t projected as a top draft pick, Sanders’ physical play and veteran acumen made him a fascinating prospect. NFL Network’s Brian Baldinger praised his tackling ability and playmaking sense, referring to his 56 career college games that were full of splash plays. Shilo also wowed scouts with his attitude by tweeting that “turnovers win games” and that the team that signed him would get a “dawg.” The Buccaneers saw that potential and were the first in line to sign him up as soon as the draft was over.

The Sanders Family’s Rollercoaster Draft Experience

The 2025 NFL Draft was a rollercoaster experience for the Sanders family. A series of hopes and letdowns, and a couple of unexpected turns. Shedeur Sanders, Shilo’s younger brother and talented quarterback, was once projected to be drafted in the first round. He fell to the fifth round when the Cleveland Browns finally selected him. Shilo, on the other hand, was forced to see every selection go by without his name being announced, live-streaming the emotional process live on Twitch with his family.

Through it all, Deion Sanders proved to be a pillar of strength and humor for his sons, even cracking jokes about the family’s difficult draft experience. A major change occurred after the draft, when Shilo officially hired super-agent Drew Rosenhaus to represent him from that point forward, humorously announcing he had to “fire” his dad as his agent.

The move showed Shilo was serious about taking full control of his own professional life, now aided by one of the most powerful agents in the NFL. Although it wasn’t draft weekend as the Sanders family had envisioned, Shedeur and Shilo each now have a new start on which to highlight their abilities in the league.

Final Thoughts

Shilo Sanders’ path to the NFL was a difficult one, but it fits the grit that he plays the game with. Signing with Tampa Bay will be an opportunity for him to settle in on special teams and defense. Having Rosenhaus advocating for him and the chip on his shoulder getting larger, Shilo’s career in the NFL is off to a great start. Don’t be surprised when he makes the Buccaneers’ roster and makes a little noise doing it.