A list of talented players not invited to one of the top three most famous All-Star events each year helps NFL Draft prospects get noticed early in the draft process.
Reese’s Senior Bowl, East-West Shrine Bowl, and NFLPA Collegiate Eight Bowl have been highlighted as key events for optimizing exposure from NFL officials.
It’s a limited space, and that access is a valuable commodity for NFL prospects.
One of this past season’s breakout players is off the All-Star Game list above. It’s the first team of the Safety Bentley Sanders of the All-Mountain West of Nevada.
“I’ve been playing soccer since I was four years old,” Sanders said. There was no.”
In 2022, Sanders was named Safe of the Year in the Mountain West Conference. He led the Wolfpack with 82 tackles and five interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown and three forced fumbles.
“I feel like a slot receiver at heart,” Sanders said. “I like this position, but I’m better at defensive back.”
Recognized at his conference as top safety, he mentions slot receivers in passes when describing his abilities on the field, which reveals Sanders’ underlying versatility.
“Slot receivers, gunners, kick returns, punt returns, defensive backs, safety, nickels,” Sanders says he can perform well against interested teams. “I feel like I can win anywhere on the field.”
Sanders started his career in South Florida in 2017 and had his breakout season in his final season in Nevada. Over the course of his career, he posted modest production, but this year has been firmly placed on the NFL’s radar.
“I’m excited,” Sanders said of the opportunities in front of him.
“It’s unreal. I’m in that position. I want every NFL coach to know I’m their boy when it comes to playing football. And I want them to see- I’m a good friend!”
Without an All-Star invite, Sanders knows he needs to maximize his Pro Day numbers to get the attention of NFL teams.
Sanders admits that his 5-foot-9-inch and 179-pound build isn’t ideal for an NFL team.
“Honestly, 4.3 is hard to do,” Sanders said. “I think of myself as a really fast player and without training he’s a high 4.4.
“I have been training with Sherman Armstrong from VASTsports once in Tampa, Florida. It helps us step in.”
Sanders received feedback from the Powers That Be (NFL) that he could go all the way to the fifth round of the NFL Draft.
Sanders can still land one of those elusive invitations to play in the All-Star Game. , and a carousel of changes during the week. Players will not show up and others may get injured during the week.
Having played his final two years in Reno, Nevada for the Wolfpack, the East-West Shrine Bowl may have added some local flavor to the roster.
Any number of events could occur where a player like Sanders could get a last-minute call.
