Don’t let anyone tell you swagger doesn’t matter in sports.
The perception of being a star can often outweigh narratives sparked from actual production. It could be a playstyle or just a look, but some athletes have a particular gravitational pull that the next generation has aptly labeled “aura.”
Shedeur Sanders never won a prominent game in college and is currently buried on the Browns’ quarterback depth chart, but his larger-than-life personality resonates with many football fans.
That’s why it’s no surprise that Sanders and the top two picks in the draft, Cam Ward and Travis Hunter, are already leading the 2025 rookie class in one specific area.
Cllct’s Matt Liberman, a specialist in sports memorabilia, has reported that Shedeur leads rookies in jersey sales. Liberman mentioned that Sanders has been atop the list “for the entire month.”
His Colorado teammate, Hunter, is in the runner-up slot. The top selection, Ward, is No. 3.
The Las Vegas Raiders’ new franchise back, Ashton Jeanty, is No. 4, with New York Giants edge rusher Abdul Carter rounding out the top five.
It’s fascinating to note that former Oregon southpaw Dillon Gabriel, who Cleveland picked before Sanders, did not crack the top ten.
The Browns’ top-five pick, nose tackle Mason Graham, also didn’t make the rankings.
Cleveland’s four-way quarterback battle has been the talk of the NFL off-season, largely thanks to Sanders’s involvement and the intrigue surrounding where he’ll end up.
Anything from starting the season under center to being cut from the roster seems in play, but that doesn’t seem to bother his massive fanbase snagging his new threads.
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