Deion Sanders says Malachi Wideman needs to develop and belongs in NBA

Prime's former JSU receiver went undrafted on Tuesday's Supplemental Draft
Deion Sanders says Malachi Wideman needs to develop and belongs in NBA
Deion Sanders says Malachi Wideman needs to develop and belongs in NBA /

Former Jackson State wide receiver Malachi Wideman went undrafted during Tuesday’s NFL Supplemental Draft. He was one of two players available for bidding, but neither he nor Purdue's Milton Wright were picked up.

Wideman's former coach, Deion Sanders, acknowledged his talent but said he's a work in progress and essentially confirmed he wasn't ready for the NFL.

Sanders confirmed at least one NFL team reached out to him to ask about Wideman. The 6-foot-5, 200-pound receiver gathered a lot of interest from teams around the league, but it amounted to none of them pulling the trigger to secure his services.

“An (NFL) team called me yesterday about Malachi," Sanders via Thee Pregame Show. "I told them the truth about Malachi-- a Florida boy-- so, you know he’s one of my favorites. There are certain things that Malachi has to work on as a young man to develop himself to being a professional."

A league source told BuffsBeat that Wideman blew off an interview prior to the Supplemental draft and "refused to respond" after several attempts to reschedule. The former Tiger is reportedly fielding offers by CFL teams.

Wideman came onto the scene as a basketball phenomenon with blue chip skills. He even peaked the interest of Lebron James, Kevin Durant, and others during his high school recruitment. Sanders even admitted that Wideman should stop chasing his football dreams and transition back on an NBA track.

“Oh my God, Malachi, that kid probably should be in the darn NBA. Let’s just get this straight," Sanders said.

Wideman started at Tennessee and later transferred to Jackson State to be with Coach Prime. In 2021, he led the SWAC with 12 TD's, but was nearly off the map last season with 3 receptions, 49 yards, and a touchdown in six games.


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