NFL should limit internal access to prospects' phone numbers
Too many people had access to Shedeur Sanders's phone number.
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When it comes to the general practice of prank calls, The Jerky Boys were artists. When prank calls are specifically made to prospects during the draft, those who do it are just jerks.
And while it's impossible to prevent any and all prank calls made by friends or others who may have access to the phone numbers, the NFL can and should do more to ensure that access to the numbers is limited.
As to the prank call made to quarterback Shedeur Sanders during the second day of the draft, the number was obtained by the 21-year-old son of Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich. Ulbrich had the number because the NFL sent to a broad distribution list an email that provided Sanders's update number.
All personnel executives received it. All head coaches and assistant coaches received it.
There's no reason for so many people to have the numbers. At most, three people at each team need the number: owner, G.M., and head coach. It arguably could be limited to one person per organization.
Another way to prevent prank calls would be to make the calls by FaceTime only. It would be obvious that it's real from the moment the call is answered.
Whatever the NFL does, it has some indirect responsibility for the Shedeur prank because it was way too loose with the information. This makes it even more likely that the Falcons' statement will be regarded as the end of the matter (even if there could be more to the story than the team admits), and that the NFL will just quietly move on.
