2025 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Cale Sanders, DB, SMU

Player Data

Name, Jersey #	Cale Sanders Jr., #22
School (Code)	SMU (TXMU)
DOB, Class Yr	4/18/2003, SR
Height, Weight	5095, 185
40 Yd Dash	4.53
Position/Depth	NS1
Honors/Captains	DCTF All-Texas Second Team
Season Viewed	2024, 2023
Games Watched	SMU @ NEV, BYU @ SMU, SMU @ OK, SMU @ MEM,  SMU @ RICE, SMU @BC
Scout / Date	William Scott Garner Jr., 9-8-2024

Per Year Stats (Most Recent First)

2024	10 TOT, 5 SOLO, 5 AST
2023	31 TOT, 22 SOLO, 9 AST, 7 PD, 3 FF, 1 INT
2022	32 TOT, 27 SOLO, 5 AST, 6 PD, 2 FF
2021	20 TOT, 18 SOLO, 2 AST, 3 PD, 1 INT

Player Summary:

Nickel safety with solid versatility and was seen lining up as a press-man corner at times. As one would expect from a 5’9 ⅝ safety who weighs 185 lbs his weakness is play strength and his strength is his movement abilities. As a pure athlete, he is capable of playing at the next level. He has the lateral ability to stay in front of ball carries in open space and the speed to stay in phase with WRs. His play strength, tackling form, and eye discipline are what stop him from unleashing his full potential. He is often sent on nickel blitzes and does well to evade defenders with his lateral movement and speed but he had multiple instances of getting hands on the QB and not being able to get them to the ground before they got the ball out, resulting in an incomplete throw away pass rather than a sack for negative yardage. In open space as a tackler, his play strength can arise as a problem when going one on one with bigger backs but his larger issue is he leaves his feet on nearly every tackle. He has a nasty impulsive habit of lunging off the ground with both feet toward opponents which predictably resulted in 13 total missed tackles and a 15% missed tackle rate in the last two seasons. If he can add weight and keep his feet planted for his tackles, he will clean up a lot of his bad plays quickly. When he does tackle, he has a great habit of punching or stripping for the ball. He had three forced fumbles last season and his instinct to rip the ball out is evident on tape. Again more strength behind those punches and he could excel in that category. 

In coverage, we see him assigned to do a handful of roles for the SMU defense. He was lined up as nickel primarily although can be seen taking snaps as an inside corner, free safety, and boundary corner. Even went as far as to make him play press-man one-on-one. SMU operated in man and zone interchangeably with frequency which gave us a lot of footage of his decision-making skills. He can be seen being quick to bite on fake passes and fake runs, and his eyes are strictly focused on the ball unless he is one-on-one going deep, in which case he has a bad habit of never turning his head to see the ball. His eye discipline led to multiple receivers getting behind him last season for big chunk yardage plays. For him to operate in the zone successfully at the next level, he has to be able to see the game more completely. In terms of physical ability, he has the speed and fluidity to cover well but his recognition of his surroundings is lacking. 

Scheme Fit:

Nickel safety in defense that operates with a versatile nickel role. Using their nickel to blitz, cover, and make plays in open space. Can be trusted in coverage but only in man. Can be utilized as a good blitzer.

Power Statement:

Nickel Safety has the athletic traits of a pro-level player; however, has some mental and physical development left to grow into. If he can add weight he has a chance to improve the other aspects at the next level over time.