2025 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders
I came in to watching Shedeur Sanders very intrigued. Being the son of an elite NFL player and one of the best athletes of all time, and on one of the most hyped-up college football teams in recent memory. However, when I dove into the tape, I came away pretty underwhelmed on the Colorado quarterback.
I truly expected someone with his profile and genes to be much more athletically gifted. However while watching him play, it is clear he thinks he has his dad’s athleticism. He thinks he can outrun pretty much everyone on the field and it gets him into trouble often, and is an area he will have to improve upon at the next level. If he can’t outrun guys in college, he certainly won’t be able to in the pros. He isn’t slow, but the long speed isn’t there. He is certainly a fluid enough athlete to extend plays and has the build to be an effective rusher. His arm is another area where I was just underwhelmed. Someone with his pedigree I expected to have elite traits, and that just isn’t the case with Shedeur. I think he has a fine arm. I think it’s a little below NFL-average. He can throw it successfully over the middle of the field, he can hit a deep out, get the ball downfield to his receivers to make plays vertically, he just doesn’t really have the ability to rip one into a tight window downfield. There are times when he thinks he has the arm strength to try tight window throws a lot more than he should. He has some room for improvement in his ability to drive balls downfield because mechanically he could use some work. His footwork can really be all over the place at times. He fails to clear his hips and doesn’t really shift his body weight well. I don’t think Shedeur’s arm is a non-starter, but when you’re talking about a potential top-five, top-ten pick, and someone with his hype, it’s a bit underwhelming.
On a more positive note, Sanders’ accuracy is one of his better qualities. For the most part, he is able to place the ball exceptionally well with nice touch, and gives his receivers very catchable balls with strong ball placement. He has a very strong understanding of defenders’ leverage, and he sets his receivers up for opportunities after the catch well. He’s not perfect, you do see the ball get away from him at times, but he has a ton of highlight level NFL throws on his tape. He does have a tendency to sail some intermediate throws, which seem to stem from his footwork issues, and a lot of his deep stats benefitted greatly from throwing to Travis Hunter. I do think his strength pushing the ball downfield is when working outside the numbers. He won’t fit it in a mailbox, but he’ll throw an accurate, catchable ball downfield.
Shedeur shows flashes of being a strong processor. He’s able to read and react well to his first option and make timely decisions. He sees the field very well and does a good job of going through his progressions. He doesn’t hold the ball too long, and he demonstrates a solid grasp of when to let it rip and when to take what’s given and keeps his eyes downfield well when doing so. Where he struggles is with his lack of anticipation, he has some flashes in terms of recognizing where the hole will be in coverage, so it’s in there, but developing his overall lack of anticipation will be crucial to hitting his ceiling as a passer.
His overall pocket presence is very inconsistent. He does manage pressure well, he has a good feel for when pressure is coming and does a nice job of stepping up or sliding to avoid the rush while keeping his eyes downfield. However, he does have a major tendency to drift, which can lead to him putting unnecessary pressure on himself. He is able to navigate pressure well, and has good improvisational skills, but I question how much he can get away with at the next level with his lack of elite athleticism.
Ultimately, Shedeur Sanders is an intriguing prospect with upside, but he’s not without some pretty major flaws. I feel pretty strongly that he is a step, if not two, behind Cam Ward in this draft class. For me, the idea of Shedeur being a top 10 pick is pretty outrageous. In comparison to last year’s class, I have him slotted right below Bo Nix and right above Michael Penix with a third round grade. In terms of a pro comparison, Shedeur reminds me a lot of Bryce Young and Teddy Bridgewater. I don’t think Shedeur Sanders is bad by any stretch, but the hype on him as a surefire top draft pick has gotten out of control, he is way more of an unrefined prospect then he is a true blue chip talent, and I think people will come to realize that as we inch closer to draft day.