Shedeur Sanders

OVERVIEW

Here is an intriguing prospect. Sanders projects as a day-one NFL starter with the potential to develop into a franchise quarterback. His exceptional processing speed, accuracy, and poise translate perfectly to modern NFL offensive schemes. His steady improvement through 2024, particularly in completion percentage and efficiency, demonstrates a quarterback who continues to refine his game. His high football IQ and proven ability to elevate his game against top competition suggest a smooth transition to the NFL. While he'll need to quicken his decision-making process and improve his pocket movement, these are coachable aspects that shouldn't impede his development. Sanders fits best in a timing-based passing offense that emphasizes quick decisions and allows for occasional deep shots off play action. In an offense that can provide adequate protection and skilled receivers, Sanders has the tools to become one of the NFL's premier passers. His combination of accuracy, processing speed, and clutch performance creates a high floor with legitimate franchise quarterback upside.

 BACKGROUND

Sanders enters the NFL draft after a remarkable journey that saw him dominate at both Jackson State and Colorado. The son of NFL legend Deion Sanders, he rewrote record books at multiple schools, finishing his college career with exceptional production including a career-best 72.9% completion rate in 2024. His complete collegiate statistics demonstrate elite consistency: 1,161 completions on 1,669 attempts (69.6%) for 13,075 yards with 121 touchdowns against just 23 interceptions. Sanders' path to prominence began at Trinity Christian High School, where he amassed 12,627 passing yards and 166 touchdowns while posting a 47-5 record. At Jackson State, he established himself as an FCS powerhouse, earning the Jerry Rice National Freshman of the Year award and leading the Tigers to a perfect 16-0 record in SWAC play. His transition to Power 5 football at Colorado showcased his ability to excel against elevated competition, culminating in his most efficient season in 2024. Throughout his Colorado career, Sanders demonstrated remarkable clutch performance, leading the nation in second-half passing yards per game in 2023 and maintaining elite efficiency in 2024 with a career-best 163.1 passer rating. His improvement each season, particularly in completion percentage (peaking at 72.9% in 2024), shows a quarterback still ascending as he enters the NFL

 Pros

Exceptional processor with advanced understanding of defensive concepts, consistently making pre-snap adjustments and working through progressions with NFL-caliber speed and precision Elite accuracy in short and intermediate ranges, demonstrated by career-best 72.9% completion rate in 2024 against top competition Outstanding poise under pressure, maintaining mechanics and accuracy even with defenders bearing down in the pocket Quick, compact release with consistent throwing motion that translates to all platforms and arm angles Surgical timing on intermediate routes, particularly on deep outs and crossing patterns where he anticipates throwing windows Excellent ball security despite high pressure, posting an elite touchdown-to-interception ratio throughout his career Natural leader who elevates teammate performance in crucial moments, evidenced by stellar fourth-quarter statistics Above-average athleticism with good speed, allowing him to extend plays and create outside structure when necessary.

 Cons

Tendency to hold onto the ball too long while waiting for plays to develop, leading to unnecessary hits and pressure in the pocket Can be overconfident in his arm talent, occasionally attempting tight-window throws that may not translate against faster NFL defenders Takes too many sacks rather than throwing the ball away, needs to improve situational awareness to avoid negative plays Sometimes drifts backward in pocket under pressure instead of stepping up, affecting throw power and accuracy on deep balls Despite good athleticism, doesn't consistently use his legs to escape pressure early in plays, leading to preventable pressure situations

🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈

August, 2024

Overview:

Shedeur Sanders’ college career has taken a unique path. A 4-star prospect out of high school, Shedeur decided to attend an HBCU school and play for his father at Jackson State. He earned numerous individual and team accolades, such as winning two SWAC championships as well as being Jackson State's school leader in passing touchdowns and completions. In 2023, Shedeur followed his dad once again, but this time to the University of Colorado, where, last season, he put up 3,230 pass yards, threw for 27 TDs (against just three interceptions) and completed 69.3 percent of his throws.

Strengths:

As a passer, I believe Sanders is a bit underrated, mainly because he played behind arguably the worst offensive line in major college football last year and, therefore, wasn’t able to consistently show all of his abilities. In the pocket, Sanders shows poise, and a good internal clock allows him to react calmly to pressure. He is underrated as an anticipatory thrower, as he shows good timing when his receivers get open.

As a decision-maker, Sander doesn’t get enough credit. He avoids bad throws and excels at protecting the ball, making smart decisions more often than not. When watching him play, you notice that he takes his time, and if the throwing lane is not there, he will move on to the next progression or extend with his legs.

In my opinion, Sanders is the best athlete of the three QBs evaluated here; he is a smooth athlete and nimble in space. When extending a play, he can pick up chunk yards if a defense forgets about him as a running threat. Sanders demonstrates nice footwork when stepping up in the pocket and resetting, giving him a solid foundation to throw a tight, accurate ball. His touch and overall placement on throws downfield is another strength, whether leading his man or putting a pass on a receiver’s back shoulder.

Weaknesses:

Shedeur is sometimes a bit slow going through his progressions, and this sluggishness in processing can lead to missed opportunities and sacks — especially true behind an offensive line that struggled like Colorado’s did in 2023. Sanders’ arm talent is about average. When throwing from a less-than-solid base or forced to change arm angles, his accuracy/ball placement can suffer. Sanders does possess a slightly elongated throwing motion, and defenders can get a jump on him when he does stare down a target.

Summary:

Even following a successful offseason, it’s hard to say whether Colorado will be a better team in 2024, but we do believe that, with another year of experience under his belt, Shedeur Sanders will be an improved quarterback. If he does decide to declare, Sanders will make a case for QB1 in the 2026 draft. We could even see a potential Heisman push if he gets more production from his supporting cast.

-- Justyce Gordon

🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈🏈

HISTORY -- From College Bio