Scouting Report: Strengths
Sanders is a polished passer with excellent accuracy and ball placement. Last season, the Colorado quarterback threw for 4,134 yards and 37 touchdowns.
Like Ward, Sanders is exceptional at footwork and mobility. His ability to escape the pocket and gain yards when necessary will be crucial in the NFL and something most teams will look for in a quarterback prospect in the future.
He stays poised and composed under pressure and keeps his eyes downfield.
Sanders is generally a good decision-maker and displays mental resolve in clutch or late-game situations.
Elite processing speed and ability that consistently shows up pre-snap, making NFL-caliber adjustments. These traits will help him succeed in the NFL and make it easy for any team that drafts him to develop him into a franchise quarterback for a team and, eventually, a star in the league for years to come.
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
Shedeur is still developing consistency regarding arm strength and velocity, which sometimes causes him to throw tighter than desired, as he had 10 interceptions this past season.
Sanders sometimes relies too much on his legs instead of adjusting to the play or releasing the ball quicker. If Sanders can improve his timing as a passer, he could be one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL in a few years.
Shedeur takes too many negative plays and holds onto the ball too long rather than throwing it away, resulting in a concerning 52 sacks total this past year.
Sanders must improve recognition and response time against sophisticated blitz packages and talented opposing defenses in the NFL.
Scouting Report: Summary
Shedeur Sanders is the son of Colorado head coach and Pro Football Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders. Shedeur spent his first two collegiate seasons at Jackson State with his father as head coach, where he quickly became one of the nation’s top HBCU players before transferring to Colorado.
This past season, Sanders led the Buffaloes to a 9-4 record in 2024 and an appearance in the Alamo Bowl against BYU. He finished the 2024 campaign with 4,134 passing yards and 37 touchdowns, earning Big 12 Player of The Year honors and named the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award.
Fantasy Outlook: Sanders will be a must-draft in keeper and dynasty leagues and display a high upside no matter what team drafts him. While Shedeur is a top prospect in this year’s draft, he could land anywhere within the top ten. Several teams, such as the Tennessee Titans, Cleveland Browns, New York Giants, and New York Jets, could be viewed as a fit for Sanders. ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. selected the Jets to take Sanders seventh overall in his recent pre-combine mock draft.
Sanders is not the most athletic quarterback in this draft class. Still, with several teams needing a signal-caller, they will be willing to take a chance on Shedeur because of his impressive resume and playmaking abilities. Don’t hesitate to take him in deeper leagues or the later rounds of redraft leagues as a backup to a more experienced veteran.