Happy Feet: Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado

We have talked about this before. Nothing has changed. Deion Sanders is Deion, Shedeur is Shedeur —so far.

Of course, I am referring to Colorado’s head football coach, Deion Sanders, and for the sake of this report, his son, his quarterback, Shedeur Sanders.

My previous grade (fourth round) on the guy who wears the No. 2 on his jersey was amongst the more critical grades out there.

Background

These numbers look hot.

2023

• 298 completions
• 340 attempts (69.3%)
• 3,230 yards
• 27 touchdowns
• Three interceptions

Then there is a number that doesn’t look so hot.

There’s more to the narrative.

Sanders was tied for an FBS-leading 52 sacks in 2023.

I believe the sacks replaced the interceptions he might have thrown into coverage. This also padded his completion percentage by not throwing the ball away. Of course, there is also the possibility of getting injured.

This is a problem.

The Yanish Report

So-so medium football build. Footwork needs refinement. Decent scrambling. Will score some TDs on the ground. Needs to climb the pocket consistently —forward, not backward. Not fast. Always looking for a wide-open receiver. Helluva arm. Exemplary ball-placement. Drops dimes. Needs to learn to duck. Field vision and awareness need tweaking. Decision-making skills also need to be shaped. Slightly immature as shown vs Colorado State. Happy feet when coverage gets tight. Will get rattled. Fans need to understand the hype ⎯ that is heaped on him in loads. Not sure of the capacity. Debonair like a prince. Players will follow his lead —good or bad.

For the win

Sanders should be hitting his first, second, and third read consistently. Instead, he is skipping around keying on the defense. He starts peeling back the layers one read at a time, trying to find a wide-open target ⎯until he ultimately freezes and is flat on his back.

An Air-Raid offense of this type should be —ONE MISSISSIPPI TWO… *BOOM* — release.

You can always tell when he is in trouble — he starts dancing around —happy feet.

Sanders is afraid of throwing into coverage.

Poor pass protection has been a widely accepted reason for the number of sacks he took last season. But now, that explanation is fading into the background. The Buffaloes have recruited the No. 1 offensive tackle (247Sports) Jordan Seaton. Overall, according to what’s being said, the offensive line should be better in 2024.

We’ll see how that plays out.

When it comes to contemplating how Sanders may look in the NFL ⎯I think his poor vision of the field and the distractions that he brings will cause him to struggle.

It is hard to see him translating to the NFL effectively, let alone being a star.

My BIG three questions

1. How does he look with the offensive line at Colorado in 2024?

2. Sanders compared himself to former NFL quarterbacks Tom Brady and Michael Vick, what does that even mean?

3. Can he step out of his dad’s shadow?

My 2024 NFL Draft Value: Fifth-Round

Would I draft him: No

Pro comparison: Bronny James (NBA player), but football.

2023 Game film evidence Michigan (Jersey No. 2)

Nebraska

Colorado State

Oregon

Stanford

USC

Arizona

UCLA

Oregon State

Washington State

William Yanish III is a lifelong football fan. He’s from the little town of Crawford, Colorado. Along the way, he’s lived in Dutch Harbor, Alaska, and Brookings, Oregon. Quarterback Joe Montana was his idol growing up. A little bit of CTE from life’s adventures killed his dreams as a football player. Now, he is an aspiring writer and Draft Analyst at FirstRoundMock.com. He’s a fanatic with a dream, which is coming true.