Shedeur Sanders Lacking Essential Skills on Early 2024 Film

First-Round Mock’s NFL Draft Analyst Rajvir Bal has studied Colorado quarterback (QB) Shedeur Sanders and has walked away giving him a lower grade than the consensus.

The biggest story of this college football season has been Shedeur Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes.

When this was written, Colorado had cracked the top-25 in the polls.

The hype train that has followed the team (especially the quarterback) has only been gaining steam since their opening-season victory against North Dakota State University.

How much hype is there?

Let’s put it this way, this is a current look at where the rest of the NFL Draft platforms are seeing Sanders and when you click on this link you can see a list of the specific draft platforms that have gone BIG on Sanders (nflmockdraftdatabase.com).

So it begs the question: is the Sanders’ hype warranted? Keep reading and I’ll dive into that and give you my verdict.

Background

Sanders committed to FCS Jackson State (247Sports.com) in November of 2020 and joined his Pro Football Hall of Fame father Deion Sanders there (who was the head coach of that team at that time). When Sanders left Jackson State to become the head coach at Colorado (FBS), his son, the one we’re talking about, joined him.

Here’s a look at his production:

2023:

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

2024 (through the first nine games): 

• 250 completions
• 343 attempts (72.9%)
• 2,882 yards 
• 24 touchdowns
• Six interceptions

#2 Shedeur Sanders 6-foot-2, 215 pounds 
Rajvir Bal’s Fall 2025 NFL Draft Grade: Fourth-Round (I would select him)
Projected by 93.3% of the NFL Draft Community to be a first-round pick as of November 15, 2024 (nflmockdraftdatabase.com)

2024 game film reviewed: NDSU, Nebraska, Baylor, Kansas State, and Arizona (click to view games watched to form this evaluation)

The Good

Sanders does have some solid NFL traits on film. Overall, his +70% completion percentage so far this year is a fairly impressive statistic. He does a good job stepping into his throws and has a solid base. Surprisingly, he looked more poised than I expected him to under pressure, probably because he consistently ends up throwing with a defender right in his face. He has a good motion in his arm while throwing as well. His mechanics and his natural ability to throw are likely his best traits.

The Bad

Sanders “goes through the motions” while playing football. That means that he fails to act as a game-changer and could be easily replaced with similar results. Sanders lacks the football IQ that will be essential to his long-term potential in the NFL. He often “locks on” to his first read and fails to scan the field. He consistently puts the ball in harm’s way, making it much too easy for defenders to swat/intercept his passes. His biggest problem, however, is his time to throw. He has taken 80 sacks to date (2023: 52 and 2024 through the first nine games: 28), AND IT SHOWS.

NFL Crystal Ball

New York Giants

New York Jets

Las Vegas Raiders

Pro Comp: Former Dolphins, Jaguars, and Chiefs QB Chad Henne (59.6% career completion percentage with 60 passing touchdowns and 63 interceptions).

Final thoughts for now

Sanders has no chance of achieving a consistent level of NFL success if continues to get sacked at the rate that he has in college. To change his tendencies to take sacks, he will need to improve on his time to throw, his football IQ, and be drafted on a team with a good offensive line right off the bat. In my humble opinion, these tasks will prove too tall of an order for the Colorado QB.

Shedeur Sanders is a mid to high-end NFL QB2 with a low ceiling.

Rajvir Bal is a high school student from the Virginia area. He grew up a rabid Washington Redskins fan, attending more than 30 games, and has enjoyed the team’s high points and low points throughout his life. He plays varsity football and basketball. Rajvir has taken an interest in the NFL Draft since middle school when his team picked Montez Sweat and Dwayne Haskins in the first round. His favorite NFL player ever flips between Rob Gronkowski and Brett Favre, and his favorite athlete is LeBron James. He has been writing his own scouting reports since 2020, and is excited for the opportunities FirstRoundMock provides.