There was a historic run on quarterbacks in the 2024 draft, with six signal-callers picked in the first 12 selections. In addition to the fact that QB is the most important position in sports, the flurry of passers flying off the board was partially explained by the talent of this year’s crop and the current belief that the 2025 class of prospects is not a particularly deep one.
Of course, much can change between now and next April, and there will surely be a number of players who author standout performances in their final collegiates seasons and put themselves on the radar of teams eyeing franchise quarterbacks. One player that we already know will be a focus of such clubs is Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders.
Sanders, the son of NFL legend and Colorado head coach Deion Sanders, was eligible to declare for the 2024 draft, though he elected to remain in school for one more season. Per Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post, there is a variance of opinion as to where Sanders would have been picked if he had entered the 2024 draft, but a number of top execs believe the Buffaloes’ star will be firmly in the No. 1 overall discussion in 2025.
The GM of one club who could be in the market for an elite QB prospect next year said of Shedeur, “absolutely, he was a first-round pick [in 2024]. Absolutely. There would have been seven [QBs taken in the first round]. We obviously didn’t do as much work on him as the other quarterbacks once he announced he wasn’t coming out, but he would have been in the top three [quarterbacks] for us this year, I think, had he gone through the entire process. He probably would have been up there with [Caleb] Williams and [Jayden] Daniels.”
The Buffaloes were the talk of college football at the beginning of the 2023 season, when they stormed out to a 3-0 start with the dynamic father/son duo leading the charge. The bloom fell off the rose pretty quickly, though, as Colorado lost eight of its nine conference games to finish at the bottom of the Pac-12 standings.
For his part, Shedeur completed just under 70% of his passes for 27 touchdowns against just three picks last year. That followed an even more impressive 2022 season in which he connected on over 70% of his pass attempts and piled up 40 TDs and only six picks, although that performance came as a member of Jackson State, the FCS program that his father coached before he moved to Boulder.
An agent who recruited many members of the 2024 class of QBs told La Canfora that the Commanders would have seriously considered Sanders if he had entered in the 2024 draft, while a different talent evaluator who is employed by a team that did select a QB this year said, “I would have been stacking him right there with Daniels or [Drake] Maye. Definitely would have had him before [Michael] Penix, [J.J.] McCarthy or [Bo] Nix. If this kid comes out, he’s going in the top five or six picks. He could be the first pick of [the 2025] draft.”
Several of La Canfora’s sources said that Deion’s involvement in the process could be a complicating factor, with one such source calling him a “loose cannon,” but that will surely not deter a team who places a first-round grade on Shedeur. If the younger Sanders can put together a 2024 showing similar to his 2023 output, it sounds as if he could be the first player off the board in April 2025.
Can’t wait to see this clown humbled.
4-8 says all I need to know.
4-8 says a whole lot about Colorado’s defense.
Yeah because ASU, Arizona, UCLA, and the rest of that cupcake division has ever accomplished anything in football over the past 20 some years. That’s whom he lost to.
He doesn’t play defense or special teams.
Also Colorado beat ASU 27-24
Had they had a defense they would have beat Stanford instead of losing 46-43 and would have beat Caleb Williams and USC instead of losing 48-41. They would also have beat Arizona instead of losing 34-31.
Defense lost those games. Sanders and the offense put up enough points to win.
You live out west. Tell us how mighty the Pac 10 has ever been in football. All of those teams are severely flawed.
Every team in the country outside the big name schools is severely flawed. Idk what that has to do with individual player performances. You can be at a sucky school and around a sucky team and become a great in the nfl. Conversely you can also attend a prestigious school who has success upon success and go to the nfl and suck. Ohio state had many talented QBs. So far Cj Stroud is the only one to actually transition from college to the pros.
Has everything to do w/ that. If you can’t QB your team to beat bad teams, why are you considered good, let alone 1st round talent? 4-8 says it all.
Scoring 41, 43, 31 points on offense isn’t QBing your way to victory? Just curious. How’d Colorado lose those games despite the QB and offense scoring enough point to win? What led to those games being losses?
Hint: the qb should have scored more points isn’t the answer. You don’t expect someone doing their job to do their job more cause others can’t do their job.
…but Sanders still isn’t the reason they gave up so many points to their opponents?
Wow! The old it’s a team sport and losses can’t be blamed on any 1 player. Sounds like Sanders is on the Justin Herbert excuse train for being sub .500.
It is a team sport. QBs don’t play defense and don’t play special teams. Blaming the qb who’s standing on the side lines watching the game while the 11 guys on defense give up touch downs or the kicker misses an extra point or fg is silly.
Yeah and calling Justin Herbert mediocre was another one of your goofier takes. Sanders isn’t perfect, but he’s been very good, and blaming him specifically for the record of a team that gave up boatloads of points is irrational.
Go back to being a stenographer for your lawyers. It was so much nicer w/o your worthless attempts to put down everyone’s comments here. We didn’t miss you.
Arty, we both know how frequently you like my comments on here. You’re much, much smarter when you’re not trying to take someone down a peg and committing to a nonsensical point in order to do so.
You always comment on my comments, not the other way around. Now go be a good secretary and get the coffee pot filled up.
Again, much dumber when you’re trying to take someone down a peg. And if you really can’t remember that you comment on my posts, as recently as Friday, maybe it’s time to see a neurologist.
And absence of line play and ground attack.
Like the rest of the conference?
Plays most important position in football.
Team overall record 4-8.
Lost head to head matchup with Bo Nix 42-6.
Who does he think he is, Blaine Gabbert? Kevin Kolb? Josh Rosen?
EJ Manuel? Brandon Weeden? Brady Quinn?
They weren’t playing one-on-one, dude. Oregon’s roster had well-schooled football players. Colorado’s had some guys.
Some of you post like you’ve never watched football. Would you rather have a QB who wins a game behind his defense while putting up 13 points with a 50% completion percentage, 150 yds, and 1:1 TD:INT or a losing QB who loses behind a dreadful defense while putting up 30+ points with a 70% completion percentage, 300+ yds, and a 3:1 TD:INT?
The answer should be obvious.
i would want a QB that distributes the ball to his playmakers to move the chains and score points CONSISTENTLY.
all those stats are meaningless if its inconsistent execution. The foundation of success are the fundamental skills of the position. Shedeur sucks at the fundamentals and he’s nowhere close to athletic enough to just make stuff up to compensate.
I wonder which of those two options distributes the ball to his playmakers and moves the chains on a more consistent basis 99% of the time?
Once again, the answer should be obvious.
I read somewhere that Jerry might be clearing Dak & McCarthy’s off the books to hire Deion and draft Shedeur. Wouldn’t that be comical gold next offseason!
The kid can play. Kind of helps when you have the best db of all time teaching you how to read defenses. One thing about his game that many young QBs struggle with is he’s not afraid to live another down. Many young QBs try to force something and make plays instead of just tossing the ball out of bounds outside the pocket to avoid a sack int fumble. Gonna be fun watching him in the nfl.
You are excited to watch him properly throw the ball out of bounds in the NFL?
Reading isn’t your strong suit I see.
You eat pieces of s—t for breakfast? Come on Shooter…
I do not. But don’t let that stop you from eating as much as you want without me. Enjoy. Bon Appétit.
neither is Shedeur’s. He has no clue where to go with the ball to find open grass once he has the ball.
“kiddie ball” is throwing to the guy that’s open.
Shedeur is a glorified flag football QB
Um actually something many were critical of him about is that he doesn’t just throw the ball away and live for another down. Several times he would run around in the pocket trying to make a highlight play and take a big loss. A lot of that comes with experience but to act like that’s something he has a firm grasp on is inaccurate.
When you’re down 4 scores is a different situation than when you’re down 1 score. Situational football.
Down 1 score even 2 early he’s shown the ability to make good judgment calls on what to do when avoiding a sack early in games. So you’re wrong about that one.
When he’s down 3,4,5 scores theres really no other choice but force things. you’re trying to play catchup and get within range, throwing it away and giving it back to the other team already up a lot doesn’t cut a lead down. Same if you’re down 2 scores late in the game. There’s no live another down when you’re getting blown out or time is running out and you’re losing.
too bad Shedeur isn’t in command of a position where he can distribute the ball to playmakers for scores, then his team wouldn’t be playing from behind, huh?
1. Defense gives up points which causes teams to play from behind. Not offense. In case you’re confused how football works.
2. What play makers lmao? He had 1 play maker in Travis Hunter.
3. You just proved my point for me. Thanks. Instead of forcing the ball into tight coverage cause his receivers weren’t good at separation or Travis was doubled he opted not to make bad decisions. Good point.
“don’t force the ball into tight coverage”
– matter of fact, don’t throw the ball at all. Take the sack. LOL
Quarterbacks throw their receivers “open”. You have to know where the open grass is as a quarterback. You cannot wait for a receiver to get separation before you throw. BTW, THIS is why Sheduer sucks.
“travis was doubled”
– no he wasn’t
Throwing the receiver open are throws that have minimal success rate unless you’re doing back shoulder throws where it’s either caught or out of bounds. And more often times wind up intercepted, incomplete than actually completed. Throwing receivers open over middle of the field isn’t smart. May work with you doing it on rookie mode in madden, but trying to fit the ball where receivers can catch it in tight coverage is risky. But enjoy your rookie madden success.
“throwing the receiver open” is exactly what NFL QBs are required to do.
You throw to where the open grass is going to be.
You put the ball in a spot where only your receiver can get it based on the leverage the defender (or defensive coverage) has on him.
* These are the throws made in between the numbers (behind the linebackers).
* These are the throws Shedeur DOES not attempt.
—– because he either doesn’t know what he’s doing or more likely, has zero faith in his throwing ability —-
post all you want, but the film doesn’t lie.
“Throw into man to man coverage behind the line backer”
Great strategy. How are you not hired as a coach already? Real shocker. I’m sure the couch enjoys you keeping it nice and warm though.
Yeah you only throw behind the backer if it’s zone man. Very few QBs are throwing to a guy going behind the backer if it’s man to man and only make that throw if the receiver has the db beat with no help over the top. If there’s a safety anywhere near behind the backer QBs aren’t making that throw. Youre not throwing it in tight coverage to overthrow the linebacker and put it in a small window your receiver can catch it. Thats stupid 101.
Explains a lot since you really don’t have much knowledge beyond a rookie madden level experience.
Just to clarify since you’re switching between ideas for some odd reason.
Throw a receiver open is different than throwing where a receiver will be in their route.
Throwing a receiver open is tight coverage and the qb is placing the ball in a spot where his guy can catch it but defense can’t. Best example is back shoulder throws. They’re not open but QB throw made them open.
Throwing where receivers will be is QB anticipating the route and putting the ball where the receiver will be in a couple seconds. That’s not throwing a guy open that’s throwing to an open guy who separated by using a move (cut, reverse cut, stick and turn, come back, etc) where defense doesn’t have time to react cause the ball is already arriving as the receiver is making their move. Main object is hit receivers in stride.
Two totally different concepts. You wouldn’t throw a back shoulder throw to a guy who’s running a 5 yard post or in route. You wouldn’t try to lead your receiver across the middle running a vertical route up the sideline in tight coverage.
They had 0 guys drafted this year. 0. Play makers lmao. Delusional. You know the last time Colorado had a guy drafted? 2021 in the 6th round. Team has been devoid of talent for quite a while. And sanders still managed to put up respectable numbers despite sub par position groups on offense.
i agree with you. Colorado has 0 playmakers.
That includes Shedeur, Shiloh and Travis Hunter.
PLAYMAKERS, y’know, “NFL talent” means you DOMINATE the games you’re in.
Patrick Peterson / Tyrann Mathieu, Larry Fitzgerald, David Boston, Michael Crabtree, Mike Williams (USC), Cam Newton, etc… these are players that would dominate games and could single-handedly determine the outcome in a game on Saturdays.
NONE of those Colorado players have that kind of talent. Don’t even start with the Travis Hunter hype. That guy made Stanford’s Roberto Alomar look like Randy Moss and 2 or 3 key plays he blew to give Stanford the win.
You don’t NEED playmakers to move the sticks, though. You know what doesn’t convert downs ? Holding the ball and taking sacks.
lol.
Mike Williams played with some pretty notable players in Leinart, Bush, White, Colbert, Steve Smith (1st or 2nd round draft picks).
Crabtree played with another notable receiver in Danny Amendola
David Boston used steroids
Can Newton ran a gimmick offense in the wild cat rushing it 264 times vs 185 passes.
1 guy you named Larry Fitzgerald actually fit your criteria without needing help and played his position as intended.
Stick to madden man. This just isn’t your thing. It’s alright.
(misses the point, entirely)
Pick any dominate college player of the past (yes, those named players were unstoppable, but they may have been before your time), they all stand out. They all could start for any college program. None of the Colorado golden children have that kind of talent and they most certainly haven’t shown it on the field.
You actually have a point? Figured these were just drunk incoherent ramblings of yours.
Guys you mentioned who took over games actually didn’t take over games without help from other players, specific style offense cause they can’t run a pro offense and need gimmicks, or were using steroids. Really disproved your own assertions but contradicting yourself works fine for me.
You also demonstrate a severe lack of knowledge regarding the game itself. “Throw receivers open” yeah not always an option works well against 1 on 1 but if there’s help that’s a tight window and most likely gets intercepted but couch coach says do it anyways I suppose. It’s fine. You’re out of your league on this one. Better luck next time.
If you have any actual points besides rookie ball madden level expertise I’d be happy to hear it but so far it’s just hate and vitriol with no real substance behind anything you’re saying. Like you’re trying to sound smart to prove yourself that’s your smart cause of inferiority complex for something. Really weird.
I get it though.
Deion is rich successful.
Sons will be rich successful.
You’re probably living in a mobile home park eating tv dinners. We get it. No need to be angry about someone being more successful than you.
you should say I’m racist, too.
Whatever it takes to avoid looking at the issue.
Well if you are you are. People hating on kids is sad way to live life. Takes a really miserable person to hate on kids playing a game. I get it though. They’re successful you’re not. That’s what it boils down to. Insecurity little man syndrome.
I’m not sure someone who has commented 20 times on one article, mostly insulting other people, should be lecturing anyone on insecurity.
If his old man can recruit enough protection to keep him alive, Shadeur could be terrific in the NFL.
So much more than talent to consider when looking for a franchise qb. Sanders: talented – yes, team player – no, stuck on himself – yes, humble – no, spoiled – yes, boastful, troublemaker – yes, let’s his playing on the field do his talking – no, play for his daddy – yes, play for someone else and buy in to their game plan – doubtful. A NFL GM shouldn’t even consider him. He will be toxic to a team. His daddy will over rule anything a coaching staff tries to teach him. Already knows it all. Uncoachable. Trouble from Day #1. Detrimental to any team cohesiveness. Regardless of talent, toxic as a rattlesnake.
I agree with much of that, but Sanders should still be given consideration. I actually wasn’t concerned over his character until that watch controversy came out, but in Sanders’ defense, he appears to get on well with his teammates.
The concern I have is mostly his father hanging over him as coach and the comments he’s made about where he’d like him to play. The concerns aren’t so much what Deion values in a team (except perhaps his implication that the race of management should influence his opinion), but how Sanders will adapt to an environment that does not have his father running public interference or making football decisions for him. He may be just fine, but it would still be a transition for him to experience. In college, people can use the “he’s just a kid” excuse to hive players a pass too often (especially in these N.I.L. days), but in Sanders’ case, there actually is some cause to prompt that thinking. His father has materially controlled his football career and public image for some time, and that’s something a team will have to evaluate.
On the field, Sanders can play as at least as well as most top prospects. On a good day, he outplays them. On a bad day, like against Oregon, he looks lost. Teams are going to have to weigh those things on the field just as much as any other prospect, but his successes should at least net him consideration. His mental pr personal specifics of course need to be evaluated, as with any other prospect, and I agree that I have questions regarding his ego and regarding the effect that his father had/has on Sanders’ ability to withstand criticism or lead on his own. He may answer those questions well, but I think that they are still worthy enough to check into.
They didn’t have an oline.
Shedeur can play, he doesn’t run much and is focused on passing. I do think he needs to have a winning record with Colorado to get picked high. Then again it might not matter if he shows out and performs in the interview process. We have seen smaller school guys(Flacco & McNair) get picked high, they don’t play the same level of competition.
Teams like Tampa, Raiders, Cowboys, Jets, Seahawks may all be looking at him.
Watch the game film- he doesn’t trust his eyes
“In addition to the fact that QB is the most important position in sports”
Hmmm…Football is my favorite sport but I find it hard to agree with that statement. Generally a QB is only on the field for 30 minutes of a 60 minute contest. Contrast that with a hockey goalie who normally plays all 60 minutes of a game and you might form a different opinion.
A Goalie is important but if the team is so good and does not allow any true shots then the goalie isn’t much of a factor.
I think a catcher in baseball is more important since they are dictating the pitches. They have to be able to catch all styles, they need to make sure no one steals on them.
QB is important but if a team is run heavy the QB only makes a handful of important plays if close.
I question whether a catcher does much pitch dictating as you often see a pitcher shake off the sign. Both the catcher and pitcher know what pitches are working and what one’s aren’t finding the strike zone…so there isn’t much mystery involved.
Neither are as important as the lawyers
You all know Jerry cannot wait to see him with a star on his helmet. He’ll probably throw money at his Dad after kicking Mike to the curb
Not happening- Wil McClay watch film too
People talk about their record but doesn’t that make his performance all the more impressive? He kept his team in games when the defense couldn’t stop anyone and knew he had to throw. I haven’t seen him play but his numbers are strong
You haven’t seen him play but think his numbers are strong? Surprised you aren’t an NFL GM already.
“WOW! LOOKIT ALL DEM PASSING YERDS!!”
– having zero run game, playing from behind and having no fear you will ever be benched will make any QB seem prolific
He was smart to stay in school – as he’ll pocket $4-5 million in NIL money this year and be drafted higher up in the 2025 draft than he would have been this year.
this kid is a straight up clown. Shadeur is the diva people thought Caleb was.
Think only reason he is thought of so highly is because it’s a thin QB class. Needs to improve this season over last year n add more polish to his overall game.
“Anonymous sources” = bullshit
No NFL team is dying to select a physically weak quarterback with sloppy mechanics that cannot read a defense who can only throw shallows and screens and take sacks.
Laud the 4k yards all you want but Sanders is a turd as a quarterback and it has nothing to do with his supporting cast. His footwork is atrocious and incredibly inefficient. His feet are always so far apart that he has to ‘reload’ to get footing rather then keeping them underneath him so he can quickly launch or pivot. This kills him on the end of his drops, which he is terrible at, too. He should know who is going to presnap against the coverage shell. At the snap he confirms primary, then looks to secondary as he drives into the plant phase of the drop. These first two reads are going to be confirmed once the defense responds to the patterns. If that secondary isn’t open, he can focus on a ‘rush’ route (like a shallow crosser) as he hitches up into the launch. If nothing open, there is always a ‘release’ route to dump off to (or throw it away). Because #2 feet are all over the place AND he cannot read a defense to determine where the open grass is to throw open a receiver, he goes full Chinese Fire Drill in the pocket rather than just readjusting from pressure.
To ANYONE that challenges this, all you have to do is watch all his passes. He should be confident in where he’s going with the ball before he reaches the end of his drop. He doesn’t….he just starts looking as he comes out of the drop and he’s looking for open receivers with tons of separation. You’re not going to have that at all in the NFL. He will not throw unless a defender is nowhere near a receiver. This is why all he throws is shallow cross and a fast screen. The only time he throws deep is if a coverage is busted (throw the post versus 2-high).
Don’t believe me? In 2023, he did not throw between the numbers beyond 10 yards. Those are the NFL-type throws where you thread the ball in there with velocity and trajectory skill. FYI – Colorado State exposed this flaw in his game.
Colorado WILL open 0-4 in 2024.
Also, if you are “in the know” and have a line into the goings on with the Sean Lewis situation, Shedeur will not take criticism and he only will throw to “his guys”. Just watch the spring game this year, he looked worse than he did in the season of 2023.
None of what I’ve detailed is hard to figure out. Just watch the game / broadcast film. You don’t watch the outcome of a play to determine if a player can play or not, particularly as it relates to their fundamentals. He’s locked into one guy and if its not wide open after his plant, he’s completely clueless.
He seems immature, obviously skilled but plenty of other qb’s I’d root for over him. He has, and will continue to take licks playing for an avg team this season. Not sure I’d want him to be the face of my franchise, and not sure he’d be a good influence learning with a headset on for a year or two.
His release seems really slow to me. Also doesn’t seem comfortable in the pocket. Not sure how he’s a first round pick.
I’ve watched him play and he just doesn’t seem like a NFL starter QB ♂️, yes he’s had his moments in college were he looked amazing but so did Tebow. To me this is Tyrod Taylor 2.0
Next big headache in the league
1983- Baltimore Colts drafts John Elway- traded to Denver Broncos
21 years later- San Diego Chargers draft Eli Manning in the 2004 draft- traded to the New York Giants
21 years later- 2025 draft- will history repeat itself with the overall number one draft pick traded again?