Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders. Photo credit: AP Photo/LM Otero
Shedeur Sanders has emerged as a prominent figure in the 2025 NFL Draft conversation—and why not? He’s got the swagger of a franchise quarterback—composed and never rattled under pressure. His accuracy further raises the bar. At Colorado, he completed 71.8% of his passes. That’s the kind of accuracy that gets pro teams interested. His last name puts extra pressure around him but he’s handled it pretty well and has the upside to thrive even more on a strong roster.
In this article, we’ll shed light on why Sanders is one of the buzzing names in this year’s quarterback class.
Background
Born on February 7, 2002, in Tyler, Texas, Sanders moved north to attend Trinity Christian School in Cedar Hill. His father, Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, was the school’s offensive coordinator. Shedeur, doing his own groundwork, was rated a four-star recruit. Initially committed to Florida Atlantic, he eventually flipped and followed his father to Jackson State.
Collegiate Accolades
The awards and honors started pouring in from his freshman season. He was named the SWAC Freshman of the Year and Second-team All-SWAC. He made history as the first HBCU player to earn the Jerry Rice Award, which recognizes the most outstanding freshman in NCAA Division I FCS football. After posting an impressive 70.6% completion rate in his sophomore year, he was named the SWAC Offensive Player of the Year. Sanders also received the Deacon Jones Trophy as the nation’s top HBCU player.
Sanders transferred to Colorado, again following his father but the winnings didn’t stop. In 2024, he earned Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year honors and won the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award.
Scouting Report Summary
Sanders’ delightful combination of composure, football IQ, and precision can immediately make him a starting quarterback in the NFL. He’s a tough guy with a good arm length, never afraid to test tight windows, especially on in-breakers across the middle. He is always ready to take hit after hit just to make the perfect pass. When he’s in rhythm, his ball placement allows his receivers to make plays in stride and extend gains.
But Sanders does have plenty to work on. His slow-twitch mechanics and longer release is a subtle limitation that affects his velocity and release speed. He’s mobile enough to slide or reset in the pocket but his undisciplined drops generate unnecessary pressure. He sometimes passes up easy completions in search of big plays—a habit that can stall drives. But if he embraces structure and leans into his strengths, he has the makeup to grow into a reliable game manager.
Strengths
Good accuracy: Sanders posted a 70.1% completion rate throughout his collegiate career, a testament to his consistent accuracy and ability to deliver catchable balls in all areas of the field.
Precise when kept clean: When protected, Sanders stands tall and picks defenses apart with sharp decision-making and placement.
Confident and composed under pressure: Sanders is a smooth operator. His ability to stay calm can lead game-winning drives and command locker rooms—just what a franchise quarterback should do.
Hips squared on rollouts: When rolling out, Sanders consistently keeps his hips squared to the target, improving his accuracy.
Moves the launch point to buy time: Sanders is skilled at adjusting his launch point in the pocket, evading pressure, and creating more time to find an open target.
Weaknesses
Takes unnecessary hits: Sanders tends to hold the ball too long, leading to unnecessary hits later in the play.
Average arm strength: Sanders doesn’t have elite arm strength, limiting his ability to make high-velocity throws.
Not athletic enough: Athleticism is not one of Sanders’ stronger points. This affects his mobility and ability to extend plays outside the pocket.
Questionable pocket awareness: Sanders sometimes moves away from the pocket too early, when he could step up to avoid pressure instead.
NFL Combine Results
Pre-draft Measurables
| Height | Weight | Arm Length | Hand Span |
| 6 ft 1½ in(1.87 m) | 212 lb(96 kg) | 31½ in(0.80 m) | 9⅜ in(0.24 m) |
Related Content: Top 20 NFL Draft Prospects: Travis Hunter
