Shedeur Sanders’ electrifying start to the college football season has thrust him into the national spotlight.
Leading the Colorado Buffaloes to a surprising 2-0 record, Sanders has thrown for 903 yards with six touchdowns (plus one rushing) and zero interceptions.
With his stellar start, Sanders has not only emerged as a Heisman Trophy contender but is now making waves on NFL Draft boards.
ESPN’s NFL Draft expert, Mel Kiper Jr., recently weighed in on Sanders’ meteoric rise, projecting him as a potential first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Kiper expressed his confidence in Sanders during an appearance on “Monday Blitz,” confidently stating: “Shedeur Sanders is now a guaranteed high first-round pick if he decides to turn pro in 2024.”
NEWS: Mel Kiper Jr. has moved Colorado's Shedeur Sanders to his No. 3 QB in the 2024 NFL Draft👀
“Shedeur Sanders to me right now is a guaranteed, high first-round pick.”
Kiper Jr. also said Shedeur would be the 'guaranteed' No. 1 pick in the 2025 draft if he chose to stay with… pic.twitter.com/y4qnlu6uku
— On3 (@On3sports) September 11, 2023
Sanders’ ascent up the NFL Draft boards has been remarkable. Kiper currently ranks him as the third-best quarterback prospect in the 2024 draft class, trailing behind USC’s Caleb Williams and North Carolina’s Drake Maye.
However, Kiper believes that if Sanders chooses to stay at Colorado for his senior season in 2024 and continues to showcase his exceptional talent alongside fellow standout Travis Hunter, he could very well become the favorite to be the #1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
“If he stays at Colorado, we’ll be talking about him next summer like we’re talking about Caleb Williams right now, #1 pick guaranteed,” Kiper emphasized.
“So he’s got a decision to make. We’ve got to be excited about everything we’ve seen right now, not only with this football team but particularly with Shedeur Sanders. What a quarterback he is.”
Sanders’ journey to stardom has been an extraordinary one. After spending his first two college seasons playing under his father, Deion Sanders, at Jackson State, both have moved onto Colorado where they are the unquestioned talk of the sport for the time being.
Of course, you have to keep Sanders’ performance thus far in perspective. He’s played an overrated TCU team and a rebuilding Nebraska team.
That’s not taking anything away from Sanders. He clearly is a high-level quarterback – but he’s going to have to prove it again and again as the competition gets tougher.
You would think that the most likely scenario is him returning to his father next season to play his senior year with the Buffaloes. What a story it would be if he wins the Heisman while leading Colorado to the Playoff?
What do you think of Sanders?
Do you believe all the hype surrounding him as an Elite NFL prospect?
If he’s a lock to be a first-round pick in 2024, should he enter the draft?
Or should he come back for his senior year and attempt to do something truly special with his father?
(I think we all say the latter!)