Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders’ prospects for the 2025 NFL Draft have come under scrutiny following a poor performance in the Alamo Bowl, where the Buffaloes suffered a 36-14 defeat against BYU.
Sanders, who has often been forecasted as the potential No. 1 overall pick, no longer seems to be the consensus top choice across NFL circles.
As a matter of fact, according to NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero, some teams don’t even have a first-round grade on Sanders.
“Shedeur Sanders, for a variety of reasons, is going to be a fascinating overall evaluation,” Pelissero said. “I’ve already talked to people within the league who don’t have anything close to a first-round grade on him.
“He certainly has fans and he comes in with a high profile but this idea that he’s just gonna walk in and be the No. 1 pick, that’s probably pushing it.”
In the Alamo Bowl, Sanders completed 16 of 23 passes for 208 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions.
While those numbers aren’t terrible, anybody who watched the game knows that much of that yardage came in garbage time.
Despite entering the matchup as solid favorites, Sanders and the entire Colorado team struggled on the national stage.
The poor performance combined with Sanders repeating past mistakes, such as holding onto the ball way too long and taking drive-killing sacks, has led to many evaluators knocking him down a peg on their draft boards.
Sanders’ overall performance in the 2024 season was statistically impressive.
Leading Colorado in its inaugural year in the Big 12, he completed an NCAA-best 74% of his passes for 4,134 yards, 37 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions over 13 games.
His passing yards and touchdowns also topped the Big 12 leaderboard. These figures initially bolstered the belief among fans that Sanders could be a top pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
However, stats alone do not define a quarterback’s draft value. As evaluators dissect Sanders’ game, concerns about his overall mechanics, decision-making, and ability to perform under pressure have emerged.
Pelissero suggested that Sanders’ profile as a prospect might not align with the lofty expectations.
Adding to the uncertainty is the perception that the 2025 quarterback class lacks the depth and quality of the previous year.
The 2024 NFL Draft featured a stacked quarterback pool, with three signal-callers selected in the first three picks and six in the first round overall.
By contrast, the 2025 class, while still promising, is viewed as a step down in talent. Despite being a prominent name in the draft conversation, Sanders’ stock may be slipping.
Pelissero highlighted that while Sanders remains a compelling figure, the notion of him being a lock for an early pick seems increasingly unlikely based on feedback from NFL insiders.
“It’s not just about the numbers or the profile; it’s about how he stacks up against his peers and what teams see on tape,” Pelissero added. “There’s work to be done for him to truly solidify his standing in this draft.”
Of course, we have a long ways to go before the draft kicks off in April. As always, things can and will change.
As of now, many evaluators believe that Miami quarterback Cam Ward will most likely be selected with the No. 1 overall pick by the Tennessee Titans.
If that’s the case, things will get very interested when the Cleveland Browns hit the clock next with the No. 2 pick.
Cleveland needs a quarterback and may very well draft Sanders. However, based on past comments, there may be some severe pushback behind the scenes.
Of course, I’m referring to Deion Sanders’ past comments where he admitted that the Sanders clan will “pull an Eli” in order to prevent being drafted by a team they’re not interested in.
Could the Browns be one of those “less-desirable” teams that Deion was referring to?
Regardless, what are your thoughts on the report that Sanders isn’t viewed as a first-round talent?
At the end of the day, where do you think he will he end up going in the draft???
