Since the end of the football season over seven months ago, it has seemed like an inevitability that Shedeur Sanders would be a first-round NFL Draft pick.
Not only did many mock draft ‘experts’ proclaim him as the top prospect in the class at the position for a long period of time – before eventually being unseated by Cam Ward – but he has been a constant fixture in projections for the top 10 for the entire off-season.
However, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, Sanders’s stock is falling heavily as the draft inches closer, and it is for reasons you might not expect.
Shedeur Sanders #QB13 of Colorado sits on the field during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on March 1, 2025.
Brooke Sutton/Getty Images
Per Breer, many NFL teams are not sold on Sanders’ athletic ability or his arm strength, and have a serious problem with a few of the tendencies he displayed while at Colorado.
“What I keep hearing—and this has nothing to do with anyone having some personal issue with Sanders, or looking for him to fall in the draft so they can draft him—is that he isn’t a great athlete on tape, doesn’t have exceptional arm talent, and too often does things that simply won’t translate to the NFL game,” Breer said. “Now, it’s not like Sanders is devoid of ability. Even his critics will tell you that he’s accurate, smart and tough, and credit him for winning consistently at programs where it’s hard to do that. There’s production there that doesn’t happen if a kid can’t play.”
This should not come as a huge surprise either, with many scouts and NFL Draft analysts starting to compare Sanders to more of an Andy Dalton or a Chad Pennington-type player, rather than a generational talent worth of a top-10 selection.
Despite that, many still believed that Sanders was a lock to be a first-round selection.
However, according to Breer, Sanders might only end up being a first-round pick if an owner decides to get involved and supersede a coach’s wishes.
“I’ve had more than one person say to me that if Sanders goes in the first round, it’ll be because an owner got involved,” Breer said. “That, of course, is a bit of a guess from a few guys who are clued into how Sanders is viewed. But it’s also a bit of a window into the way evaluators are looking at the Colorado star.”
We will find out one way or the other when the 2025 NFL Draft finally kicks off on April 24.
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