The 2025 NFL Draft is quickly approaching. While we’ll have to wait until April 24 before the first round of this year’s event gets underway in Green Bay, hype surrounding the three-day weekend is already building.
Shedeur Sanders is one of the most controversial prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft class. While he’s been successful at every stop, from Jackson State University to the University of Colorado, there’s some question about whether his game will translate as well to football’s highest level.
Yet, some feel like Sanders, who’s projected to be drafted anywhere from the top-five picks to somewhere near the top of the second round, is earning a bad rap thanks to anonymous reports and pre-draft smokescreens.
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While he’s not special athletically, Shedeur Sanders shines in other areas
This year’s NFL Draft is a bit unique in that there is no prospect that the consensus points to as the obvious choice to be selected first. While University of Miami quarterback Cam Ward appears to be the frontrunner to be selected by the Tennesee Titans with the first overall pick, nothing is set in stone.
While not everyone agrees, most would suggest Shedeur Sanders is the next-best quarterback available. However, some suggest his arm lacks ideal strength, especially to play in high-wind, outdoor stadiums such as in Cleveland or New York, two QB-needy teams that boast top-three draft selections in April.
As the son of a Pro Football Hall of Famer, others feel like Sanders sets himself apart from the competition thanks to his high football IQ and ability to lead a locker room.
Recently, an exclusive Sportsnaut interview with NFL.com’s draft analyst Eric Edholm provided some additional insight into how Sanders is viewed around the league. While there are potential flaws, there’s enough in Sanders’ game to believe he can be a difference-maker in the NFL.
“I think it’s more of knowing what you’re going to get, right? Because you get one Sanders, you’re going to get the entire Sanders clan. As far as the character stuff, not everybody wants to bring that kind of circus to town. Again, it’s more of a perception, I think, than it is reality. I think some of that [character talk] is a little bit of a smokescreen, but physically, he’s nothing special. That’s the crazy part. The son of Deion Sanders is not an amazing athlete, but his cerebral qualities I think will translate to the NFL. I see an accurate quarterback. I see a quarterback with some real toughness. I think he’s got great feel for the game.”
NFL.com’s Eric Edholm
It’s true. Sanders isn’t the most athletically gifted quarterback in the class. He has some mobility, but not enough to scare anyone like Lamar Jackson or Jayden Daniels does. Instead, Sanders is more like a C.J. Stroud type, preferring to stand tall and deliver strikes from the pocket.
Yet, his cerebral qualities are hard to ignore. This is still Deion Sanders’ son, and while there’s certainly projection involved, as there is with any draft prospect, Shedeur’s ceiling remains sky-high. For teams without an established future franchise quarterback, passing up on Sanders may be a decision that haunts teams for years to come.
Related: NFL Power Rankings 2025
