Shedeur Sanders is one of the top prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft, with the added value placed on potential franchise-caliber quarterbacks likely to make him a top-10 pick. Ahead of this week’s NFL Scouting Combine, there’s reportedly a shared concern with the former Colorado Buffaloes star.
Sanders, who turned 23 in early February, will not be throwing at the NFL Combine. As reported by NFL.com, the reigning Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award winner is instead focusing his time on meeting with teams. While he won’t throw in Indianapolis, Sanders will go through all of his passing drills at Colorado’s Pro Day later this offseason.
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- Shedeur Sanders stats (ESPN): 4,134 passing yards, 37-10 TD-INT, 74% completion rate, 8.7 yards per attempt, 168.2 QB rating, 4 rushing touchdowns
The 6-foot-2 quarterback is coming off a strong final season with the Buffaloes. He finished eighth in the Heisman Trophy voting after leading Colorado to its best season since 2016. However, NFL teams do have some on-field concerns with him.
Tony Pauline of Sportskeeda shared that teams he spoke with have concerns that Sanders never “showed real progress” in his final season. There’s also a belief that the absence of noticeable progress means he will require a lot of coaching to fix his “poor” throwing fundamentals.
Related: Shedeur Sanders drawing strong reviews from coaches early in pre-draft process
- Shedeur Sanders draft projection: Top-10 pick
There are still plenty of positive evaluations of Sanders’ skills, especially the finer details of his game. NFL.com‘s Lance Zierlein highlighted Sanders’ poise and accuracy as two of his biggest strengths, with the ability to throw with anticipation and an understanding of how to navigate pressure and throw with traffic around him among his other NFL-caliber skills.
Sanders has drawn NFL comparisons to Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith, a two-time Pro Bowl selection whose pocket mobility, athleticism and ability to read defenses has allowed him to excel in the right system. If Sanders lands in the right offense, with a quality supporting cast, he could also become an above-average starter in his prime.
