It’s been a foregone conclusion for some time now, QB1 and QB2 are pretty much set in stone. Caleb Williams and Drake Maye look to be the cream of the crop but after going OFF on TCU in his first Power 5 action this season, is there room for a new QB3 in this draft class? How about Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders?!
In my most recent mock draft, I have Williams, Maye, Bo Nix, and Michael Penix Jr. as players I could see drafted in round 1 (today at least). If you’ve been here long, you would’ve read my article on Jackson State last season, where I made it clear I believe in what Coach Prime is building, and I 100% agree that he will bring value to a Colorado program that desperately needed this.Â
What About Shedeur Sanders?
The question is how high that elevates the draft potential for their seniors, especially Shedeur Sanders. Sanders, a former 4-star prospect who just wins, no matter what level of competition he faces. When you watch his play, it’s easy to see why his fathers had success at the collegiate level. Sanders can move the pocket, make any throw you ask of him, and does a pretty darn good job of making those throws on the run.
When you watch the film or anyone’s breakdown of the film, people gush over the arm strength, and the ability to drop dimes even in tight windows. Sanders also has the ability to make defenders miss, extend the play, and make some magic happen when the play breaks down.
Yes, his skill position players are ELITE, Travis Hunter healthy in year two is unstoppable on either side of the ball. Dylan Edwards looks to be a potential game-changing running back as well as some other young pieces with talent but Sanders did this before this season, without these pieces together. If you look at the offensive lines he’s had to work with, that is where you have to get even MORE excited about what he can be at the next level.Â
When you look towards the NFL, and what NFL offenses have been changing to over the last 10+ years, Sanders is everything you’d be looking for in your next franchise quarterback. The question I have at the moment is, how high can this player go in the NFL Draft? Is he better than what was drafted in the 2023 NFL Draft?Â
Who Does He Compare To?
If he can do what he did against TCU later in the season when they are working towards a playoff birth (potentially), then how can you argue that he isn’t on par with at least Anthony Richardson?Â
When you look at Richardson, folks didn’t see enough college reps but loved the size/speed combination and the arm talent. Sanders may not be as big but definitely a more refined passer, and just as athletic. When you look at CJ Stroud, you can argue that Stroud faced tougher competition, and the decision-making is probably more sound but aren’t they close? What about Bryce Young? We know what he has to deal with at Alabama, every team wants to be the team that beats Bama’, so Bryce was getting all the smoke and handled it well. If you look further back, he’s arguably the best quarterback in the 2022 draft class, whereas Pickett really is the only one that stood out in that group.Â
So I said his draft stock is skyrocketing, and I mean that. My bigger question is, how high can it go? Can he push past some of the first-round talent that also looked good in week 1? Penix was fire against Boise State, Bo Nix didn’t even have to finish he played so well (I know it was against Portland State). I could make the case that a team in need of a quarterback with Shedeur Sanders skill set could absolutely take him in round 1, if they believe he can be their franchise leader for years to come.
Shedeur Sanders Draft Stock Skyrocketing! – I Appreciate You!
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