By: Lane Caballero
If you are reading this article, you enjoy the game of football, which means you are already familiar with the name Shedeur Sanders. Shedeur is the son of Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, which instantly put pressure on him to succeed. Deion and Shedeur both started their college journeys at Jackson State before making the jump to Colorado. People often question Shedeur, as they have the notion that he only received his opportunities because of the status of his father. However, that’s not true. The Colorado quarterback was a legit prospect, owning a 4-star rating out of high school.
Sanders quieted the haters last year, showing that he has the talent needed to compete at the power five level. As Sanders heads into the 2025 season, he has a real chance to be a first-round draft pick, but what’s the path for Sanders to earn the right to be the number one overall selection?
Sanders is coming off of a solid 2023 campaign, where he posted 3,229 yards, 27 touchdowns, and only three interceptions. Starting with the positives, Sanders does a great job playing within the structure of a play. The middle of the field is where Sanders thrives, as he will throw the ball into tight windows. Shedeur has excellent mechanics when the play is clean. The senior also takes care of the ball when throwing, he doesn’t throw many interceptions. Shedeur’s clean play leads to smart decisions and successful passes to his playmakers.
Now where can Sanders improve? The number one thing he must improve upon in 2024 is avoiding sacks. The Colorado offensive line in 2024 was bad, like terrible bad. However, Sanders must improve upon his pocket awareness. Sanders often drifts back in the pocket in muddy conditions, which is a negative tendency. Stepping into the pocket consistently is necessary for Sanders’ play style to win from the pocket.
Even with his father being a Hall of Famer, Shedeur isn’t a superb athlete. He has enough mobility to maneuver the pocket and take off when opportunities arise. However, a team will not game-plan for using Sanders’ legs. Another aspect where Shedeur needs improvement is attacking outside the numbers. He showed his ability to win in the middle, but the deep ball outside lacked something. Sanders also needs to improve with fumbling, but an uptick in emphasis can fix this issue.
With an improved offensive line, Sanders should be able to play within the structure of the Colorado offense more frequently. If he can show that he can maneuver and win from a muddy pocket, NFL teams will move him up their draft boards. By attacking every area of the field, Sanders will show NFL teams his ability to make any throw. The Colorado quarterback, known for pocket passing, must enhance these game aspects to demonstrate NFL viability.
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Sanders’ top-pick status isn’t reliant on Colorado’s season, but success would help his draft status. He has a challenging path to becoming the top overall pick, but if he improves these areas of his game, he will be considered for the top spot.
