By Scott Salomon
Shock jock Jason Whitlock took to the airwaves this week and took on his favorite targets: Deion Sanders and his family.
Whitlock said that Shedeur Sanders, the Colorado quarterback, was blessed with a plethora of positive physical traits by getting his father’s DNA, but his speed was not one of them.
As we reported previously, Deion appeared on Million Dollaz Worth of Game and predicted that his son Shedeur and two-way stud Travis Hunter would both be drafted in the top four picks of the NFL Draft in 2025. Whitlock takes exception to the comment and reacted as such on his podcast Fearless with Jason Whitlock.
Some of the athleticism that Shedeur Sanders has works at the college level and will not work in the NFL. He didn’t get Deion’s speed. pic.twitter.com/mbtRWjzk0P
— Jason Whitlock (@WhitlockJason) March 26, 2024
“I don’t know what to make of Shedeur, to be quite honest with you,” Whitlock said. “The offense was so tilted for him to perform well, and then he took so many shots. I’ve seen quarterbacks ruined in college from taking too many hits, and they’re never the same.”
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That was the prelude to Whitlock dropping the final bomb on Shedeur which attempted to take out Deion as well.
“I think some of the athleticism that Shedeur has that works at the college level is not going to work in the NFL… He did not get Deion’s speed. So I don’t think that he’s going to be much of a runner in the NFL. He’s going to have to be a pocket passer. And I just think that he’s been under Deion’s bubble for too long, in my opinion.”
— Jason Whitlock on Shedeur Sanders
Contrary to Whitlock’s opinion, speed is one thing that the young Sanders actually does possess. He was clocked at a speed of 20.1 MPH last season against the University of Southern California. According to NFL Rookie Watch, there is not a single starting quarterback in the NFL that has been able to reach that speed.
Whitlock’s partner, Steve Kim, jumped in and praised Hunter, but he also delivered a body blow to Shedeur and disrespected him on the air.
“I think Travis Hunter is a top-ten pick, no doubt about it. He can play both ways,” Kim said. “He’s a versatile, legitimate playmaker.”
Then came the Shedeur comparisons to his contemporaries that are coming out this season.
“As I look at these guys like Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels, who I like, and obviously Caleb Williams. As flawed as those guys may be, would you put Shedeur in that category of talent and production?
“I wouldn’t,” Kim said.
Believe it or not, I disagree.
The fact of the matter is that Shedeur is a great quarterback who played behind an unemployment line of blockers that could not stop anyone from getting in the backfield. The Colorado offensive line was like the turnstiles at Disney World, Everyone gets on the ride eventually.
The kid was literally running for his life back in the pocket and had to take a pain-killing injection at halftime of the UCLA game. Shedeur still managed to throw for 3,230 yards and scattered 27 touchdowns and only suffered three interceptions on the season.
Shedeur, in my opinion, is in the same class as the quarterbacks that are coming out this season and are expected to be drafted in the top fifteen picks next month in the annual NFL Draft.
Sanders has the size and the speed, as well as a cannon for an arm. He is every bit as dangerous as Williams and Maye but might be a step below Daniels.
He might not be as cerebral in the pocket as J.J. McCarthy, but Shedeur is a heck of a good football player.
Had Sanders come out in the 2024 class, he would probably, in my opinion, have been the second or third quarterback off the board. He would be gone in the first 15 picks. The biggest mistake that Shedeur made was not coming out this year as it will always appear that he was afraid of the competition at the NFL Combine. I would pay to see the kid work out with Williams, Daniels, McCarthy, and Maye.
Now, my evaluation is based on a one-year sample size as he only played one season in the Power Five.
Sanders can elaborate on his statement this season or he can fizzle into the great abyss and disappear off the draft boards. Only time will tell.
However, in my estimation, Shedeur is going to become a high draft choice next season and he will be a solid starting quarterback in the league. He might not be a Pro Football Hall of Famer like his daddy was, but he will leave his own stamp and footprint on the NFL by the time his career is over.
