Colorado has struggled to start the season as the conversation on Shedeur Sanders as a top NFL Draft Pick in the Spring picks up steam. The Buffaloes narrowly avoided a loss to perennial FCS contender North Dakota State and were soundly beaten in their Week 2 rivalry matchup against Nebraska. Still, both Sanders and dual-position player Travis Hunter stand out amongst the pack and cement themselves as two of the best players in the country.
But, per a report by CBS Sports, NFL scouts are very bullish on Sanders thus far into this season. Per Matt Zenitz & John Talty, it isn't unlikely that the Colorado star gets selected in the first round. But, there's a wide range of opinions about him in NFL front offices around the country.
One scout drew a comparison between his skills at Jackson State and his skills at Colorado but some off the field comments soured him a bit on Sanders as a prospect.
“His arm is stronger than it was at Jackson State and he's pretty accurate. I just get turned off by the me, me, me stuff and then when he threw his offensive line under the bus.”
Sanders didn't mince words with how he spoke about his offensive line's performance against Nebraska, where he was sacked five times and left the game early to get checked out by team doctors.
“I mean, how many times did Raiola get touched?” Sanders asked rhetorically of the Nebraska quarterback and the Cornhuskers offensive line. “Of course, when you're able to run the ball consistently, that opens up the pass, you know? But it's just like, you've got to understand what your team's good at. Why would we keep running the ball when we get out there and there's a must-get situation and we don't get it?”
Other scouts that spoke to Zenitz and Talty focused more on his in-game ability to access his draft stock.
An NFL director of college scouting said of Sanders, “He's solid. Talented passer. Holds the ball too long. Don't see a top-five pick. … He's probably a first-round guy (though) because of the body of work and this class.”
One NFL source that CBS Sports talked to compared Sanders to current New York Jets back-up QB Tyrod Tayler.
“It's just so similar to me with the body build and the way they throw. They spin the ball well, but it's not like an explosive arm. It's a good arm, a nice arm, and he throws a catchable ball. He throws a decent deep ball. He can move around some but he's not necessarily some big-time scrambler by any stretch. But if someone like Mac Jones goes top-15, can Shedeur Sanders go top-15? I guess he could.”
Being predicted as a first-round pick is surely not a bad thing but Sanders was heralded as one of the best quarterbacks in the nation and a defacto top five pick without another standout quarterback in the class with him. The season is early, and Sanders and the Buffaloes have a few months to change the minds of NFL draft scouts.
The Buffaloes play their rival Colorado State tomorrow at 7:30 PM EST. The game will be broadcast on CBS.