Colorado football quarterback Shedeur Sanders has become one of the top rising prospects for the 2024 NFL draft. In a draft that looks like it could be loaded at the quarterback position with prospects such as Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, Quinn Ewers, Bo Nix, J.J. McCarthy and Michael Penix Jr., Sanders has made a clear name for himself.

The hype for Sanders started instantly this season when he led the Buffaloes to three straight wins over TCU, Nebraska and Colorado State. Sanders was getting Heisman buzz while NFL scouts raced out to see him in person. However, things have slowed over the past few weeks as Colorado has lost to Oregon, USC and Stanford while just beating Arizona State. Sanders has still played well through those games, but the attention has drifted to other quarterbacks and teams.

So that leaves the question, when will Shedeur Sanders get drafted? Is he already a guaranteed top-10 pick? A second day steal? Let's take a closer look.

The Scouting Report

Sanders spent his first two college football seasons in the SWAC with Jackson State under his dad's coaching. Sanders was phenomenal during his two seasons with Jackson State. In his sophomore year, he completed 70.6% of his passes for 3,732 yards with 40 touchdowns to just six interceptions. Though Sanders needed to prove himself in Power 5 conference play before he would be considered a high draft pick, the amount of experience he has playing bodes well for him. Like the NFL has seen with Brock Purdy, lots of reps can help a player become NFL-ready faster.

Sanders has continued to prove himself since joining Colorado. Through seven games in the Pac-12, Sanders is one of the leaders in several NCAA passing categories. Heading into Colorado's bye this week, Sanders leads college football with 2,420 passing yards and is third in touchdowns with 21 on the year.

Outside of his stats, Sanders strengths are shown in his play-making ability. Not only does he have good arm and regularly launches deep ball accurately to his receivers, but he has the ability to maneuver and scramble around in the pocket. He also is good at distributing the ball rather than focusing on one target. Instead, Travis Hunter, Xavier Weaver, Jimmy Horn Jr., Javon Antonio and Omarion Miller have all had big games thanks to Sanders spreading the football around.

What's even more impressive about the plays Sanders makes is he faces adversity. Unlike other top prospects like Caleb Williams, Sanders does not have a great offensive line. He has routinely been tested to run around in the backfield, evade defenders and release the ball under pressure. This experience will benefit him greatly in the NFL as he may not go to a team with a great O-line right off the bat.

He also has demonstrated consistent accuracy through all three seasons as an NFL quarterback. His lowest completion percentage was still a solid 65.9% in his freshman year, and he's had at least a 70% average in both seasons since.

Concerns:

The biggest concern with Sanders's play is the amount of sacks he's taken. Though his offensive line isn't doing him a ton of favors, Sanders has taken 34 sacks, which is by far the most in the NCAA. As much as he excels at evading rushers, sometimes he needs to just throw the ball away or get it out quicker. When playing a top defense in Oregon, Shedeur took seven sacks. This is certainly a skill he can realistically improve upon, but NFL pass rushers will be even more menacing than the ones Sanders sees on Saturday.

Another concern with projecting where Sanders will go is he may not declare for the 2024 NFL draft. He is still only in his junior season of college and could choose to stay at Colorado for another year. If Sanders is not projected to go where he wants in this draft, it could be wise to stay and prove himself with another year of Power 5 play. He has the ideal set up right now as he plays with his dad and is the second-highest NIL earner in the NCAA, only behind Bronny James, per On 3.

Projection:

At this point, Shedeur Sanders projects to be a potential first-round pick and likely a second-round pick at the latest. Though a lot of buzz suggested he would be a guaranteed top-10 pick after his first couple of games this season, it's still too soon to declare that for sure. For one, Williams and Maye will be the top two quarterbacks taken this year. Aside from that, McCarthy and others are rising alongside Sanders. Not every team needs a quarterback and it may come down to a numbers game to who gets taken in the top-10. Still, Sanders' talent and body of work should ensure he's taken in at least the top two rounds.