NFL
By: Mark T. Wilson
There will always be skeptics regarding the skills of Shedeur Sanders. While some of it may be fair, let’s view him as we do ther QBs either in college or in the NFL. Viewers who watched or kept up with the 2025 NFL Draft watched as 4 offensive players from the Colorado Buffaloes were drafted in 2025, and 3 of them were wide receivers. How does that not look good for Sanders and his skills?
Naw, think about that. What other QB in the Draft had 3 receivers drafted in the same draft this year? For Sanders, this proves his worth, and it proves why so many people were shocked as every team in the NFL passed him over for 4 rounds.
How can a league take 3 receivers from the same team being thrown the ball by the same QB, and yet, let that QB fall? Not saying that Shedeur Sanders has the best arm in the Draft, but Travis Hunter is the Heisman winner. Hunter caught 96 passes for 1258 yards. LaJohntay Wester hauled in 74 Receptions for 931 yards, and Jimmy Horn Jr. added 37 passes for 441 yards.
And if that’s not enough, a 4th receiver in Will Shepard signed as an undrafted free agent with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers immediately following the Draft. And let’s not forget that Xavier Weaver played with Sanders at Colorado in 2023 before signing with the Arizona Cardinals.
Can we do the math here? That’s 5 wide receivers by Colorado in the last 2 Drafts. And all played with the same QB that NFL teams, analysts, and fans decided wasn’t good enough to go in the 1st round? The numbers don’t lie, but if you let others tell it, I guess it was Cam Ward or Jaxson Dart throwing passes to those receivers.
If Ja’Marr Chase is having an MVP-type year, that means that Joe Burrow is putting up great numbers; the same can be said for almost any QB and WR pairing. But when a QB has that type of chemistry or production with 5 receivers that he helps get to the next level, how can anyone fix their face and say that he’s not NFL ready?
Research can be done, and there will be comparisons. But has there ever been such a dramatic fall regarding a QB who led an exceptional passing attack and who has 4 other offensive skill players make the league in the same year, and people are still talking about his impact? It could be the off-the-field issues, but here is a quote with a bit of how some scouts see Shedeur Sanders.
This guy—if his last name was Breer,” another NFC quarterbacks coach joked with me, “and he was coming out of Minnesota, he’d be a sixth-round pick. He doesn’t play with good feet, he’s late on stuff, he has an average arm. His accuracy is O.K., but he has no timing, no anticipation. He flashes some throws, but he’s an average player, not a great athlete. Even if you watch his pro day, there’s no timing or rhythm. He takes extra hitches.
And that right there is why all this is so hard to take in as a football fan. With Sanders, there is praise and criticism in the same takeaway. Fair enough, as QBs are viewed as leaders of a team. But if a team is drafting a Jalen Milroe or Dart, what are they drafting for? No team is looking at these guys as starters, they view them as clipboard holders. Sanders, maybe due to his last name, is scrutinized a bit more, but his collegiate production is on par with some of the best to ever play in college. All you have to do is look at what he has done for others.
