by J.T. Toth
Photo courtesy of Mile High Sports.
At Draft 412, the NFL draft talk never ends. We will keep you ready for the next set of gridiron stars—from today and all the way until draft night 2024. We will bring you mock drafts, player profiles, individual team needs, and everything else you may need related to the 2024 NFL Draft.
Today’s Spotlight - Colorado, Quarterback, Shedeur Sanders
Name- Shedeur Sanders
Pos- Quarterback
Team- Colorado
HT/WT- 6’2” 215 lbs.
Born- 2/7/2002
Home – Tyler, TX
Shedeur Sanders is the son of hall-of-famer Deion Sanders and was a four-star rated prospect by both ESPN and 247Sports at Trinity Christian High School in Texas. In high school, Sanders tallied some gaudy numbers of 12,627 passing yards and 166 touchdowns in leading his team to a 47-5 mark over the 4 seasons. He elected to play with his father and committed to Jackson State, spurring offers from several FBS schools.
In his 2 seasons at Jackson State, Sanders led the Tigers to a 23-3 record and was 16-0 in SWAC games. Jackson State won back to back SWAC Championships and also made their first two appearances in the Celebration Bowl, known as the HBCU National Championship Game.
He holds Jackson State records for season passing touchdowns (40), and completions with (344), and is second all time in passing yards with (3,752). His freshman year, he earned the Jerry Rice FCS National Freshman of the Year Award, and he won the SWAC offensive player of the year award as a sophomore. At the end of his sophomore season, he entered the transfer portal to follow his father to Colorado to play for the Buffaloes.
In his first game of the season for Colorado, he faced #17 TCU and instantly made his mark in the FBS. He threw for 510 yards on 38-47 passing while throwing 4 touchdown passes in Colorado’s 45-42 upset victory.
Sanders is an athletic quarterback who knows how to progress in the pocket when he feels pressure. He is excellent at the quick, short passing game and has a lightning release when executing. He has advanced passing mechanics with a straight over the top motion that he repeats on each throw.
Sanders has the “it” factor when leading and has the poise and confidence of a veteran. He is a student of the game and at Jackson State, he showed a talent for calling out blitzes and knowing where his hot routes were at all times. He is comfortable running when needed and has the ability to pick up big yards. Though Jackson State had a unique, spread offense, he was accurate in his passes and progressions.
Sanders will be under a microscope to prove that he can throw in an NFL type offense. Much of his success has dealt with short, quick passes. Sanders' deep ball can hang up too long and it isn’t as polished as his quick throws. He holds the ball awkwardly when leaving the pocket and has already fumbled an alarming 19 times in his career. He has good mechanics in his upper body throwing the ball, but his footwork can be suspect at times. He tends to throw using all upper body and not using his legs to drive the ball through.
Watching Shedeur Sanders, Draft 412 is reminded of Deshaun Watson of the Cleveland Browns. Watson, coming out of Clemson, was known for his leadership ability and had a lot of the same makeup as Sanders.
Strengths
Mobility
Quick release
Student of the game
Bloodlines
Weaknesses
Ball Security
Deep pass
Offense he plays in
Footwork
Final Analysis
Sanders flashed his skills in game one and is already considered a Heisman candidate. Draft 412 thinks even with a big season, he may be better off coming back next year for his senior campaign. He could use another year of collegiate experience to improve his NFL stock.
Draft 412 Draft Prediction - 4th or 5th round