Buffs Beat

ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. says Shedeur Sanders in "three-horse race" for top QB in 2025

Buffs "Grown" passer fighting to prove he'll be the first off the board in the NFL Draft

Kenny Lee

Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
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NFL scouts have enjoyed the endless highlights from Travis Hunter that they might want to readjust their attention on Shedeur Sanders ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft.

The Colorado leader was projected as the top quarterback off the board, but lately it seems teams have cooled off on him. Yet again, it depends on the team and the need. Two franchises who're likely to pursue Sanders are the Dallas Cowboys and Las Vegas Raiders. It also falls within the logic of Coach Prime not wanting Sanders to end up in a cold-weather city.

ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. believes CU's "Grown" QB will be at the top end of the conversation in the 2025 draft class. He talked about his initial projection on Thursday with Shedeur's "throwing partner" Cam Ward working his way up.

"I think he can be the guy, and I really believe this, he still could be QB1," Kiper said. "Right now, it's a three-horse race with (Carson) Beck and (Quinn) Ewers. Maybe Cam Ward from Miami gets in there. We'll see."

Sanders is one throw away from breaking the 1,000-yard mark this season, along with nine touchdowns, which leads the Big 12 conference. He surpassed the 11,000 yard mark in his career (999-of-1,452 for 11,312 yards, 106 TDs, 19 INT) and the 4,000 yard mark at Colorado (383-of-551 for 4,229 yards, 36 TDs, 5 INT). The win over CSU was his seventh 300-yard game at Colorado and 16th of his career.

Where CBS Sports has Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders going in 2025 NFL mock draft

"(Shedeur) did have some hiccups (against Colorado State)," Kiper said. "Some layups that he missed, some throws that should've been routine he misfired on. But overall, when Shedeur has a fighting chance, he can really dissect a defense, get you down the field, move the football and he doesn't make mistakes that often."

Sanders put on nearly 15 pounds in the offseason and it worked out better for his overall draft stock. "He's bringing a bigger frame this year and that's a huge plus for us. He's been able to sustain more contact and is harder to bring down," an NFL scout told BuffsBeat following Colorado's win over North Dakota State.

There will be more NFL scouts on hand come Saturday night to watch Sanders and the Buffs open Big 12 play with Baylor. It's another prime time event for Colorado who will look to take another step forward before the heart of the conference schedule.

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Kenny Lee
KENNY LEE

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