Giants Country

Former NFL Scout Raises Concerns About Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders

Sanders is widely believed to be a first-round draft prospect next year, but one ex-scout thinks some issues could knock his stock down a few pegs.

Andrew Parsaud

Nov 9, 2024; Lubbock, Texas, USA; Colorado Buffalos quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) passes against the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the first half at Jones AT&T Stadium and Cody Campbell Field.
Nov 9, 2024; Lubbock, Texas, USA; Colorado Buffalos quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) passes against the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the first half at Jones AT&T Stadium and Cody Campbell Field. / Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Images
In this story:

It's easy to see why many fans like Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders. He's flashy, makes highlight plays all over the field, and is currently helping lead the Buffaloes to their first winning season since 2016 when they went 10-4 (4-2 record in 2020 due to a shortened season).

With Sanders comes much media attention, due to his father being NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders and Colorado's head coach.

The Sanders family has made headlines over the last few years for their work at Jackson State, then transferring to Colorado ahead of last season. Sanders' play has skyrocketed him to a potential first-round pick in the 2025 draft, with many seeing him as one of the best quarterbacks in the class.

That isn't the same for Daniel Kelly, a former scout for the New York Jets. Kelly pointed out five reasons why teams should be concerned about Sanders ahead of the draft.

Kelly's first reason cited confidence issues when letting the ball rip. Sanders has time to throw but isn't taking the chances (sound familiar Giants fans?)

"The popular scapegoat is Colorado’s offensive line,” Kelly wrote. “However, further investigation illustrates Sanders was sacked 58 times the two seasons before playing at Colorado back when he played for FCS Jackson State at a lower level of college competition with a different offensive line. 

“Sanders has been sacked 135 times (and counting) in his college career. There is also the factor of Sanders' time to throw which was a reported 2.89 seconds in 2023 and we will see what the average is for 2024 once the season is over."

Sanders, per Kelly, also struggles with throwing with anticipation, failing to lead receivers with throws. It's a common trend seen with younger quarterbacks, as some take longer to process when there isn't a window to throw into. Kelly isn't confident in Sanders' ability to do so.

"When watching Sanders throw into the intermediate route level vs. man coverage, he tends to throw the ball AFTER the receiver makes his break. In other words, he waits to release the ball until throwing windows are established and sure. NFL quarterbacks need to throw to a spot BEFORE receivers make their breaks —with anticipation. That’s something Sanders really struggles to do on his game film."

Kelly's next two reasons are ball security issues and character concerns. While Sanders has only thrown nine interceptions in two seasons at Colorado, Kelly has "charted an additional combined 46 pass breakups (PBUs) last season and this season to date in an 18-game independent study. 

That means in addition to the interceptions he has thrown, defenders are also touching an average of 2.55 passes per game in those 18 games." 

While he may not get picked off often, defenders are getting their hands on the ball. In the NFL, those will turn into turnovers more often than not.

Character concerns are something that has traveled with Sanders throughout his collegiate career. Kelly made a list of 10 issues in another post, with videos of Sanders showing traits that could potentially turn off scouts and general managers.

Kelly's last concern was Sanders' health. The quarterback fractured his back which caused him to miss Colorado's season finale last year after it was initially reported as an ankle injury. 

Sanders also took a nasty hit vs UCF this season, which Kelly said, "teams should exercise medical caution and consult with medical professionals about his medical outlook. From my observations, he seems to be favoring his right shoulder and arm at times when he’s walking around since that hit vs. UCF."

It seems that there will be a lot to unpack when the Giants, who need a new quarterback after this season, begin to examine Sanders's college background.

New York Giants On SI on Social Media

Published
Andrew Parsaud
ANDREW PARSAUD

Andrew Parsaud is currently attending Penn State, where he is studying digital journalism and media. He is an avid follower of the major New York sports teams. 

Home/Draft