Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer says he has serious doubts about the chances of Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders coming off the board in the top three picks — and that it might not even be a lock that Sanders will go in the first 32 picks.
Breer explains he’s having a tough time finding coaches or scouts who grade Sanders as a first-round talent. He notes this is separate from any kind of off-field questions about Sanders stemming from his personality or anything related to his father, Colorado HC Deion Sanders.
The questions around Sanders, per Breer, surround his average athletic ability, lack of premier arm strength and penchant for taking sacks. The evaluators Breer talked to did praise Sanders’ accuracy, poise and the production he was able to put up at Colorado, but the sum of all those parts didn’t equal a first-round quarterback prospect in the eyes of most.
Breer adds more than one person he talked to told him that if Sanders goes in the first round, it will be because an owner overrules his personnel department.
He writes the Browns at No. 2 and the Giants at No. 3 don’t seem like they’re targeting Sanders at those slots, as both have made multiple additions to their quarterback room this offseason that make it look like they’re setting up a competition, not building a room to support a rookie starter.
Breer would be surprised if the Raiders, Jets or Saints pulled the trigger on Sanders in the top ten, even given the recent news about Saints QB Derek Carr.
From there, the Steelers at No. 21 loom as a potential landing spot for Sanders and possibly his last shot to avoid falling out of the first round completely.
Sanders was expected to be a first-round pick this year, but it remains to be seen whether he’ll be a top-5 pick or possibly slide back into the mid to late portion of round one.
He’s generated the most polarizing opinions of just about any prospect in this year’s class.
Sanders, 22, was a two-year starter at Jackson State before transferring to Colorado before the 2023 season.
NFL Media’s Daniel Jeremiah has compared him to QB Geno Smith.
In two years at Colorado, Sanders completed 71.8 percent of his pass attempts for 7,364 yards, 64 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions in 24 career games, adding eight more scores on the ground.
We’ll have more on Sanders as the news is available.
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