'Not special to me': Why Shedeur Sanders might experience a draft day slide

After being hailed as a top-10 pick for most of the pre-draft process, Colorado's Shedeur Sanders is expected to come off the board much later than anticipated. Despite being considered as one of the four candidates vying for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, the flamboyant passer could end up as the QB3 of the class, with some teams viewing Ole Miss signal-caller Jaxson Dart and others viewed as a better option on the board.

"Sanders is not special to me," said an AFC executive. "His talent is not much different from the next tier of quarterbacks that includes (Tyler) Shough, (Jaxson) Dart, (Jalen) Milroe and (Kyle) McCord." 

While I am dumbfounded at the apparent slide of a four-year starter with an impressive resume and a pro-ready game, the NFL scouting community has struggled to identify and develop franchise quarterbacks. Moreover, the league has watched countless first-round quarterbacks falter in environments that were not conducive to their talents. 

Given the buzz regarding Sanders' declining stock, it is the perfect time to study the 6-foot-1, 215-pounder to remind the football world why the Colorado standout should still flourish as a starting quarterback in a league that is seemingly dismissing his talents. As the most natural thrower in the draft, Sanders excels at throwing pinpoint passes with exceptional touch and timing. His ability to anticipate his target's whereabouts enables him to squeeze the ball into tight windows without possessing elite arm strength. 

Though his skeptics have painted him as a noodle-armed thrower, Sanders' superb accuracy and ball placement enable him to "throw receivers open" on anticipatory throws into congested areas. The Colorado standout's superb ball placement