Shedeur Sanders has the hype — and skill — to be QB1 in 2025 draft class

The ink is barely dry in scouts' notebooks outlining expectations for the top signal-callers in the 2024 NFL Draft, but eyes are already on the aspiring QB1 building a case to be the No. 1 overall pick in 2025. 

While the hype around the Colorado program has subsided since the Buffaloes posted a 4-8 record in Coach Prime's debut season, Shedeur Sanders could keep NFL scouts rolling through Boulder to see the top prospect in the 2025 class. Though Georgia's Carson Beck and Texas' Quinn Ewers could make a push for the top spot, the flamboyant 6-foot-2, 215-pounder is at the top of the charts after completing 69.3 percent of his passes for 3,230 yards and 27 touchdowns during his debut with the Buffaloes. 

As a classic drop-back passer with an impressive set of tools as a pocket passer, Sanders is built for a pro-style offense that features traditional pass concepts designed to target every area of the field. From various in-breaking routes at the short- and intermediate-range (slants, digs, seams, and deep overs) to vertical throws delivered outside of the numbers, the cocky gunslinger flashes blue-chip traits as a distributor from the pocket. Moreover, Sanders displays the poise, confidence, and swagger to make the big-time throws that elite quarterbacks are expected to make in the clutch. 

While studying Sanders' performance at Jackson State and Colorado, it is apparent he has the high IQ and processing skills to win as a cerebral playmaker from the pocket. Though the competition levels are different, his initial success in the SWAC as a true freshman revealed a mature player with a game advanced beyond his years. Sanders guided the Tigers to a 23-3 record, with an unblemished mark (16-0) within the conference.