• Sanders will bring excellent accuracy to the NFL: He finished 2024 with the third-highest accuracy rate and the fifth-lowest rate of uncatchable throws in the FBS.

• Constant pressure tends to haunt Sanders: He was forced to play under constant concern for pressure at Colorado, even when it wasn’t there, and it led to him bailing from clean pockets early.

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2024 PFF Grades and Stats (rank out of 56 draft-eligible QBs)

Background

Shedeur Sanders is a 23-year-old, 6-foot-2 and 215-pound quarterback out of Colorado. Before joining the Buffaloes, Sanders played two seasons at Jackson State. In 2024, he led Colorado to a 9-4 record — the program’s most wins since 2016. Sanders was named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year and finished eighth in the Heisman voting.

Strengths

Accuracy

Sanders’ biggest strength is his accuracy. From ball placement to catchability, he is among the best. PFF charts the ball placement on every throw made by college quarterbacks, and Sanders finished 2024 with the third-highest accuracy rate and the fifth-lowest rate of uncatchable throws in the FBS. He shows a great understanding of defenders’ leverage and knows how to place the ball in tight coverage. Sanders also displays fantastic touch on deep throws. His 94.8 PFF passing grade on deep attempts (20-plus yards) ranks fourth in this year’s draft class.

Avoiding turnovers

Sanders handled the most dropbacks under pressure in the FBS — nearly 20 more than the second most. He was under constant pressure at Colorado yet still avoided turnovers. His 1.3% turnover-worthy play percentage ranks third best among draft-eligible quarterbacks, and that figure rises to only 2.5% on plays with pressure, placing eighth in the class. Sanders does such a good job of not turning a bad play into a disaster. When quarterbacks are constantly under duress, they often panic. Not Sanders.

High-level play when in structure

When Sanders plays on time and within structure, he flashes high-level processing. It led to the third-highest clean pocket PFF passing grade among draft-eligible quarterbacks. Colorado’s offense doesn’t rely on a ton of RPOs and screens, instead asking Sanders to process a lot pre- and post-snap. Although the Buffaloes’ offensive line often couldn’t hold up enough to allow him to get through his progressions, when he did have time, he was excellent. Even when he didn’t have time, he showed an ability to stand and deliver in a crowded pocket. Sanders’ 86.9 PFF passing grade when under pressure with a time to throw under 2.5 seconds ranked third in college football this past season. That shows he can trust what he’s seeing from the defense and deliver despite a muddy pocket.

Weaknesses

Velocity

While Sanders is a very accurate deep-ball passer, his arm strength isn’t elite. He lacks velocity, clearly visible on downfield passes that require extra juice to beat closing windows. It causes some throws to be tighter than desired, and it could lead to problems in the NFL. When quarterbacks lack that certain zip on the ball, it forces them to be a lot cleaner with their timing. Sanders was able to do that in college, but it remains to be seen if he can work the same magic in the pros.

Bailing from clean pockets

The biggest area of concern in Sanders’ game is his pocket presence. There are a lot of caveats, though, because of his offensive line at Colorado. Sanders was the most pressured quarterback in the nation, and while a lot of that was on his offensive line, he had his fair share of responsibility in inviting pressure. He had the most quarterback-faulted pressures and sacks in 2024. He was forced to play under constant concern for pressure, even when it wasn’t there. It led to him bailing from clean pockets early, taking sacks and not letting plays fully develop. There are far too many plays of him looking to get out of the pocket immediately expecting pressure instead of staying in and reading out the play.

Summary

Sanders flashed NFL ability at Colorado, and it’s that much more impressive when considering the circumstances. He elevated the program to new heights. However, his lack of consistent protection makes him difficult to evaluate. When he can stay on time, he’s an efficient quarterback who is willing to take hits in the pocket to deliver a pass. But he far too often takes himself out of rhythm because of his lack of belief in his protection. That play style will make it hard to succeed in the NFL. Still, if he can play on time more often, his accuracy and turnover avoidance can lead to a long, successful career in the NFL.

Draft Grade: Mid-to-late first round, but top 10 due to the value of the quarterback position