Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders is one of the most polarizing players in the 2025 NFL Draft class. He’s arguably the biggest name at quarterback and has drawn the most attention in the pre-draft process, too.
You’re either all in on Sanders as a franchise quarterback, or you’re all the way out. There’s no real middle ground on the hyped-up quarterback.
Former Colorado All-American linebacker and member of the Blitzburgh defense in the 1990s Chad Brown sees a guy who could be a great quarterback, just without all the arm talent in the world.
“He’s got the ability to slide and maneuver within the pocket, but it’s more about an arm strength and it’s more about the mind game than just the, the pure athleticism. Maybe some of the desire to make plays in a, gosh, no, that’s also a negative comparison. I want to say Jameis Winston without all the interceptions, because we’ve seen what Jameis Winston tries to extend plays too long and falls into some mistakes,” Brown said of Sanders Tuesday during an appearance on 93.7 The Fan’s PM Show when asked for a comparison, according to video via 93.7 The Fan on YouTube. “Shedeur does that a bit, but not to that same level. But the desire to make a play, desire to always be thinking about attacking the defense desire always to be looking down the field.
“I’m not sure if there’s a direct NFL comparison, but I see a guy who has to get some of that worked out of his game. At the same time, that’s one of the best parts of his game, always putting pressure on the defense and trying to find ways to make an explosive play.”
Being compared to Jameis Winston isn’t all that great, considering Winston’s track record of making killer mistakes in games. But Brown made sure to give the caveat of Sanders being like Winston without the interceptions.
Winston had great arm talent coming out of Florida State with functional mobility and presence within the pocket. Sanders doesn’t have the arm talent, but he has the ability to create something out of nothing due to his pocket presence and ability to extend plays to the final seconds.
While Brown likes that part of Sanders’ game, he also acknowledged that some of that stuff that Sanders put on tape during his time in college from an extended-play aspect will need cleaned up in the NFL, much like Winston did — and still does.
That said, a Winston-type talent in Sanders without the interceptions would be a nice get for the Steelers, especially if they sit at No. 21 overall in the first round and land him.
