With the 2025 NFL Draft approaching, there are many opinions on which quarterbacks will be the top picks. While most analysts place the University of Miami’s Cam Ward at the forefront, former Super Bowl champion and CBS Sports analyst Bryant McFadden argues passionately for Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders to take that top spot.
McFadden emphasizes the need for teams to look beyond negative narratives surrounding Sanders, including concerns raised during his interviews at the NFL Scouting Combine. He asserts, “Me, personally, I have Shedeur Sanders as my QB1 above Cam Ward. If Tennessee selects Cam Ward, I’m OK with that, but Shedeur should not drop at all. These false narratives associated with Shedeur Sanders’ name don’t make sense.”
Regarding Sanders’ abilities, McFadden highlights Sanders’ impressive performance on deep passes, despite criticisms regarding his arm strength: “Everything about Shedeur Sanders, when you turn on his tape, it says a franchise quarterback. Last time I checked, he does a pretty good job of throwing deep passes.”
In fact, Sanders’ statistics back this up. He completed 51 out of 104 throws beyond 15 air yards, yielding 1,529 yards, 17 touchdowns, and four interceptions. When pushing out to 25 air yards or more, Sanders excelled with 23 completions out of 50 attempts, amassing 833 yards and eight touchdowns without any interceptions.
McFadden insists that the lack of stability in Sanders’ supporting cast should not affect his draft stock: “Name another quarterback in college football who has been comfortable being uncomfortable. Shedeur had no stability in terms of offensive line production. Yet and still, he ball out.”
As the 2025 NFL Draft approaches, it remains to be seen whether NFL teams will agree with McFadden’s assessment and weigh Sanders’ positive traits against any perceived shortcomings.
